Josh Allen still sits near the top of the NFL MVP board, but the edge he had a couple weeks ago is starting to fade.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback opened the season as the favorite to win the award for a second time, yet his grip on the market has loosened after uneven outings against the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots. Over those two games, Allen has thrown one touchdown pass and three interceptions, and he also appeared to suffer a knee injury in the Week 3 game against Los Angeles.
That injury is now part of the conversation in the betting market, even though Allen was a full participant in practice leading into Week 4. Fanatics Sportsbook trader Ty Gour said ahead of that game that any issue with Allen’s knee could have a real effect on his MVP case because of what his legs mean to Buffalo’s offense.
The concern only grew after Week 4. Allen ran the ball five times for four yards, and the market reacted.
“Josh Allen did actually move out quite a bit,” Gour told Sports Illustrated this week. “He was +150 heading into Sunday.
He is +250 now. The biggest reason for that - well, the loss certainly didn't help - but it was something that we mentioned last week: the rushing usage plummeted.
He only had five carries for four yards. Didn't seem like they were doing many designed runs, didn't seem like they were really trying to get him to use his legs unless it was a goal-line situation.
“So, we're going to continue to monitor that. If that rushing usage stays lower, it's going to open the door for the rest of the contenders to really make a swing on that market as well. And you're already seeing that as well - this wasn't necessarily notable line movement, but [Brock] Purdy did drop down from +500 to +400, so he is closing that gap and could potentially move into even a co-favorite position this week.”
Purdy has become the main challenger, and DraftKings Sportsbook’s Johnny Avello said the 49ers quarterback is the player most likely to sit atop the market if the award were decided right now.
“Purdy and [Trevor] Lawrence are the big movers in the MVP market,” Avello told Sports Illustrated. “If it ended today, Purdy most likely would take home the hardware. No concerns for Allen at this time with only 25 percent of the season behind us, but will certainly be monitoring his efforts at L.A. this week.”
Allen still holds a narrow lead over Purdy at the best NFL betting sites, while Patrick Mahomes and Lawrence are both shorter than 7/1 to win the award.
What has always separated Allen from most quarterbacks is what he brings on the ground. This season, he has 33 carries for 118 yards and seven touchdowns, and he has scored at least once rushing in every game, including twice in three of them. If Buffalo decides to pull back on those designed runs because of the knee, that would chip away at one of the biggest drivers of his value in the MVP race.
He remains a dangerous passer, too. Allen connected with Keon Coleman for a big second-half touchdown in Week 4, but his passing numbers have also been less sharp than usual. He has already thrown three interceptions in 2026 and is completing a smaller share of his passes than he did in 2025.
There is also the bigger picture around Buffalo’s place in the division. The Week 4 loss pushed New England back into the race, and that matters because Allen’s MVP case in 2025 was hurt by the Patriots finishing ahead of the Bills in the standings. New England also owns the tiebreaker right now, and the teams have only one regular-season meeting left, a road game for Buffalo.
Allen did not carry an injury designation in Week 4, but traders are clearly watching whether he looks fully right. That makes this week’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams even more important for bettors tracking the MVP board. The Rams are a top-10 defense in EPA/Play and success rate this season, and another quiet outing could cost Allen the top spot by the time Week 6 arrives.
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