The first Sunday of the NFL season sent the MVP market spinning.
Josh Allen is still the favorite after Buffalo’s 36-31 win over Houston, but the gap has narrowed fast. Caleb Williams made the biggest move of the week, jumping from +1200 to +600 after Chicago put up 59 points on Carolina. Pro Football Talk broke down the updated board, and Williams now sits just behind Allen.
Allen’s odds moved from +600 to +500 after he threw for 334 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns. Lamar Jackson is next at +650, with Joe Burrow at +900 and Brock Purdy at +1200. Patrick Mahomes has slipped to +1600, while Dak Prescott and Trevor Lawrence are both listed at +1800.
Last year’s winner took the sharpest hit. Matthew Stafford fell from +1400 to +2000 after the Rams’ rough opener.
Williams’ leap came with one of the wildest offensive outputs Week 1 has ever seen. He finished 21-of-29 for 269 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, then added 65 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground.
Chicago still had to keep pushing because Carolina answered enough to turn it into a 59-37 final. After the game, Williams even praised Carolina’s defense on the handshake line.
Allen’s performance was more controlled, but just as important in the race. He outplayed a strong Texans defense in a one-score game that Buffalo sealed with a game-ending fumble. The 2024 MVP winner still looks like the safest name at the top of the board.
That said, the new odds are only a snapshot. Williams still has to prove that the Carolina game was something he can repeat.
Allen has to keep winning tight games without giving the ball away. Jackson is close enough that one huge Baltimore performance could move him right back into the lead.
Mahomes at +1600 won’t stay there long if Kansas City starts stacking wins. Stafford’s slide will only deepen if the Rams look ordinary again.
And Lawrence at +1800 is an intriguing number after Jacksonville scored 34 against Cleveland.
The MVP race always gets blown open by the first Sunday. This time, the board has a clear face: Williams, the long shot turned second favorite, and Allen, who still holds the top spot. Everyone else is chasing.
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Jawahar pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, with deportation expected after he serves that term. The court filing did not spell out Kelces specific involvement, leaving the Chiefs star tied to the case only as one of the people harmed by the scheme and not as a figure at its center. [Read more 🡒]