The NFL MVP race just got a little more interesting, and oddsmakers got a beat on the public with the latest news.
The leader in the clubhouse for several weeks now, Jalen Hurts’ odds dropped Monday afternoon from -150 to +150 seemingly out of nowhere. Around the same time, his Philadelphia Eagles moved from somewhere around 1-point underdogs against the Dallas Cowboys this week to upwards of five points at some sportsbooks.
With this type of movement, it was only a matter of time before some serious news dropped. And sure enough, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported an injury to Hurts shortly after.
The quarterback suffered a shoulder sprain in Sunday’s win over the Bears, leaving his status for Saturday against Dallas uncertain.
The Dallas Cowboys have moved from -1.5 to -5 against the Eagles just this afternoon 👀 pic.twitter.com/SAUvQq9j0K
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) December 19, 2022
Jalen Hurts has to be banged up
NFL lines don't move this quickly through the most key number in such a short period of time unless there's a QB injury
Assist @spankodds pic.twitter.com/hNx6vTWIuv
— Jared Smith (@jaredleesmith) December 19, 2022
Sportsbooks were able to get ahead of reports and shift odds before more bettors could pounce, but there was a long enough runway for people to jump in somewhere in the middle, and they won’t likely regret it.
The Eagles hold a comfortable three-game lead over Dallas in the NFC East and a two-game lead over the Vikings for the top seed in the conference. So, it’s unlikely they take any chances with Hurts — in Week 16 or later.
With the movement in Hurts’ MVP odds, Patrick Mahomes has overtaken him as the favorite at Tipico Sportsbook. Mahomes has -190 odds to Hurts’ +270. Josh Allen remains third at +700.
