NFL MVP odds: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson headline intriguing 2026 field

A new NFL season is almost here and it's never too early to dig into the MVP betting odds to get a glimpse of what might be to come. For a second consecutive season, the NFL MVP race was exciting to follow throughout the campaign. The 2024 NFL season saw the reigning league MVP, Lamar Jackson, and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen battle it out until the end, when the latter eventually took home the award. Last season, Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye went toe-to-toe before the old bull earned the honors over the young calf in his 17th NFL season. Stafford and Allen became the latest first-time MVP winners and are among the frontrunners again in 2026, as are the runners-up Jackson and Maye. They, along with three other AFC quarterbacks, headline the early contenders to win the NFL's most prestigious individual honor. Will another new candidate emerge? An important fact to consider when evaluating the MVP odds is that the last time a non-quarterback won the award was in 2012, when running back Adrian Peterson took home the honors. He finished that season with 2,097 rushing yards. Before Peterson, it was LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006, who had 28 touchdowns and more than 1,800 rushing yards. As history suggests, the current top players in MVP odds are all quarterbacks. Here's how the latest NFL MVP odds look as the start of the season draws near. All odds listed next to each MVP candidate are provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. It's no surprise Allen is the early favorite. The odds suggest he won't skip a beat. Buffalo made few changes to its roster this offseason, but one of the most notable was the addition of DJ Moore. Another weapon for the dynamic 30-year-old should only prove more lethal. Allen has finished in the top five in voting in four of the last five seasons. He was the runner-up in 2020 behind Aaron Rodgers and a finalist in 2022 (third place), 2023 (fifth place) and 2025 (third place). Jackson has already won the award twice and as long as he's healthy, he's a constant threat to claim a third. He set career-bests in passing yards (4,172), passing touchdowns (41), interceptions (four) and passer rating (119.6) in 2024, and with a clean bill of health, the 29-year-old is prime for a bounce-back campaign in 2026. Herbert is likely the most surprising name to some this high in the MVP odds. He threw for a career-low in yards per game (227.6) in 2024 but became more efficient the last two seasons. He passed for 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a 66.4 percent completion rate in 2025 while rushing for a career-high 498 yards and two scores. He did so without the Chargers starting tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, who are set to return in 2026. With a boost from 2025 first-round running back Omarion Hampton and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, there's reason to be high on Herbert in 2026. Maye is the youngest player on the list in the top ten but don't rule him out. The Patriots' third-year signal-caller will likely continue to blossom with the addition of AJ Brown in New England. He faces a tougher schedule in 2026, but if he can replicate his Drew Brees-esque league-leading 72.0 completion percentage while also stacking wins using his legs (450 rushing yards, four rushing TDs), he will maintain his standing among the favorites. Like Jackson, you can bank on Burrow as a legitimate MVP candidate when healthy. He led the league in completions, attempts, passing yards and passing touchdowns while throwing for just nine interceptions with a 70.6 completion percentage in 2024. Last we checked, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are still in Cincinnati. A monster season could be coming for this trio. Kansas City missed the playoffs last year, and Mahomes is still recovering from a torn ACL. His goal is to play Week 1, but there's plenty of reason to be skeptical at Mahomes' current odds. The team signed running back Kenneth Walker III and wide receiver Xavier Worthy could take a step in year three, but Travis Kelce is another year older and Rashee Rice is currently rehabbing after another knee surgery. At the end of the day, it's still prudent not to count out the three-time Super Bowl champ. Williams is surrounded by immense young talent. Rome Odunze, Luther Burden and Colston Loveland are providing Williams with one of the best situations of any quarterback in the NFL. Ben Johnson's coaching staff has been a perfect match. Williams authored some of the most memorable individual moments from the 2025 season, and if he can put it all together throughout 17 games, watch out. The Cowboys' signal-caller was among the top three in MVP odds at points during the 2025 season. He averaged 267.8 passing yards per game (third-most) and ranked No. 5 in QBR at 70.2. He orchestrated multiple fourth-quarter comebacks and the soon-to-be 33-year-old quarterback was second in the league with 600 pass attempts, but it wasn't enough to reach the playoffs. Like Burrow in Cincy, Prescott has a dynamic duo at wideout in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. If the volume remains and Dallas improves in the win column, there's good value here on Prescott. Stafford is the reigning MVP after tossing a career-high 46 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. His 4,707 passing yards paced the NFL and the 46 touchdowns are the second-most thrown in a single season by an NFL quarterback age 37 or older. He became the third player in NFL history with at least 45 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions in a season, according to NFL Research. Can he replicate that in 2026? Certainly. The Rams are loaded with talent around him. Like others on this list, Love spent time on the sidelines in 2025 with injuries. The Packers took a wide receiver in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft in Matthew Golden and then locked up Christian Watson in 2026. The passing offense is set up to break out with Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft also providing a boon. If the passing volume creeps up in 2026, Love could easily take a leap. The former No. 1 overall pick is coming off his most successful season and that could be due to his health. Liam Coen's system also appears to be a perfect match. T-Law is an intriguing MVP candidate with few changes around him this offseason. San Francisco had another injury-riddled season on both sides of the ball, and that included Purdy, who missed nine games. Brandon Aiyuk isn't part of the team's future but Purdy has one of the best casts around him of Mike Evans, George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall and a healthy Christian McCaffrey. Daniels had one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback in modern history in 2024. The former No. 2 overall pick led the Commanders to the NFC championship for the first time since 1991 but battled injuries throughout 2025. Washington has a questionable skill position group compared to most of the other MVP candidates, but if Daniels can propel the Commanders back to playoff contention, he should be considered a viable MVP candidate.