Super Bowl MVP Odds: Mining Betting Sheet For Valuable Long Shots
Julian Edelman was 33/1 in Super Bowl LIII
We're four days away from Super Bowl LVI and the storylines continue to escalate.
Most of the Most Valuable Player hype revolves around Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow because it's a mathematical likelihood that one of the two gunslingers brings home the hardware. After all, 31 of the 56 Super Bowl MVPs -- Harvey Martin and Randy White shared honors in Super Bowl XII -- have been quarterbacks.
Some of my NESN co-workers around the office have even given me their theories about betting Burrow to win MVP (+230 at FanDuel) rather than bet the Bengals moneyline (+160). That's definitely a solid angle because it feels like Burrow has to play extremely well if Cincinnati has a chance to pull the upset.
However, great payouts await those who don't bet quarterbacks.
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman was as high as +3300 in Super Bowl LIII. All Edelman did was haul in 10 passes for 141 yards to become the seventh wide receiver to win the MVP. And most importantly, a $100 bet on Edelman would've made you $3,300.
Sheesh.
Here are four long shots to think about if you're betting Super Bowl LVI MVP:
Evan McPherson (+13000 at DraftKings)
A kicker has never won the MVP, but a $10 bet wins $1,300. Interested now? McPherson is a perfect 12-for-12 so far this postseason and we've seen some boomers from 52 (2x) and 54 yards. If the rookie from Florida drills three or four field goals -- game-winner included -- in a 20-17 final, he'll have a shot.
Jalen Ramsey (+10000 at WynnBET)
These next two players have a lot to do with each other. Ramsey was literally acquired by Los Angeles to be a lockdown cornerback in a high-profile game. So here we are. If Ramsey completely shuts down rookie phenom Ja'Marr Chase and returns an interception for a touchdown, there's a chance. We've seen three other defensive backs win this award, so it's not ridiculous.
Ja'Marr Chase (+2500 at FanDuel)
If Ramsey gets exposed in the Super Bowl, it'll be solely because of Chase's raw ability and talent. We've already seen the LSU rookie rack up seven triple-digit yardage games, highlighted by 201 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore and 266 yards with three scores against Kansas City. If Chase explodes for a massive game down the field, it will be very hard for voters to look elsewhere.
Aaron Donald (+1800 at Caesars)
Donald is a one-man wrecking crew on the defensive line. When you think about Donald, you likely forecast a game-shifting play. The anchor of the LA front has 102 sacks and 23 forced fumbles over his career and he's undoubtedly foaming at the mouth to face a very overrated Cincinnati offensive line. If Donald makes a big disruption or two in the backfield of a low-scoring game -- look out.
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