2021 NFL MVP and Awards Race Picks and Predictions

• BetOnline favors Aaron Rodgers (-425) to win his second-consecutive NFL MVP
  
• Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase improved their odds of winning Comeback Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year by combining for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns in Week 17
  
• Zac Taylor (+125), Matt Lafleur (+155) and Mike Vrabel (+325) lead a tight Coach of the Year race
  

---

With six of eight Division champions crowned and 11 of 14 postseason spots clinched, there’s not a lot left to be decided in Week 18 of the NFL season. That means there shouldn’t be any major odds shifts for football’s major awards between now and early February when the winners are announced leading up to the crystallization of Super Bowl odds.

Let’s analyze the resumes of the contenders for 2021 NFL MVP, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and Coach of the Year and make our picks and predictions for each award. Also, be sure to check out the top betting sites for NFL football in 2021, as well as NFL MVP betting resources.

2021 NFL MVP

Aaron Rodgers	-425
Tom Brady	+500
Jonathan Taylor	+1200
Joe Burrow	+1600
Cooper Kupp	+2000

Rodgers or Brady?

Aaron Rodgers (-425) has thrown for 298.5 yards per game with an 18-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the last six weeks to lead Green Bay to the NFC’s No. 1 seed. However, this is the same guy who held the Packers organization hostage all summer and eventually missed a game thanks to taking vaccine advice from Dr, Joe Rogan.

Considering the diva QB just won the 2020 NFL MVP with numbers far superior than what he posted this season, Tom Brady (+500) is the superior choice. The 44-year-old leads the league in passing yards (4,990) and TD passes (40), and is the oldest quarterback ever to have even one 40-TD pass season, let alone two. Rather than vote for Rodgers again, sportswriters should crown the GOAT with his fourth-career MVP award.

.@TomBrady did it again and made it look easy 🔥 pic.twitter.com/m9vmx753T6

— NFL (@NFL) January 2, 2022

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Ja'Marr Chase	-300
Mac Jones	+200

Chase passes Mac for good

Ja’Marr Chase jumped from a +400 underdog to a -300 favorite in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race after a record-setting 266-yard, 3-TD performance on Sunday that vaulted him past fellow LSU alum Justin Jefferson’s all-time rookie season record with 1,429 receiving yards.

While Mac Jones (+200) outshined the four QBs drafted ahead of him (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields), the game manager has no chance to claim the honor.

Comeback Player of the Year

Dak Prescott	-130
Joe Burrow	+100

Dak Prescott or Joe Burrow?

Returning from a broken leg and playing for America’s Team made Dak Prescott heavy chalk for Comeback Player of the Year all season long. However, the Cowboys quarterback is now just a slight favorite (-130) over Joe Burrow (+100) after the cigar-smoking Bengal threw for a combined 971 yards and eight touchdowns in the past two weeks. 

While Dak has been battling calf issues and playing complementary football to Dallas’ league-best defense, Burrow has emerged as an MVP candidate in his return from a season-ending knee injury while helping Cincinnati clinch their first AFC North title in six years. Bet heavily on Burrow.

Joe Burrow over the last two weeks:

Week 16: 525 passing yards, 4 TD, 0 INT

Week 17: 446 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT

He's the only player ever with back-to-back games of 400 yards, 4 TD and 0 INT. pic.twitter.com/qHS5nAKbQw

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 3, 2022

Coach of the Year

Zac Taylor	+125
Matt LaFleur	+155
Mike Vrabel	+325
Nick Sirianni	+1800
Bill Belichick	+2000

Crowded Coaching Race

Zac Taylor (+125) has emerged as the Coach of the Year favorite – which is almost unimaginable after he went 6-25-1 in his first two seasons with the Bengals. With Burrow and Chase deserving of all the credit in Cincinnati, look for this award to go to either the Packers’ Matt LaFleur (+155) or the Titans’ Mike Vrabel (+325), who coached their squads to No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences.

LaFleur has the most wins (39-9) of any head coach in his first three seasons, however, could be penalized because of Rodgers’ excellence. Meanwhile, Vrabel’s Titans unseated the Bills and Chiefs in the AFC while playing half the year without star running back Derrick Henry. After making the playoffs once in the nine years before he arrived in 2018, Tennessee has now had four consecutive winning seasons, three consecutive trips to the playoffs and two consecutive division titles. Vrabel is the pick, especially with the added value.