Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, not New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, currently has the best chance of taking home NFL MVP honors this season, according to the latest odds released by Bovada.
Ezekiel Elliott overtakes Tom Brady as 2016 NFL MVP favorite
The Cowboys rookie is making a strong case for his candidacy.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Brady has been in the lead, according to odds makers, since he returned from a four-game suspension, but Elliott’s game-changing performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10 coupled with a weaker performance from Brady against the Seattle Seahawks brought about a shift.
Elliott has been dominant this season, racking up 1,005 rushing yards, 250 receiving yards, nine rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown through nine games. He’s just the fifth player in NFL history to exceed 1,000 yards on the ground and 250 receiving yards through just nine games.
His two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the Cowboys’ win over the Steelers likely had an impact on the most recent MVP odds. This one in particular was memorable.
Behind Elliott (+250) and Brady (+275) is Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (+500), who had a rough day against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10. Russell Wilson (+900), Derek Carr (+1000), and Dak Prescott (+1000) round out the top six candidates, according to Bovada.
Elliott (-500) remains the odds-on favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, too. Prescott (+275) is behind him at second, and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (+3300) is a distant third, according to Bovada.
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