Justin Fields dethrones Patrick Mahomes for NFL MVP bets as sportsbooks report major action

Justin Fields is having a moment leaving reigning-MVP Patrick Mahomes trailing in the dust. The Super Bowl champion might currently hold the award and was the best quarterback throughout last season, but the Chicago Bears star is the flavor of the season.

As per latest reports on the way bets have been received, fans are backing Justin Fields to dethrone Patrick Mahomes as MVP this year. More than double the bets have been placed on the former rather than the current World Champion. It is quite an astonishing statistic, given the Bears finished worst among all teams and the Chiefs were the best.

But perhaps people realize that the reason Chicago struggled so much last season was not because of their quarterback but inspite of him. With a weak cast around him, Justin Fields picked up more than 1,000 yards in rushing alone, establishing himself firmly as a dual-threat player. With the money coming in, having opened at +3000 on the MVP odds, the Bears star is now down to +1500.

Max Meyer

@TheMaxMeyer

A jam-packed @PointsBetUSA Hustle to kick off August.

• Justin Fields has the most NFL MVP bets (over twice as many as Mahomes)

• Bengals (11.5) have drawn most under money among all NFL win totals

• USA no longer women's World Cup favorite

Read: hustle.pointsbet.com/newsletters/ju…

9

2

A jam-packed @PointsBetUSA Hustle to kick off August.

• Justin Fields has the most NFL MVP bets (over twice as many as Mahomes)

• Bengals (11.5) have drawn most under money among all NFL win totals

• USA no longer women's World Cup favorite

Read: hustle.pointsbet.com/newsletters/ju…

The case for and against Justin Fields over Patrick Mahomes

It certainly seems incogruous to expect Justin Fields to do as well or even better than Patrick Mahomes this season. The Chiefs quarterback has already won the award twice in his career and has a couple of Super Bowls to his name.

But the point of betting is that more value is attached to players who are not among the favorites. So, people choosing the Bears starlet over Patrick Mahomes might not be suprising wagering behavior.

Much of it could come from Jalen Hurts' performance with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. In the 2021 season, he showed his potential but struggled as he dealt with a new coach and a team in transition. He turned it around last season to reach the Super Bowl.

James Palmer

@JamesPalmerTV

From the inside the pocket Jalen Hurts led the NFL in:
- Comp pct
- TD-INT ratio
- Passer rating

Look at the improvement:
- 2021: 66.2 comp pct, 7.3 yds/att, 9 TD, 8 INT, 86.7 passer rating
- 2022: 72.6 comp pct, 8.7 yds/att, 20 TD, 4 INT, 111.8 passer rating

575

166

From the inside the pocket Jalen Hurts led the NFL in:
- Comp pct
- TD-INT ratio
- Passer rating

Look at the improvement:
- 2021: 66.2 comp pct, 7.3 yds/att, 9 TD, 8 INT, 86.7 passer rating
- 2022: 72.6 comp pct, 8.7 yds/att, 20 TD, 4 INT, 111.8 passer rating

Fans are expecting something similar from the Chicago Bears quarterback. Wide receiver D.J. Moore has been added to give Fields more receiving options and first-round pick Darnell Wright will only increase his quarterback's rushing ability while playing at offensive tackle.

Therefore, given the parallels between the two situations, it could definitely happen. The fact that he is playing in the NFC, which is expected to be weaker than the AFC should also help.

Despite all such arguments in his favor, there is a good chance that Patrick Mahomes still wins the MVP. After all, as good as Jalen Hurts was, he did not win the Super Bowl-MVP or the MVP award. Both of them, along with the Lombardi Trophy, were swept up by the Chiefs quarterback.

​