Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was a worthy MVP candidate two seasons ago. Unfortunately, when you lead the NFL in passing yards and passing TDs, you're more or less out of the running when you fail to make the playoffs.
Burrow's defense let him down to such a colossal degree that even a five-game winning streak to salvage a 9-8 record wasn't good enough for Joe Shiesty to merit MVP consideration.
But this is a new era of Bengals football, or so it seems. The roster is as strong as ever since Burrow has been a pro.
The bookmakers who set betting lines at sportsbooks tend to know things. They couldn't be much higher on Joe Burrow based on the latest numbers on some key season-long betting props. You bet that includes MVP odds!
Bengals QB Joe Burrow is a heavy betting favorite for many 2026 NFL season superlatives
We'll stick to DraftKings for all these ensuing numbers. Among the QBs listed to throw for 4,000-plus yards, only Jared Goff (-140) has shorter odds to do so than Burrow (-110) and a couple others tied with him in reigning MVP Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott.
Speaking of MVP, Stafford's Rams were one of the few teams to have an even better offseason than the Bengals. Does that mean the wily gunslinger can win two straight MVPs and best Burrow?
Well, DraftKings has Stafford as a longer shot at MVP at +1400 odds. Burrow is tied with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert for third place at +1000, behind only Josh Allen (+550) and Lamar Jackson (+650).
Narratives often play a large part in media-driven awards. If Burrow can successfully rally the Bengals back to the top of the AFC, he's a near shoo-in to be a first-time MVP.
How about this? Burrow is the +800 favorite — over Stafford and Prescott at +850 — to have the most TD passes through three weeks this coming season.
Oh, and the No. 1 candidate to next post a single-game passing performance of 400 yards or more? Joseph Lee Burrow (+900).
Burrow has hit 35+ TD passes in only two of his seven seasons as a pro, in large part due to injuries cutting three of those seasons short. A DraftKings prop has him at very short +150 odds to hit that mark, tops in the NFL. Joe Brrr is tied with Goff, Stafford and Prescott as a +750 favorite to lead the league in passing yards (again), and is a +550 favorite on his own to be the TD pass leader.
Here's another exotic future bet that speaks to just how high the books are on Burrow: They have Cincinnati tied for 13th in odds to win the Super Bowl (+2000), yet a combo wager on Bengals Super Bowl-Burrow Super Bowl MVP is tied for fourth at +5000 odds.
For all the lame-o's who say, "YeAh BuT WiLl JoE bUrRoW sTaY hEaLtHy!?" the elite-of-elite ball knowers who make sportsbook lines are exercising minimal caution about Burrow's injury risk.
Listing Burrow as such a heavy favorite in all categories speaks to the legitimacy of the Bengals' offseason, and why arguments against them as Super Bowl contenders are so lame.
The rest of the league's fanbases are not ready. Pretty sure defensive coordinators are having nightmares already wondering how they'll stop Burrow with a half-decent Bengals defense to complement him. The bookmakers sure are bracing for impact!
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