After skeptics questioned whether he could even play quarterback in the NFL, Lamar Jackson has captured the attention of oddsmakers and now has the eighth-lowest odds to win the MVP award.
Caesars Sportsbook reduced Jackson's odds from 50-1 to 18-1, following his five touchdown passes in Baltimore's 59-10 rout of the lowly Miami Dolphins.
"In a market like MVP that doesn't handle nearly as much money as the Super Bowl does, we have to be more aggressive with moves when we see something dramatic. While last week was likely an anomaly to some extent, the small flood of public money really adds up here. If we are too slow to react, we will end up with too much liability very quickly," Caesars director of trading Jeff Davis told ESPN.
Could recent history repeat itself? Jackson won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 after opening as a 100-1 long shot. Additionally, Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes opened with 100-1 odds last year before winning the MVP in his second season.
Asked about the MVP buzz, Jackson said, "I don't really listen to stuff like that. Just a week prior to that, they were just saying 'running back.' I'm just going to play ball and come out with victories."
Mahomes entered this season as the betting favorite with 5-1 odds, and Caesars has lowered them to 3-1.
ESPN's Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.
