Just one week ago, it appeared Tom Brady would run away with the NFL MVP as the odds-on betting favorite. After Sunday's Week 15 slate, Aaron Rodgers would like a word.
Rodgers closed the gap on Brady, turning the MVP conversation into a mostly two-man race. Rodgers threw for 268 yards with three touchdowns in a 31-30 win over the Ravens, lengthening his touchdown-to-interception ratio to 30:4.
Meanwhile, Brady slipped up in a shutout loss to the Saints on Sunday Night Football. Brady was held to 214 yards and an interception.
As a result, Brady's odds have lengthened back into plus-money territory to win the award. Last week, he was a -175 favorite. This week, he can be found as high as +170.
At FanDuel, Brady and Rodgers are both +160 to win the award. Patrick Mahomes (+850), Matthew Stafford (+1000) and Jonathan Taylor (+1200) are on the periphery.
PointsBet and BetMGM each have Brady as the favorite. He's +120 to Rodgers' +160 at PointsBet. Brady is +135 with Rodgers at +165 at BetMGM.
Rodgers is the +150 betting favorite at Caesars, where Brady is +170.
Brady leads the NFL in passing yards with 4,348 yards and 36 touchdowns while turning in the fourth-best QBR.
Rodgers is well behind in the passing yards department, ranking 10th with 3,487. His four interceptions are tied for the fewest among qualified quarterbacks.
Timing and narrative matters, of course. Brady is coming off a dismal performance against the Saints, but it's easy to forget Rodgers only threw for 133 yards in a 38-3 Week 1 loss to New Orleans.
Helping Rodgers' argument is Green Bay's team success. The Packers currently hold the top seed in the NFC with an 11-3 record.
Green Bay ends the season with home games against the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings before finishing the year at Detroit against the Lions.
Brady will see Carolina twice sandwiched around a road game against the New York Jets.
