NFL Week 7 Upsets Reshape MVP Odds and Highlight Betting Market Surprises
Undefeated Vikings find themselves underdogs, while Joe Burrow's strong performance propels him into MVP contention.
Week 7 of the NFL season delivered a slate of unexpected outcomes, significantly impacting the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race and challenging oddsmakers' predictions. The league is now left with only one undefeated team following a series of upsets.
MVP Race Sees New Contender Emerge
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has become a significant contender for the NFL MVP award. Following his performance in Cincinnati's 35-13 victory over Baltimore, which included four second-half touchdown passes, Burrow's odds at DraftKings Sportsbook shortened from +1100 to +450. He now trails only Josh Allen (+170) and Brock Purdy (+350) in the betting market. Purdy's odds shifted from +220 after San Francisco's first loss, while Patrick Mahomes' odds fell from +850 to +1500 after Kansas City's defeat against Seattle. Caleb Williams also saw a notable surge, moving from +6500 to +1700 after contributing to Chicago's 5-2 record.
Undefeated Vikings Face Skepticism from Oddsmakers
Despite being the NFL's sole remaining undefeated team, the Minnesota Vikings are viewed with skepticism by oddsmakers. Minnesota is currently a three-point underdog against the 4-2 Detroit Lions, even after improving to 6-0 with a 16-10 win over the Colts. Detroit originally opened as a 4.5-point favorite. This sentiment extends to the Super Bowl market, where Minnesota holds the 10th-shortest championship odds at DraftKings (+1700), falling behind teams such as the 3-4 Rams (+1050). The San Francisco 49ers remain the favorites to win the Super Bowl at +580, followed by the Bills (+700) and Chiefs (+900).
Giants' Playoff Hopes Improve
The New York Giants' surprising season has positively impacted their playoff odds in the betting market. Following a 27-21 overtime victory against Houston as a 10.5-point underdog, New York's odds to make the playoffs improved from +200 to +130 at bet365 Sportsbook. The Giants now sit at 4-2-1 entering their bye week, leading the NFC East while the Cowboys and Eagles face struggles. The Giants have not won the NFC East since 2011.
Trend of Favorites Losing Outright Continues
A notable trend emerged in Week 7, with the NFL's biggest favorites losing outright for the third consecutive week. This pattern began in Week 5 when the Cowboys lost to Tampa Bay as 9.5-point favorites. The following week, the Rams lost to Arizona despite being favored by 12.5 points. Houston became the latest team to suffer an outright loss as a significant favorite, falling to the Giants in overtime as a 10.5-point favorite.