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Jalen Hurts owns third-shortest odds to win NFL MVP after stellar start to season

The Eagles quarterback is tied with Justin Herbert and trails only Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in the 2022 NFL MVP race.

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are on the rise.  (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are on the rise. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Read moreMichael Reaves / Getty Images

Two years ago, Jalen Hurts was a backup-turned-spot-starter who completed just 52% of his passes as a rookie. Now he’s among the favorites to win NFL MVP.

It’s been a meteoric rise for the Eagles’ dual-threat star, who’s currently dealing at 10/1 to win this year’s MVP award — tied with Justin Herbert for the third-shortest odds at BetMGM. Those two trail only preseason favorite Josh Allen (+300) and former winner Patrick Mahomes (+450) in this year’s star-studded field.

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2022 NFL MVP betting odds ahead of Week 3 (via BetMGM)

Player
Josh Allen
Odds
+300
Player
Patrick Mahomes
Odds
+450
Player
Justin Herbert
Odds
+1000
Player
Jalen Hurts
Odds
+1000
Player
Lamar Jackson
Odds
+1100
Player
Tua Tagovailoa
Odds
+1600
Player
Tom Brady
Odds
+1800
Player
Aaron Rodgers
Odds
+2000
Player
Joe Burrow
Odds
+2200
Player
Kyler Murray
Odds
+2500

Jalen Hurts among hottest names in NFL MVP market

Hurts’ latest jump came after arguably the best performance of his young career on Monday, when he completed 26-of-31 passes (83.9%) for 333 yards and a touchdown in a blowout win over the Vikings. He also added 57 yards and two scores on the ground, including a 26-yard scamper to the end zone late in the first half that seemingly broke the spirits of Minnesota’s helpless defense.

It’s all coming together for the former second-round pick, whose accuracy issues plagued him in college and even led him to get benched in the national title game in favor of former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa. Five years later, Tagovailoa leads the NFL in passing yards (739) and touchdowns (7) and is an MVP candidate (16/1) in his own right — but it’s Hurts who seems to have the inside track for the league’s highest individual honor.

» READ MORE: Only three teams have shorter Super Bowl odds than the Eagles after Week 2

It’s not like this came out of nowhere for Hurts, who was a hot name in the MVP market coming into the season. After dealing as high as 50/1 earlier this summer, the third-year QB saw his price slashed to 25/1 entering the season following a cascade of hype around his development as a passer and the talent on this Eagles offense.

Boy, does that look like a steal in hindsight. Sure, Hurts was shaky in Week 1, when he completed just 18 of his 32 passes for 243 yards — with just 10 completions for 88 yards to receivers not named A.J. Brown. It hardly mattered with the way the Philadelphia offense hummed en route to 38 points in that season-opening win.

Any lingering doubts from that contest seem to be gone after Monday’s prolific performance. Hurts’ 83.9% completion rate in Week 2 was the best of his career, while his passing yardage (333) and passer rating (108.7) both ranked among the five-best efforts of his career. Through two weeks, he ranks seventh in total QBR (70.8) and passing yards (576) and, incredibly, ranks 10th in the entire league in rushing yards (147).

That’s the sort of stat line that can anchor an MVP campaign, a la Lamar Jackson in his unanimous run in 2019. Fittingly, the Ravens star also completed fewer than 60% of his passes as a rookie, but he carried Baltimore to a 14-2 record in his sophomore season while leading the league in passing touchdowns (36) and setting the single-season rushing record for a quarterback (1,206).

» READ MORE: NFL Week 3 survivor pool picks, predictions: Can Vikings bounce back after blowout loss?

Hurts isn’t the dynamic rusher that Jackson is, and he doesn’t quite have the cannon arm of Jackson, who slots just behind the Philly QB on the MVP oddsboard (11/1). History is also against Hurts, who is looking to join three-time MVP Tom Brady as the only players drafted outside of the first round to win this award in the last 20 years.

Still, the perennial underdog Hurts sure looks like a potential superstar through the first two games of this season, and he has the supporting cast and soft schedule to make a run at the NFC’s top seed. And if he can maintain this statistical pace along the way, anything is within reach.

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