Joe Burrow’s four-touchdown burst in Week 7 gave the MVP race a jolt, and it put the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback right in the middle of the conversation as the league heads into Week 8.
For much of 2026, the discussion at the top has belonged to Josh Allen and Brock Purdy. Allen still sits as the favorite, but Burrow is closing fast after lighting up the Baltimore Ravens in a 35-13 Bengals win. He threw four touchdown passes in that one, a performance that helped push Cincinnati into the AFC spotlight and gave Burrow a real case in the betting market.
The latest odds show just how crowded this race has become. Four quarterbacks are sitting at +1000 or better, and that group includes Allen, Purdy, Burrow and Trevor Lawrence. Patrick Mahomes, Drake Maye and Caleb Williams are also in the mix, which means the board is still packed with names who can make a run with one big week.
Allen remains the man at the top at +170, with Purdy next at +350 and Burrow right behind at +450. Lawrence checks in at +1000, followed by Mahomes at +1500, Maye at +1600 and Williams at +1700.
Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Jahmyr Gibbs, Matthew Stafford, Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba round out the board.
There is still a path for a non-quarterback to sneak into the picture, even if the odds are not exactly welcoming. Smith-Njigba has been the league’s top receiver in yards, piling up 861 through seven games. CeeDee Lamb is next at 651, which tells you how far out front Smith-Njigba has been.
The running backs with the best outside shot are Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson and Kenneth Walker III, but the market has not exactly bought into that group. All three have slipped below +4000, which says plenty about where Vegas sees the real momentum.
Still, the most interesting value play might be in the quarterback class just below the favorites. Maye and Williams both strengthened their cases in Week 7 when the Bears beat the Patriots on Thursday Night Football. Even in defeat, both quarterbacks came away looking like legitimate MVP candidates.
Williams has the kind of profile that can keep climbing if Chicago keeps winning. At +1700, he’s priced like a player who still has room to surge, and the Bears’ matchup with the Seahawks in Week 8 gives him another chance to make noise. If Chicago wins, Williams could move even higher on the board.
NFL MVP odds after Week 7
Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills) +170
Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers) +350
Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) +450
Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars) +1000
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) +1500
Drake Maye (New England Patriots) +1600
Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears) +1700
Jared Goff (Detroit Lions) +2500
Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers) +2800
Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions) +4000
Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams) +4500
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) +4500
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) +5000
C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans) +6500
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks) +7500
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