Jameis Winston's 2021 NFL MVP Odds Will Definitely Get Your Attention
By Max Staley
Jameis Winston has had one of the strangest careers for a former No. 1 overall pick. The highs were impressive with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The lows equally confounding.
He led the NFL in passing yards (5,109) back in 2019, but he also threw 30 interceptions that year, fittingly ending his 2019 season with a game-losing pick-six against the Atlanta Falcons.
Now Winston's career looks to be taking its strangest turn yet. He's going to be battling Taysom Hill for the New Orleans Saints' starting QB job in 2021. Taking a look at the latest NFL MVP odds, per WynnBET, Winston is not only expected to win the job, he also appears poised to have a monster season in 2021.
Jameis Winston NFL MVP Odds
Winston currently boasts +3000 odds to win the award on WynnBET, which have him tied for the 17th-best odds in the league. A $100 bet would net bettors $3,000 if Winston wins MVP. That's obviously a huge payout, but it's not so big that it should be viewed as completely impossible.
Winston is right behind Baker Mayfield (+2500) and tied with guys like Derek Carr and Joe Burrow (+3000) to win the MVP. He's ahead of big names like Ben Roethlisberger (+5000) and former league MVP Matt Ryan (+5000). And for reference, Hill is much further down the list than Winston (+5000).
This all suggests that Winston is poised for a nice season in New Orleans. It also suggest his season will be better than Big Ben or Matty Ice. And there's plenty of reason to believe that's true.
Winston has never played with an offensive mind as fine-tuned as Saints coach Sean Payton. Payton has been one of the most innovative offensive coaches in the league for years, and he represents a significant upgrade over the revolving door Winston had during his first four NFL seasons. He also has spent a year learning under Payton, an invaluable grace period for Winston to beomce better accustomed to the Saints' offsense.
Beyond Payton, New Orleans has a roster that's built to maximize any quarterback. When healthy, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara are two of the NFL's best at their respective positions. It's the same story on the offensive line, where New Orleans finished as an above-average pass-blocking unit and a top-eight run-blocking unit in 2020, according to ProFootballFocus.
Stepping into a situation surrounded by top-tier talent and one of the best head coaches in the league, Winston could finally be poised for a real breakout season in 2021.
If he can beat out Taysom Hill, that is.