We are 12 weeks into the 2024 NFL regular season and are about to flip the calendar over to December. While this Thanksgiving mile marker has most eyes combing through the standings and current playoff picture to see which teams have the inside track towards reaching the postseason, it’s also the time when the MVP race heats up and the true contenders begin to separate from the pack.
Of course, this award has almost exclusively gone to quarterbacks, as that position group has claimed the league’s MVP honors in each of the past 11 seasons. However, this could be the year where we see a running back crash the party, specifically Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley.
At DraftKings sportsbook, Barkley has begun to surge up the board and is now slotted amongst the top favorites to win NFL MVP. This comes after the Eagles back exploded on “Sunday Night Football” against the Los Angeles Rams for a franchise record 255 yards rushing, which is also the ninth-most yards rushing in a game in NFL history. Barkley’s 302 total yards from scrimmage marked just the 12th time a player has crossed the 300 total yard threshold in a game in league history and the first by an Eagles player.
Before Week 12, DraftKings had Barkley’s odds to win MVP at +4000. As of Monday afternoon, Barkley is now +500 to win and only looking up to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (+275) and Bills quarterback Josh Allen (+150).
Here’s a rundown of the latest betting odds for the 2024 NFL MVP award as of Nov. 25.
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Considering where Barkley stood before Week 12, this is a seismic leap for the Eagles back, but not unwarranted. The 27-year-old has been a key cog for the Philadelphia offense and has come up in clutch moments throughout the season, further solidifying his candidacy.
Barkley leads the NFL in yards rushing (1,392) and total yards from scrimmage (1.649). At his current pace, Barkley is projected to exceed 2,000 yards rushing and break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record (2,105) with 2,151 yards on the ground. He’s also on pace to break Chris Johnson’s single-season record of 2,509 total yards from scrimmage, with a projection of 2,548 coming out of Week 12.
If he were to rewrite the record books, that would put him squarely in consideration for NFL MVP, particularly with the Eagles vying for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and possibly locking up the NFC East.
The last time a running back won NFL MVP came back in 2012 when Adrian Peterson claimed it while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. Barkley would be just the fifth running back since 2000 to become NFL MVP if he continues to climb up the board and ultimately wins the award.
