For The Win
The last running back to win Super Bowl MVP was Terrell Davis in 1998. Oddsmakers expect that drought to end in 2025 if the Philadelphia Eagles are somehow able to topple the Kansas City Chiefs in their bid for a three-peat.
Saquon Barkley has the second-best odds (+240) to win Super Bowl MVP at BetMGM, coming in just behind Patrick Mahomes at +105 and bucking the typical trend of the two starting quarterbacks being favored above every other player.
When these teams played in 2023, Jalen Hurts was a close second-favorite to Mahomes. This time, he’s the third favorite at +375 before odds lengthen significantly for Travis Kelce at +1500 and Xavier Worthy at +3000.
MAN OF THE PEOPLE: Barkley only needed 1 carry to win over bettors
Whether it’s Super Bowl MVP or regular-season MVP, the favorites are almost always quarterbacks because of the outsized impact they have as players who touch the ball every play. But anyone who’s seen the Eagles on their run to the Super Bowl understands why Barkley is favored over Hurts.
A regular-season MVP finalist, Barkley is the engine that makes Philadelphia’s offense go. He rushed for over 2,000 yards in the regular season and eclipsed 100 yards in all three of Philadelphia’s postseason games, including 118 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday’s NFC championship game. If the Eagles upset the Chiefs as 1.5-point underdogs, Barkley will likely be the reason why.
Rounding out the top 10 of Super Bowl MVP favorites are A.J. Brown (+3500), Kareem Hunt (+6600), DeVonta Smith (+6600), Jalen Carter (+6600) and Chris Jones (+6600).
