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NFL betting: Kyler Murray, not Tom Brady, is the new favorite to win NFL MVP

Talking about NFL MVP after two weeks is fairly useless. Except that there are odds posted on it.

Patrick Mahomes was the preseason favorite to win MVP, but is now second at BetMGM. The top spot has been taken by Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. Murray is +550 to win MVP. Mahomes is right behind at +600.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has to be wondering what more he needs to do to be the favorite.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is off to a great start this season. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is off to a great start this season. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Kyler Murray off to a blazing hot start

Murray has been undeniably fantastic to start the season. The Cardinals are 2-0. He has an eye-popping 121.5 passer rating. He's also a threat to run it, and has two rushing touchdowns already.

Murray was an MVP candidate through the first half of last season before injuries affected his play. So we have seen him play at this level before. If he can play near the pace he has set through two games, he'll clearly be in the MVP discussion.

He'll be challenged, of course. The top contender is probably Brady, who might end up authoring one of the greatest stories in sports history this season if the first two games are any indication of what is to come.

He has nine touchdown passes through two games and it certainly appears the Buccaneers wouldn't mind if he made a run at the single-season record of 55. Brady became the oldest MVP in all major American team sports at age 40. The second-oldest NFL MVP was Peyton Manning, who was 37. Brady is 44 now.

If Brady gets to 50 touchdowns at age 44, the momentum for him to win MVP will be strong. If he sets the single-season passing TD record — he's on pace for 76.5 — then it's almost impossible to believe he wouldn't win the award. He is the third favorite to win MVP at BetMGM, behind Murray and Mahomes. His odds are +700. Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams is next at +1100 and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen rounds out the top five at +1400.

Whoever is in pole position for MVP at this early stage of the season doesn't matter too much, aside from finding value on whoever we think will eventually win the award.