NFL MVP Odds Update: C.J. Stroud Joins the Party

With 10 weeks of action completed, some rather intriguing storylines have begun to emerge throughout the NFL.

Week 10 provided plenty of memorable contests. Most notably, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud traveled back to his college state where he and the Houston Texans upset Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. As you'd imagine, that result shook up the MVP odds market at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Also in the early window on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns used a second-half comeback to defeat the Baltimore Ravens on the road. For the afternoon slate, the Detroit Lions outlasted the Los Angeles Chargers in California while Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys dismantled the New York Giants at Jerry World.

Let's dig into the latest league MVP lines.

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

*Denotes 2022-23 NFL AP MVP

Notable Jumps

C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +2000

Just nine games into his professional football career, rookie signal-caller C.J. Stroud has taken the NFL by storm. Of course, as the second overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud isn't coming from out of nowhere. However, I don't think anyone expected the rook from Ohio State to immediately display the passing mastery that he has.

As mentioned in the introduction, Stroud is coming off an incredible victory back in Ohio over the Bengals. In that contest, the first-year quarterback threw for 356 yards on 9.1 yards per attempt. Stroud also made sure to utilize his legs, rushing for a touchdown in the 30-27 victory, a result that snapped Cincy's four-game winning streak.

Having started every contest this season, Stroud has been one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league, showing just two interceptions so far. Also, he has set several NFL rookie records -- including most pass attempts without an interception to start a career (192), most passing yards in a single game (470) and most passing touchdowns in a single game (5).

To date, only one NFL player has been named AP MVP as a rookie: Hall-of-Fame running back Jim Brown (1957). If Stroud can continue to keep Houston -- a franchise that earned just three victories last season -- in the winner's circle, he absolutely has a shot in this market.

For reference, Stroud was listed with 130-to-1 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win MVP as recently as last week. Now, he is way down at 20-to-1. That is as significant of movement as you will ever see.

Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +3000

Behind sharp play from quarterback Dak Prescott, the 'Boys once again seem to be Super Bowl contenders. Despite losing in Week 9 to the rival Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas bounced back last Sunday by throttling the Giants for the second time this season. For those counting, the Cowboys outscored Big Blue 89-17 across two games in 2023.

On the heels of Prescott's 10th career game with at least 400 passing yards, Dallas has two less competitive matchups looming over the next two games: at the Carolina Panthers (30th-ranked scoring defense) and versus the Washington Commanders (31st-ranked scoring defense). Simply, Dak has the potential to do damage in this current spot on the schedule.

When looking at statistics, Prescott is undoubtedly having one of his best seasons on record. His current completion clip of 70.7% would be his top mark if the campaign ended today. Additionally, Dak has done well to cut down his interceptions. After Prescott paced the NFL with 15 picks last year, he has committed just 6 through 9 games. It is all collectively good enough for Prescott to yield the third-highest QBR (72.6) right now.

Surprisingly, only one player has ever been named league MVP as a Cowboy, which is the NFL's all-time rushing leader Emmitt Smith (1993). Of course, it is an entirely new era.

Steep Drops

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +3000

After winning five consecutive contests, Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars returned from their bye only to get shellacked in Duval County by the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners were also coming off a bye, but Lawrence and Jacksonville's offense looked particularly overmatched in that game. The 2021 first overall selection completed 17 of 29 passes for only 185 yards with 2 interceptions.

At a record of 6-3, the Jags hold onto a one-game lead in the AFC South. Still, it is a little startling to see that Lawrence holds a measly 3:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio currently. Contrarily, the signal-caller from Clemson is yielding his best completion clip (67.3%) since entering the league.

Despite the recent four-score loss at home, T-Law and the Jaguars will have ample opportunity to flip the narrative with two divisional games over the next two weeks. First, Jacksonville will host the struggling Tennessee Titans before heading to Space City for a rumble at the Houston Texans. If Lawrence hopes to get back into the MVP race, he'll need to definitively outplay Stroud in the latter contest -- especially since Jax already lost to Houston back in Week 3.

Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1700

Not that Joe Burrow played terribly in last Sunday's loss to the Texans, but he simply was not as precise as he was the previous month. Leading into Week 10, Burrow and the Bengals were sizzling behind a four-game winning streak, defeating quality sides like the 49ers, Bills and Seattle Seahawks along the way.

Versus Houston, Burrow threw for 314 yards and 2 scores, but he also tossed multiple interceptions in a game for the first time since the 2022 AFC Championship. However, it should be noted that Cincy very likely would have beaten the Texans if not for a couple of key drops from the Bengals -- one of which occurred in the end zone.

After a slow start to 2023, Burrow had been heating up through the season's middle weeks. Still, the former national champion from LSU is not among the NFL leaders in any major passing category right now. So far this year, Burrow is 18th in QBR, 13th in passing yards, 12th in completion rate and tied for 12th in touchdowns thrown.

Burrow will almost certainly win an NFL MVP award sometime in his future, but he'll need to take his game to new heights if hoping to do so this season. Unfortunately, Cincy's schedule is not getting any softer going forward -- the Bengals next face Baltimore on Thursday followed by games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville.

Honorable Mention

Trending Up

• Jared Goff +3000

Falling Down

• Justin Herbert +7500

Looking for the latest NFL odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the NFL betting options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.