Lamar Jackson entered Monday Night Football with the second-best odds to win his second-straight MVP award, but he’s now the favorite after a monster performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Ravens’ superstar quarterback was +500 at DraftKings, which was behind only Patrick Mahomes (+350). However, he leapfrogged him after throwing for one less touchdown than Mahomes has thrown all year. Jackson is now +270, while Mahomes is +475.
Jackson completed 17-of-22 passes for 281 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions for a near-perfect 158.1 passer rating. He threw a TD to four different players: Rashod Bateman, Justice Hill, Derrick Henry, and a pair to Mark Andrews. Jackson was also efficient with his legs, running the ball nine times for 52 yards.
A Ravens team that began the year with two straight loses to the Chiefs, and Raiders has won five in a row. Derrick Henry’s been a tremendous acquisition and performed as well as anyone could have hoped for, but Jackson’s the main reason Baltimore remains one of the Super Bowl frontrunners. He’s 135-for-198 for 1,810 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. He’s also run the ball 73 times for 455 yards and two scores.
Jackson’s looking to become the seventh player in NFL history to win three MVPs. Peyton Manning owns the record with five, while Aaron Rodgers won four and Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Jim Brown, and Johnny Unitas three.
The MVP race has been tight all year long. Josh Allen is right on Jackson and Mahomes’ heels at +500 while Jared Goff is +800, C.J. Stroud +1200 and Jordan Love +1300.