Thanksgiving is upon us and the NFL is now starting to heat up. Not only are the Super Bowl contenders starting to reveal themselves but players and coaches have begun to pull away with the wide array of seasonal awards that are on the line. As we cross into this key mile-marker on the NFL calendar, now is as good of a time as ever to take the temperature of each award race in the league, see who the oddsmakers have leading the pack at the moment, and see if there is any value for those still clamoring to be the favorite.
NFL award odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
Most Valuable Player
| Players | MVP odds |
|---|---|
+260 | |
+360 | |
+360 | |
+525 | |
+1000 | |
+1400 | |
+1800 | |
+2000 | |
+3000 | |
+3500 |
The MVP race does seem to be as wide open as it's been in quite some time. Monday's win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead is likely a key reason why Jalen Hurts currently leads this group as the favorite, but it does feel like any quarterback could get hot and ascend to the top of these odds over the next few weeks. Lamar Jackson could be someone to keep an eye on here at +360. He's knotted with Patrick Mahomes for the second-best odds to win the MVP award, but he currently has the Ravens at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, is completing nearly 70% of his passes, and is on pace to rush for over 800 yards. If he can keep Baltimore atop the conference down the stretch, he could very well find himself as the favorite.
Meanwhile, don't sleep on C.J. Stroud. The only other rookie to ever win the MVP was Hall of Famer Jim Brown, but Stroud is making a compelling case. The Texans QB is second in the league in passing yards, has a 99.3 passer rating (eighth in the NFL), and has Houston firmly in the playoff mix. In fact, if Stroud can lead the Texans to a victory on Sunday against Jacksonville, they'd be in first place in the AFC South.
The pick: Lamar Jackson +360
Value pick: C.J. Stroud +1800
Offensive Player of the Year
| Player | OPOY odds |
|---|---|
Tyreek Hill | -110 |
Christian McCaffrey | +130 |
+700 | |
+2000 |
Tyreek Hill is the favorite of this group and for good reason. The Dolphins standout has the best wide receiver in the NFL this season. He leads the league with 1,222 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Hill is also on pace to exceed 2,000 receiving yards for the season, which would make him the first player in NFL history to cross that threshold. If Hill accomplishes that feat, he'll lock up this award and could possibly even thrust himself into the MVP conversation.
As well as Hill has played, let's not skip over McCaffrey and what he's been able to do out of the 49ers backfield this season. The All-Pro back already has 1,189 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns entering Week 12 and has been the heartbeat of the San Francisco offense thus far. He's a worthy OPOY candidate and would immediately jolt to the top of these odds if Hill were to miss time or fall off his current trajectory.
The pick: Tyreek Hill -110
Value pick: Christian McCaffrey +130
Defensive Player of the Year
| Player | DPOY odds |
|---|---|
-115 | |
+200 | |
+400 | |
+1600 | |
+2000 | |
+2500 | |
+2500 | |
+5000 | |
+6000 | |
Josh Allen | +6000 |
+6500 |
Myles Garrett has been an absolute force in 2023, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to see him as the clear favorite for Defensive Player of the Year entering Week 12. The Browns pass rusher leads the NFL with 13 sacks and leads the league in time to pressure (2.1 seconds). Garrett also is second in the NFL in quarterback hits (23) and forced fumbles (four). He headlines a Browns defense that has been sensational this season and is allowing just 243.3 yards per game. So long as he keeps this up, he should lock up this award.
That said, if we are looking for some sleeper candidates, Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland is a fascinating player to watch. He is currently +6500 to win Defensive Player of the Year, but he could soon have an extremely strong case for the award. Bland, who kicked to outside corner following the injury to Trevon Diggs after previously working at the nickel, has now tied the NFL single-season record for interception return touchdowns after recording his fourth on Sunday. Not only does Bland lead the league in picks, but he's also allowing just a 15.9 passer rating against (also leads the NFL). Edge rushers typically dominate this award, but Bland's résumé at this point should at least put him in the conversation, making his high odds a tremendous value.
The pick: Myles Garrett -115
Value pick: DaRon Bland +6500
Offensive Rookie of the Year
| Player | OROY odds |
|---|---|
C.J. Stroud | -4000 |
+1800 | |
+1800 |
There's really no competition here given how Stroud has played himself into the MVP conversation, thus locking up the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Jahmyr Gibbs and Puka Nacua are tied for the next-best odds, but it seems like a long shot that they'll be able to surpass Stroud in this race.
The pick: C.J. Stroud -4000
Defensive Rookie of the Year
| Player | DROY odds |
|---|---|
-190 | |
+175 | |
+1000 | |
+1500 |
Somewhat similar to Stroud, Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter does seem to have a strong grip on the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The Georgia product has been a menace for the Eagles and has established himself as one of their key pieces on the defensive side, totaling four sacks, 19 tackles, and two forced fumbles. Carter has also posted 14 pressures. All of those numbers are particularly impressive when factoring in that Carter does most of his work from the interior. It also doesn't hurt that Carter plays on an Eagles team that is currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC and poised for another deep playoff run, bolstering his prominence.
Devon Witherspoon is right behind Carter at +175 and the Seahawks cornerback has also put together a stellar rookie campaign. He's started in every game he's played with Seattle and has 52 tackles, 13 pass breakups, three sacks, and one interception on the year. When targeted in coverage, Witherspoon is allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just 55.2% of their passes against him.
The pick: Jalen Carter -190
Value pick: Devon Witherspoon +175
Coach of the Year
| Coach | COY odds |
|---|---|
Dan Campbell | +125 |
+240 | |
Mike McDaniel | +600 |
Kevin O'Connell | +750 |
Nick Sirianni | +1400 |
Dan Campbell was a preseason favorite for this award and he's lived up to that hype as he has the Lions playing at a high level coming into Thanksgiving. Detroit is 8-2 for the first time since 1962 and is in first place in the NFC North. If the Lions maintain their status, it's going to be hard for another coach to have a more compelling case.
If a coach were to unseat Campbell for this award, Ryans and O'Connell would be the two to keep an eye on. We've seen a trend in recent years where this award tends to go to first-year coaches and Ryans would fall into that category, especially with the Texans making a playoff push. If they were to go on a run that finds them in the postseason potentially as a division winner, Ryans could certainly crash the part here. As for O'Connell, the Vikings are staying afloat despite a ton of adversity. Minnesota lost Justin Jefferson early in the year and continued to win despite his loss and the same can be said in the aftermath of losing Kirk Cousins as O'Connell and Joshua Dobbs are keeping them respectable. If the season were to end today, O'Connell's team would be the No. 7 seed. Dobbs has played well since arriving in Minnesota and the team should get Jefferson back soon, giving O'Connell the ammunition necessary to stay in the playoff picture and put himself in the conversation for COY.
The pick: DeMeco Ryans +240
Value pick: Kevin O'Connell +750
