NFL MVP odds: Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye lead in Week 18

• The NFL MVP race is typically dominated by quarterbacks.
• Patriots QB Drake Maye is the current favorite to win the 2026 award.

The NFL is a quarterback league, a reality that's reflected in its annual MVP race.

Ten of the 11 players with the best odds to be named 2026 NFL Most Valuable Player during the final week of the regular season are quarterbacks. After 2025 MVP Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills topped Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson for the award last season, another two-man QB race has dominated the MVP conversation this season.

Here are the latest NFL MVP odds as of 9 p.m. Jan. 4, courtesy of BetMGM.

NFL MVP odds during Week 18

1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams QB (-135)

What was an extremely close two-man race entering Week 17 went a bit sideways for Stafford in the Rams' 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Stafford's three-interception performance was the worst of an otherwise stellar season for the Rams signal caller. Stafford recounded in Week 18, tossing four touchdowns in a 37-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Stafford has thrown for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns to only eight interceptions. At age 37, Stafford still has an argument as the league's most effective QB.

2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots QB (+105)

The second-year quarterback has been a revelation for the resurgent Patriots, gashing opponents with big plays all season. Maye's stat line of 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions represent a massive leap from his uneven rookie season. His ability to extend plays with his legs has added another 409 yards and four touchdowns, and Maye has the Patriots expecting to win with a regularity they haven't enjoyed since Tom Brady left town.

3. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars QB (+30,000)

Lawrence may not be "generational" yet, but he's awfully good. Good as in 4,007 yards passing and 29 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, along with 359 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Lawrence is a major factor in Jacksonville going 13-4 and claiming the AFC South.

4 (tie). Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers RB (+50,000)

Run CMC keeps churning out the hits for the 49ers, a fact that's kept him as the only non-QB with a puncher's chance at the league's top individual honor. McCaffrey finished the regular season with 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, along with 924 yards and seven touchdowns receiving. The high-usage McCaffrey finished with more than 311 carries and 102 receptions on the season.

4 (tie). Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills QB (+50,000)

So you're saying there's a chance? The reigning NFL MVP's odds to repeat aren't quite one in a million, but it would be a truly historic upset for the Bills star to win. Despite his heroics in a 2025 season that's seen Allen pass for 25 touchdowns and run for 14 more through, a potentially statistically better season than Allen's MVP campaign has been dampened by an increase in turnovers.

Seven other quarterbacks have the same long-shot MVP odds as Allen and McCaffrey. Also at +50,000 are:

• C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
• Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
• Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
• Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
• Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
• Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks