Don't Bet on Jonathan Taylor to Win NFL MVP

Jonathan Taylor has been at the heart of the Indianapolis Colts' run towards the AFC South title. After a slow start to the season, the Colts are now 6-6 and have Taylor to thank for it. The second-year running back is the league leader in rushing yards (1,205) and rushing touchdowns (14).  Additionally, Taylor ranks second in the NFL in attempts (209) and average yards per carry (5.8). He’s added 336 yards and two touchdowns off 36 receptions. 

So, it's safe to say that Taylor is having the best season of any running back in the league as of Week 13. So, why isn’t he even near the top of the MVP odds board?

The main reason, that I touched upon last week, is that he isn’t a quarterback. Tom Brady leads the NFL in touchdowns (30) and second in passing yards (3,403) for comparison and leads the MVP voting.  Here are the current NFL MVP odds from WynnBET Sportsbook: 

NFL MVP Odds

• Tom Brady +250
• Josh Allen +450
• Aaron Rodgers +600
• Patrick Mahomes +750
• Kyler Murray +1000
• Dak Prescott +1000
• Justin Herbert +1600
• Lamar Jackson +1600
• Matthew Stafford +1600
• Jonathan Taylor +1600
• Joe Burrow +5000

As you can see, Taylor is still clinging onto the “pack” before the odds drop off to Burrow. However, as I touched upon last week on the topic of Taylor for MVP, he would have to do too much in the next five games to steal the award away from any of the quarterbacks listed. 

Tom Brady is a good point of reference to drive this point home as he ranks one and two in the most important metrics for a quarterback; touchdowns and yards. Meanwhile, Taylor is No. 1 in both categories on the ground. Yet, his odds to win hoist the hardware aren’t even close to where Brady’s are. 

Moving on from Brady, let's look at Aaron Rodgers. He ranks ninth in the league in passing yards with just 28 more than Mac Jones and sixth in passing touchdowns tied with Kirk Cousins.  Yet, Rodger's odds to win the MVP are 1,000 points better than Taylor's. 

All this is leading up to this. If you are considering betting on Taylor to win the MVP based on what you perceive as value, just don’t. Unless there is some kind of bus accident on the way to an NFL quarterback meet and greet, Jonathan Taylor has no shot to win this year.