As the NFL prepares for the grand finale of the 2025/26 season, where the Seattle Seahawks will take on the New England Patriots at Super Bowl LX, there is big attention on who will win the MVP Award at the end of the game.
Recent years have seen the quarterback from the winning team dominate this award, with Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts claiming the award last time out, stopping the Kansas City Chiefs legend Patrick Mahomes from making it three-in-a-row.
But while the favorites with the bookmakers would keep that trend going, there are other contenders, and we’ll take a look at the contenders as we provide you with our best free Super Bowl betting picks.
| Super Bowl LX MVP |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Darnold | +120 | +120 | +125 |
| Drake Maye | +230 | +240 | +240 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | +475 | +500 | +550 |
| Kenneth Walker III | +800 | +700 | +800 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | +3300 | +2800 | +3000 |
| Rashid Shaheed | +4000 | +3000 | +3500 |
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Below you’ll find a list of favorites to win the MVP Award at the Super Bowl LX.
The Seattle Seahawks are the favorites to win Super Bowl LX this weekend, and as a result, starting quarterback Sam Darnold comes into the game as the favorite to be crowned MVP.
Five of the last six winners of the MVP award have been quarterbacks, with wide receiver Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams the only man to buck the trend in that period back in 2022. If you stretch it back further, then the winning quarterback has won it in nine of the last 11 Super Bowls.
If the Seahawks are successful, then Darnold will be a huge reason for it, much like he has been all season long.
Considering the odds available on the game, if you back Seattle to win the Super Bowl, then you’d get better odds just backing Darnold to win the MVP Award. He’s our pick.
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In the same way that the logic for Darnold winning the award rests on the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl, if New England are to be successful, then Drake Maye is the most likely man to win the award.
Victory in the match is important though. The last, and only, time a player from the losing team in a Super Bowl won the MVP Award was Chuck Howley back in 1971. So if you think Seattle are winning the game, this is a no-go.
But the Patriots are contenders to win the game, and Maye’s mobility and running game mean that he could keep the game close, and anything good that New England do in the game will have to run through him.
Considering that you can get Maye to be MVP at +240, there is more value in backing him to be MVP than there is in backing the Patriots to win the game, so it’s worth the punt if you’re considering it. After throwing for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in the regular season, then running for 450 yards and four touchdowns, he has every chance of putting in a legendary performance and claiming the trophy.
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If, somehow, a quarterback doesn’t claim the MVP award this year, then it will almost certainly be a wide-receiver – the position with the second most Super Bowl MVP’s in history.
Ex-Patriot Julian Edelman was the last non-quarterback not named Cooper Kupp to win the award, back in 2019, and youngster Smith-Njigba potentially has a fantastic chance of following in his footsteps.
Many people believe that the 23-year-old is set to be crowned the Offensive Player of the Year for this season, and individually he is a nightmare match up for everyone in the Patriots defensive line. Stats show that he was responsible for around 44% of the Seahawks’ receiving production this season, showing the incredible connection he has with Sam Darnold.
Considering the game is likely to be relatively close, a couple of crucial catches in dangerous areas and some touchdowns will make his game impossible to ignore, and with Darnold not usually among the most spectacular performers, you never know.
The last time a running-back won the Super Bowl MVP Award was back in 1998 at Super Bowl XXXII, which makes this a very clear and obvious long shot.
But Walker put up 145 scrimmage yards and scored three touchdowns against the 49ers in New England’s first playoff game, before 111 yards and one touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game.
If he is able to repeat those numbers and ends up on the winning team, then there is no reason why he won’t be in the conversation for the award, and at +800 odds it may well be worth a small punt.
The value is there, and you can never say never. There’s likely to be a fair few rush attempts from the Patriots too, so he’s a fair outside bet to get the job done.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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