Shoulder Injury to Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Shakes up NFL MVP Odds
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This season’s NFL MVP race and the numerous bettors holding futures tickets on the award could see it come down to the availability of Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts was recently the betting favorite at –145 to win MVP before news broke he was dealing with a shoulder injury.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the betting favorite with the Hurts injury news, with Mahomes now at -300 and Hurts moving to +450 at FanDuel.
Hurts to Miss Saturday’s Game Against Dallas
Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni announced Thursday that Hurts would miss the NFC East showdown against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. Gardner Minshew will start for the Eagles at quarterback.
“Jalen did everything he possibly could to get his body ready to go,” Sirianni told reporters. “And at the end of the day, he’s not going to be able to do it. He tried like crazy, and I know he still wants to go. Jalen Hurts is the toughest player I’ve ever been around.”
Hurts injured his shoulder during the 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday when he was driven into the ground by Chicago’s Trevis Gipson during a run in the third quarter. Despite the hit, Hurts finished the game, passing for 315 yards, scoring three rushing touchdowns and adding 61 yards on the ground.
Hurts has been getting treatment on his shoulder throughout the week but did not take part in Tuesday’s walkthrough or Wednesday’s practice. When asked about his availability for next week’s contest versus the New Orleans Saints, Sirianni said the team is taking it day by day.
Hurts’ Numbers Worthy of MVP
Hurts’ accuracy, while also being one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks has elevated him to become an MVP candidate. In 14 games, he’s completed 67% of his passes for 3,472 yards and thrown just five interceptions. He’s also added 747 rushing yards and has scored 35 total touchdowns, including 22 through the air and 13 rushing.
Before throwing two interceptions against Chicago and recording one of his worst passing performances of the season, Hurts was leading the league in overall passer rating before Week 15. But he’s since fallen to the fourth-best rating at 104.6.
His 13 rushing touchdowns are second in the league, trailing only Detroit’s Jamal Williams, who has 14.
Hurts MVP Odds Throughout the Season
Hurts didn’t enter the season as one of the MVP favorites with Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Mahomes topping the futures betting odds boards. Before the season, Hurts could be found as high as +2000 to win the award and would eventually go up to +3000 before putting together multiple solid outings.
After a win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, Hurts’ odds were down to +550 at some sportsbooks. He would continue fluctuating around that number before solidifying himself at –145. But the latest injury news has him in the +500 range at different books once again.
Betting Pick for MVP
Back Jalen Hurts to still win MVP at +450 at FanDuel Sportsbook
Based on the current odds board, the only player worth taking a shot at now is Hurts. There's no value on Mahomes at -300 and there remains the possibility Hurts could return later in the season to help the Eagles secure the No. 1 seed and the NFC East title, both accomplishments which would strengthen his case.
It's also realistic the MVP voters could see Hurts' entire body of work up to this point as enough to win the award. He's set to finish near the top in passer rating, rushing touchdowns and have the Eagles finish with one of the best records in the league. Each of those feats could push him to MVP.
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