For sale: $2K wager to win $200K on 49ers QB to win NFL MVP award
Mr. Irrelevant is on the cusp of becoming Mr. NFL MVP, which means sportsbooks are on the precipice of paying out millions of dollars on longshot wagers on the award.
San Francisco quarterback Brocky Purdy is the odds-on favorite to take home the trophy a year after he was selected by the 49ers with the last pick of the 2022 draft.
Purdy is the -225 favorite at Caesars Sportsbook after throwing for four touchdowns in Sunday’s 45-29 rout of the Cardinals.
“It’s an unbelievable story,” Caesars assistant director of trading Adam Pullen said. “Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be a good result for Caesars. He’s our biggest loser.
“We draw a lot of money in Nevada on Bay Area teams. Any time a 49ers player does well, it usually doesn’t bode well for us.”
Purdy, who leads the league in touchdown passes (29) and is second in passing yards (3,795), opened at 45-1 at Caesars to win the MVP.
The book is on the hook for seven figures if he wins the award. It has taken wagers on Purdy of $75,000 to win $412,500 (+550), $25,000 to win $250,000 (10-1), $25,000 to win $175,000 (7-1) and $20,000 to win $90,000 (+450).
$200K ticket for sale
A bettor with a $2,000 wager to win $200,000 on Purdy to win MVP at 100-1 odds has put the ticket up for sale on PropSwap, an online secondary market for active sports bets.
The bettor initially put the ticket up for sale for $40,000 in early December.
“No bid came in at $40K,” PropSwap co-founder Luke Pergande said Monday in a text message. “A bid came in at $90K last night and it was declined. Seller is looking for closer to $120,000. That’s -146 odds.”
PropSwap (@PropSwap) also posted a $200 ticket to win $15,000 on Purdy at 75-1 odds for $9,500.
Crucial Christmas Day clash
Purdy entered the week as a virtual co-favorite for the award with Dallas QB Dak Prescott.
Purdy emerged as the clear favorite after another stellar outing. Prescott, on the other hand, slipped to a tie for the 5-1 second choice with Ravens QB Lamar Jackson after throwing for only 134 yards in the Cowboys’ 31-10 loss at Buffalo on Sunday.
Jackson led Baltimore to a 23-7 road win over Jacksonville on Sunday. The Ravens’ next game is against Purdy and the 49ers in San Francisco on Christmas Day. It’s a matchup of two 11-3 teams and the top two Super Bowl favorites.
“Purdy is the prohibitive favorite and the only thing that might change that is if Lamar Jackson has a great game at San Francisco on Christmas night and the Ravens beat the 49ers,” Pullen said.
Other awards
The Offensive Player of the Year award is a two-man race at Caesars, where 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is the -150 favorite and Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is the +110 second choice.
The Defensive Player of the Year award is a three-man race. It’s led by Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who is the -130 favorite. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is the +160 second choice and Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt is the +550 third pick.
The Coach of the Year award features five contenders in single digits. Detroit’s Dan Campbell is the +210 favorite, followed by Indiandapolis’ Shane Steichen at 3-1, Houston’s DeMeco Ryans at +350, Miami’s Mike McDaniel at 6-1 and San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan at +650.
Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski is 13-1 and Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor and Baltimore’s John Harbaugh are each 18-1.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.
