NFL Season Preview: Picks for the Winner, MVP award, OPOTY and DPOTY

Freedom. Rock, flag and eagle. Tailgates. Large meals. Redzone Sundays. Fried everything. Ladies and gentlemen, the football season is back.

Off the back of Super Bowl LVI, where the Rams beat the Bengals 23-20, the NFL returns with more drama, storylines and outright chaos than you’d ever see inside a WWE ring. Here at BettingOdds.com, we’re going to provide an outright season preview, alongside what will be a weekly accumulator, and asked Steelers fan and American sports lover @PeteMarsden_ to take the reins ahead of the upcoming campaign.

So, we’re here again, with a lineup of teams that are looking stronger than ever. The AFC in particular echoes that sentiment, with a huge number of teams looking to dominate the divisions, on their way to a potential Super Bowl. Herbert and the Chargers, Mahomes and the Chiefs, Wilson with the Broncos, a motivated Lamar with a fresh Ravens side, Josh Allen with the Bills. There’s honestly too many to name.

Over in the NFC, Tom Brady returns for a 23rd season, and if reports are correct, he’s throwing better than ever. Over in Green Bay, his old friend Aaron Rodgers will be looking to lead the Packers to his second Super Bowl title, and they’ll be amongst the favourites to secure the NFC crown. The Rams will be on a quest to repeat their Championship victory, and could potentially become the first side since the Patriots in 2004 to do just that.

So, now that’s out of the way, onto the juicy stuff. We’re going to preview, and select, our picks for the Super Bowl Champion, Regular Season MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and finally, the Defensive Player of the Year. Hold onto your horses, here we go…

Winner: Ravens (20/1)

Two of the pre-season favourites, the Bills (6/1) and the Rams (10/1), kick us off on Thursday night, in what is sure to be a fascinating encounter. Josh Allen, one of the early contenders to be the MVP, leads the Bills Mafia back to his home state, to face off against the Super Bowl winners.

These two will no doubt have a positive win record when it comes to the end of the regular season, and a case can be made for both of them fighting it out in Divisional Championship games.

However, my focus is well and truly on the Baltimore Ravens this season. There aren’t many more players in the NFL who draw attention to their play as much as Lamar Jackson. After a nightmare injury-hit season last time out, the Ravens can be found as big as 20/1 to win it all, a price that is too big for my liking.

If and when the Ravens sort out the pay issue with Jackson, expect their QB to thrive, leading their side to a third Championship.
 

Regular Season MVP: Justin Herbert (10/1)

This is as tough a selection as any, with the market absolutely stacked full of high-quality names, with a case being able to be made for plenty.

Aaron Rodgers (9/1) is looking for his fifth MVP award, which would tie him with the great Peyton Manning. Despite his age, it’s almost impossible to rule out Tom Brady making another play for the trophy at 8/1.

If Lamar Jackson can stay injury free and put the Ravens on a winning run, there may be some serious value out at 20/1, and with Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott all hanging around in the teens for odds, again, it’s just a really hard one to call this year.

However, I’m going to go for Justin Herbert as my pick to be the regular season MVP. Herbert’s numbers last year were impressive to say the least, as he became one of only three players to throw for 5,000 yards and have 35 TD’s within their first two years in the league, joining Patrick Mahomes and Dan Marino. Herbert also recorded the most fourth quarter TD’s in the league last year with 15, three more than any other player.

If his numbers continue in the same trajectory, it’ll be hard to argue against the Chargers QB, and that’s why he’s my pick for the MVP award.

Offensive Player of the Year: Cooper Kupp (10/1)

Again, there are plenty of standout names on this list, with the likes of Jonathan Taylor (8/1), Deebo Samuel (12/1), and Derrick Henry (14/1).

But, I’m going with the Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp to be named as this year’s OPOTY. Kupp made an astonishing 145 receptions, going for 1,947 yards on his way to 16 TD’s last season. He led the league in all three of the above categories, as he went on to claim this award on his way to the Super Bowl crown.

The Rams will be confident of another deep run into the playoffs this year, and if Kupp can replicate anything like the kind of form he showed last time out, the OPOTY should be his for a second season in a row.

Defensive Player of the Year: TJ Watt (7/1)

We don’t need to say much about this pick do we? 2021 DPOTY, Finalist for the award in 2019 and 2020, tied the season record in 2021 for most sacks (22.5), TJ Watt is an out and out animal.

Thank God he plays for the Steelers, as he’s one of the only shining lights on the organisation currently, but his record speaks for itself. He missed two games last season but was still able to tie the 20 year old record, and if he is able to play a full campaign this time around, expect that record to be broken, and Watt to pick up another DPOTY award.