The Cincinnati Bengals have played eight games in 2026 and are 6-2. Their latest game resulted in a double-digit win over the Falcons in Madrid and it was yet another sparkling performance from quarterback Joe Burrow.
The Bengals signal-caller completed 24-of-29 passes for 271 yards while throwing three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also rushed for a touchdown on the day as well, giving him four total touchdowns in Madrid.
That means that, on the year, Burrow has thrown for 2,386 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions with three rushing touchdowns. Pretty darn good numbers.
One would think that Burrow would be a strong candidate to win NFL MVP this year and they'd be correct. Let's check out the MVP odds according to DraftKings after the Bengals' game in Madrid.
Player | Team | MVP Odds |
|---|---|---|
Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills | +225 |
Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals | +225 |
Brock Purdy | San Francisco 49ers | +500 |
Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears | +650 |
Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars | +850 |
Drake Maye | New England Patriots | +1000 |
Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs | +2500 |
Jordan Love | Green Bay Packers | +3000 |
Jared Goff | Detroit Lions | +3500 |
Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks | +6000 |
Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit Lions | +6000 |
Joe Burrow leads the pack in MVP odds after Week 9
As you can see, Burrow is tied with Buffalo's Josh Allen for the best odds to win NFL MVP at +225. Now it's worth noting that Allen won't play until Monday night when his Bills square off against a fiery Vikings defense so his odds could shift depending on the outcome of that game and how he does.
Brock Purdy, Caleb Williams, and Trevor Lawrence round out the top-five players in the MVP race and it's not surprising to see all five players are quarterbacks. The non-quarterbacks with the best odds to win the award are Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jahmyr Gibbs, but both have pretty hefty odds to win the prestigious title.
As for Burrow, this is excellent to see midway through the year. But, as Bengals fans know, there's a lot of football left to be played and being at the top with Allen is going to make things trickier.
As magical as Burrow is with the football, Allen performs that same kind of wizardry each week and doesn't have the same weapons that Joey B has in Cincinnati. That will undoubtedly factor into the decision if the race between the two remains close at season's end.
Comparing Joe Burrow's next 5 games to Josh Allen's
After the Madrid game, the Bengals return home to Cincinnati where they'll host the Steelers in a showdown for first place in the division. After that, they'll travel to our nation's capital to play the Commanders, then return home to host the Saints, travel to Cleveland for a date with the Browns, and then host the Chiefs. That schedule will give Burrow a chance to pad his stats for sure.
Allen has the Monday night game in Minneapolis and then the Bills travel to play the Jets. Buffalo then hosts the Dolphins and Chiefs before hitting the road to play the Patriots. That's a more difficult slate and hopefully these defenses can make things a little more difficult for Allen, allowing Burrow to take the lead in the race.
All betting odds courtesy of DraftKings. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. The content in this article should not be considered betting advice. Gambling involves risk, and one should only gamble with funds that one can comfortably afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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