NFL betting: No surprise, Josh Allen takes over as MVP favorite after win over Chiefs

·NFL writer

11 October 2021 at 10:21 am·2-min read

Josh Allen was creeping up the NFL MVP odds before Sunday night.

Then he put on a show as the Buffalo Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a highly anticipated prime-time game. It was pretty obvious what would happen next, in terms of an odds shift.

Kyler Murray has been supplanted as the betting favorite to win MVP at BetMGM. Allen takes the top spot, though five quarterbacks are less than +1000 odds.

It should be a fun race to track, but the odds say Allen leads it after five games.

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen is the new MVP favorite, according to BetMGM's odds. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) (Jamie Squire via Getty Images)

Josh Allen is new MVP favorite

Allen was in control on Sunday, albeit against a bad Chiefs defense. He threw for 315 yards on just 15 completions. He ran for 59 yards. Allen threw for three touchdowns and ran for one as the Bills thoroughly defeated the Chiefs, giving Buffalo a big edge for playoff seeding over Kansas City. If the Chiefs can even win their own division (though that's a story for another day).

MVPs usually get a bump when they play great games against marquee opponents in prime time. That pattern probably will never change. And Allen just led an impressive win over a team that has made the past two Super Bowls.

Here are the updated odds:

Allen +450
Murray +500
Tom Brady +650
Dak Prescott +650
Justin Herbert +650

Allen, Bills have been on a roll

Allen didn't play well in a Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh but has been locked in since. So have the 4-1 Bills.

Allen has 12 touchdowns, two interceptions and adds a lot of value with his legs as well. The Bills have four straight blowout wins since losing to the Steelers. They look like the best team in the AFC, especially after putting some distance between themselves and the Chiefs.

It's a long season. All five of the players listed above have a great argument for MVP, and others will join the race as well. Injuries and slumps happen. But if the Bills end up as the AFC's best team and Allen keeps playing near the level he has been at, he'll have a very good case. He helped his case with a marquee performance on Sunday night.