Entering the fourth season of his NFL career, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens is somehow now one of the league's most underrated quarterbacks.
Despite winning an MVP award in 2019, he is rarely discussed as one of the league's best, meaning for those who are sports betting in Maryland should find favorable odds. And all Jackson has done is lead the Ravens to a 30-7 record since being named the starter and has taken them to the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.
Not a bad way to start your NFL career.
So as Jackson enters the 2021 season, is there a chance that this will be his best year? What are the chances that he takes home his second MVP award this season? Today, we are looking into his MVP odds presented by DraftKings Sportsbook Maryland to see where Jackson stands among his peers.
Lamar Jackson 2021 MVP Odds: +1600
Jackson currently has the fifth-best odds to win the award and is tied with Matthew Stafford (Rams) and Russell Wilson (Seahawks) at +1600 to win the award.
All four players ahead of Jackson are quarterbacks, including Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Not surprisingly, all of the players in the MVP odds are quarterbacks.
For Jackson to win, he would likely need to replicate his 2019 numbers, which included him scoring 43 touchdowns and totaling more than 4,300 yards. In fact, those numbers might not even be enough considering that Mahomes totaled more than 5,000 yards last season and scored 40 touchdowns.
The key for Jackson would be for him to put up great numbers again and for the Ravens to dominate the AFC. The bookmakers think that's a good possibility, giving them some of the best odds to make it to the Super Bowl.
In his 2019 MVP season, the Ravens won 13 of his 15 starts and finished with a record of 14-2. They were the No. 1 seed in the AFC and that is what Jackson and the Ravens would need to accomplish to win his second MVP.
DraftKings has the Ravens projected at 10.5 wins and the betting favorite in the AFC North. With the division being as tough and as deep as it is, a 12 or 13 win season for the Ravens would certainly get the attention of MVP voters.
Bettors would be wise to compare markets and shop around at the other top Ohio betting apps, though.
Jackson A Value Pick
So how should players betting the NFL in Maryland consider Lamar Jackson at 16:1 to win the MVP award? He's quite a good value considering his talent level and that of the team.
The Ravens did a lot of work this offseason to improve their offense as they drafted Rashod Bateman in the first round and picked up several quality offensive linemen in free agency.
As we stand today, Jackson appears to be a good value in the MVP futures market, considering we've seen him do it before. If you're someone who knows how to read the sports betting odds, you'll do well to consider betting on Jackson to take home his second MVP during the 2021 season as he is a strong value bet at +1600.
Once sports betting launches in MD, bettors should be sure to take advantage of the lucrative Maryland sportsbook promos available at BetMaryland.