Dak Prescott has better MVP odds in 2017 than almost every player in the NFL

After watching Dak Prescott take home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season, it seems that oddsmakers were so impressed by the Cowboys quarterback that they're making him one of the favorites to win an even bigger award in 2017.

That award? The NFL MVP.

According to the online sportsbook at Bet365.com, Prescott is one of the top five favorites to win the award in 2017. At 11-to-1 odds, Prescott has been given the same chances of winning MVP as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

The only three quarterbacks who have better odds than Prescott are Tom Brady (4-to-1), Aaron Rodgers (10-to-1) and Russell Wilson (10-to-1). If you're scoring at home, that means Prescott is behind a guy who has five Super Bowl rings (Brady), a guy who's won two of the past six MVP awards (Rodgers) and a guy who recently led his team to back-to-back Super Bowls (Wilson).

That's pretty strong company for a guy who was at the bottom of the Cowboys' depth chart at this same point last year. Prescott's MVP odds are actually so high that he's being given a better chance to win than both of the last two MVPs: Matt Ryan (12-to-1) and Cam Newton (25-to-1).

If Prescott were to take home the award, he'd join Dan Marino as the only other player in NFL history to follow up a Rookie of the Year award with an MVP in his second year.

Could Dak Prescott do something that only Dan Marino has done? USATSI

To win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season, Prescott had to hold off Ezekiel Elliott, and it seems that oddsmakers like the chances of those two getting in another tight race.

When it comes to winning the MVP, the Cowboys running back has the best odds of any non-quarterback at 12-to-1. Le'Veon Bell (18-to-1) and David Johnson (20-to-1) are the only running backs who have MVP odds even remotely close to those of Elliott.

Although Prescott and Elliott each received at least one MVP vote last season, oddsmakers don't expect any rookies to make an MVP run this year.

Of the 26 players who were given at least 50-to-1 odds to win MVP in 2017, only one rookie made the cut, and that's Deshaun Watson. At 50-to-1 odds, Watson is being given the same chances to win the award as guys like Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco, Carson Wentz and Marshawn Lynch.

If you're looking for a dark horse, you might want to think about putting some money on J.J. Watt.

If he's healthy, Watt could have a monster season, and as he proved in 2014, a monster season should be enough to put him in the MVP conversation. Back in 2014, Watt finished the year with 20.5 sacks and ended up finishing second to Aaron Rodgers in the MVP race.

For the upcoming season, Watt is being given 100-to-1 odds to win.

If you don't want to bet on a defensive player because a defensive player hasn't won the award since 1986, then Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is probably a slightly better darkhorse candidate at 20-to-1 odds.

On the other hand, if you just want to throw your money away, you could bet on Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian. It seems that the oddsmakers at Bet365 have more faith in his ability than the Broncos coaching staff.

Even though Siemian hasn't won the starting job in Denver, he's still being given 33-to-1 odds to win MVP, which is tied for the 13th-best odds in the NFL. I would bet on a kicker over Siemian. Speaking of kickers, Justin Tucker has the longest odds of any player you can currently vote on (400-to-1).

Odds on winning the 2017 NFL MVP award (per Bet365.com)

Patriots QB Tom Brady: 4/1
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers: 10/1
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson: 10/1
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott: 11/1
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger: 11/1
Falcons QB Matt Ryan: 12/1
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliottl: 12/1
Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell: 18/1
Raiders QB Derek Carr: 20/1
Cardinals RB David Johnson: 20/1
Panthers QB Cam Newton: 25/1
Colts QB Andrew Luck: 28/1
Vikings QB Sam Bradford: 33/1
Saints QB Drew Brees: 33/1
Cardinals QB Carson Palmer: 33.1
Falcons WR Julio Jones: 33/1
Steelers WR Antonio Brown: 33/1
Broncos QB Trevor Siemian: 33/1
Chiefs QB Alex Smith: 33/1
Giants QB Eli Manning: 40/1
Eagles QB Carson Wentz: 50/1
Texans QB Deshaun Watson: 50/1
Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch: 50/1
Bengals WR A.J. Green: 50/1
Bengals QB Andy Dalton: 50/1
Ravens QB Joe Flacco: 50/1