Super Bowl MVP is an honor dominated by quarterbacks. That might not be the case if the Philadelphia Eagles can beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on February 9.
In the past 58 championship games, a quarterback has been named Most Valuable Player 33 times. That’s a near 57% win rate for the position.
Due to that one-sided result and the QBs’ overall impact on the outcome, Super Bowl MVP odds always feature the two competing quarterbacks atop the board, often at much shorter odds than any other player or position.
However, this year's Super Bowl odds look a little different than past Big Game betting markets. Patrick Mahomes is the no-brainer favorite to win SBLIX MVP at +110, but the second name on the board isn’t Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts; it’s running back Saquon Barkley listed at +220.
Super Bowl MVP odds
| Player |  |
|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | +110 |
| Saquon Barkley | +220 |
| Jalen Hurts | +380 |
| Travis Kelce | +1600 |
| Xavier Worthy | +2500 |
| A.J. Brown | +2800 |
| Kareem Hunt | +5000 |
| DeVonta Smith | +5000 |
| Chris Jones | +6000 |
Odds as of 1-29.
Super Bowl odds: Barkley unlike any other recent running back
In my 20 years of covering the Super Bowl from the betting perspective, I can’t recall ever seeing a non-quarterback this high on the MVP odds board.
The unprecedented price on Saquon Barkley is warranted, considering the season he’s had for the Philadelphia Eagles. The dynamic running back is the catalyst for Philadelphia’s postseason push, amassing 442 yards rushing and five touchdowns in the Eagles’ three playoff wins, including three touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game.
While betting on the game MVP seems like standard fare these days, this prop market was only approved by legal Nevada-based books back in 2018 and adopted by other legal jurisdictions when sports betting expanded later that year. Before then, the MVP odds were reserved for international operators and illegal offshore sportsbooks, so there isn’t a lot of line history to pull from.
Last year, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was the third overall choice to win Super Bowl LVIII MVP at +450, behind Mahomes at +130 and 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy at +250.
In 2020, Niners RB Raheem Mostert was a +700 third choice behind quarterbacks Mahomes -120 and Jimmy Garoppolo +250 in Super Bowl LIV.
Barkley’s efforts also have his Super Bowl LIX player props setting the bar for an MVP performance in New Orleans, with his rushing yard total set at 114.5 yards Over/Under and his anytime touchdown odds listed at -245.
A running back has won Super Bowl MVP only seven times, with Denver Broncos legend Terrell Davis the most recent rusher to earn those honors in Super Bowl XXXII back in 1998.
