Updated Sam Darnold MVP Odds – Can the Minnesota Vikings QB Catch Josh Allen, Others?
The Minnesota Vikings dominated Sunday’s week 14 game against the Atlanta Falcons and former Vikings quarterback, Kirk Cousins. With the win, Minnesota secured their 11th victory of the season and extended their win streak to six games.
Quarterback Sam Darnold played the starring role for the winning team, throwing a career high 5 touchdowns, career high 347 yards passing and a career high 157.9 QB rating, in a 42-21 route has launched the 2018 No. 3 overall pick back into NFL MVP conversations, overnight.
Josh Allen passed for 342 yards and scored six total touchdowns (3 pass, 3 rush) in the later slate of afternoon games, on Sunday, which has overshadowed Darnold’s brilliance from earlier in the day, and this morning’s updated odds reflect that.
What are Sam Darnold’s MVP odds after week 14?
Can Sam Darnold actually win the award? The short answer is… probably not? DraftKings, FanDuel and ESPN Bet all have similar MVP odds across the board, and there are currently two favorites — Josh Allen (-400 DK) and Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (+450 DK) — who stand high above the others on the board, including Darnold.
While Sam may be in the conversation now, as one of only six players in the league who have better than +10000 to win Most Valuable Player, he’s still very much a long shot. Josh Allen is the clear favorite, at -400 (DK). After that, Saquon Barkley +450 (DK) is the unanimous runner-up, at +450 (DK).
Then, Lamar Jackson (+1000) and Jared Goff (+1000) take up tier two. Behind them, sit Sam Darnold (+5000) and Patrick Mahomes (+4000), the two remaining candidates with any MVP hope still alive.
Current 2024-25 NFL MVP Odds
| NFL MVP Odds | DraftKings | FanDuel | ESPN Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | -400 | -450 | -450 |
| Saquon Barkley | +450 | +550 | +550 |
| Jared Goff | +1000 | +1700 | +1600 |
| Lamar Jackson | +1000 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Patrick Mahomes | +4000 | +3300 | +3000 |
| Sam Darnold | +5000 | +4000 | +5000 |
| Jalen Hurts | +6500 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Jayden Daniels | +6500 | +20000 | +20000 |
| Jordan Love | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
On the season, Sam Darnold has amassed more passing yards than the unanimous MVP favorite, with 3,299 (6th in the NFL). Sam’s 28 touchdowns (T-3rd) are also more than Josh has thrown. But from there, the stats take a heavy turn in favor of the Buffalo Bills QB.
Related: The Minnesota Vikings Are Not Talking Contract Extension with Sam Darnold
Josh Allen has a much more impressive QBR than Sam Darnold. The Wyoming product has also thrown only 5 interceptions all year, vs our USC alum’s 10 (T-14th). But really, it’s been Allen’s abilities as a dual threat that have made him virtually unstoppable.
Allen has rushed for 416 yards, so far this season, to go along with 9 rushing touchdowns. The latter number is three more than Minnesota Vikings starting running back Aaron Jones, who has just 4 rush TDs on the season (6 total).
Josh Allen vs Sam Darnold
| 2024 Stats | Josh Allen | Sam Darnold |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 3033 | 3299 |
| Passing Touchdowns | 23 | 28 |
| Rushing Yards | 416 | 194 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 9 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 5 | 10 |
| QBR | 76.7 | 59 |
| QB Rating | 101.9 | 108.1 |
The Minnesota Vikings haven’t had an NFL MVP on their team since Adrian Peterson won it in 2012, and it will probably take a miracle for it to happen again this season. Nonetheless, we’re seeing an LA kid blossoming in Minnesota, right before our eyes (during the winter).
Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 Route of Falcons
The Minnesota Vikings are 11-2 and a top contender in the NFC. That’s what matters. Nobody (and I mean NOBODY) had Darnold as a top six NFL MVP candidate on their 2024 week 14 NFL futures Bingo card, back in August. And who knows, weirder things have certainly happened, and there is plenty of football still to be played.
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