Sports betting is as big as it has ever been, and one of the most popular things fans like to bet on is preseason awards. Everyone thinks they can predict the next MVP or Offensive Player of the Year, and you’re never going to get better odds than in the preseason.
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Most of the time, a preseason betting favorite ends up winning the award, but that’s not always the case. Just last year, Matthew Stafford won MVP despite being +3500 to win it in the preseason. Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who won Offensive Player of the Year, didn’t even have odds listed on some sportsbooks.
Every year, at least one player comes out of the blue and wins one of the major awards, so today, I looked at the odds and found one player who sits outside the top-10 that has a realistic chance of winning each award.
Most Valuable Player: Jared Goff
Imago
Odds: +3500
Jared Goff currently sits at +3500 to win the Most Valuable Player award, but I think he should be much higher on the list. He’s the quarterback of what should be one of the best offenses in the entire NFL this season – just like it has been for the past few years – and statistically, he leads the NFL in pretty much every category over the past four seasons.
| Year | Completion Percentage | Passing Yards | Passing Touchdowns |
| 2022 | 65.1 (19th) | 4,438 (6th) | 29 (5th) |
| 2023 | 67.3 (9th) | 4,575 (2nd) | 30 (4th) |
| 2024 | 72.4 (2nd) | 4,629 (2nd) | 37 (4th) |
| 2025 | 68.0 (5th) | 4,564 (2nd) | 34 (2nd) |
Note: Number in parentheses indicates rank that year among QBs with 100+ attempts
Since 2022, Goff’s 13,768 passing yards are more than any other quarterback in the league, with second place being Matthew Stafford with 12,434. Goff’s 101 passing touchdowns are also the most in the league over the past four years, ahead of Baker Mayfield’s 95. Goff also ranks third in completion percentage during that span with a 69.1 percent completion rate.
Needless to say, Goff puts up numbers, and if the Detroit Lions are one of the better teams in the league, which I think they can be, there’s no reason he couldn’t win it.
Offensive Player of the Year: Omarion Hampton
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Odds: +4000
A lot of people are writing Omarion Hampton off after a disappointing rookie season, but they’re forgetting this guy was a first-round pick for a reason. Hampton rushed for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in each of his last two seasons in college, and despite playing behind a very bad offensive line last year, he still managed to average 4.4 yards per carry.
Now, with Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt healthy, the Los Angeles Chargers should be much better up front than they were a year ago. Plus, Mike McDaniel is calling plays in LA this year, and we’ve seen what he was able to do with De’Von Achane in Miami the past few seasons.
Hampton is going to be the Chargers’ workhorse back this season, so if he and his offensive linemen can stay healthy, he has a real shot at leading the league in rushing and fighting for this award.
Defensive Player of the Year: Derek Stingley Jr.
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Odds: +4500
It’s hard for a cornerback to win Defensive Player of the Year. Since 2010, only two corners – Stephon Gilmore and Patrick Surtain II – have won DPOY, but I still feel pretty good about Derek Stingley’s chances.
The Houston Texans have the best defense in the league. They were suffocating last season, and they kept pretty much their entire defense intact while adding guys like Kayden McDonald and Reed Blankenship. The Texans are my pick to win it all this season, so if by the end of the regular season they’re the 1-seed in the AFC and still have the best defense in football, there’s a good chance one of their players wins this award.
Will Anderson Jr. is obviously the favorite to win it on this team, but if it’s not him, it would probably be Stingley. He’s the best man-to-man corner in football and already has two All-Pros under his belt at age 25. He’s only getting better, and if he has another strong season, he could easily be in the running for DPOY.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Chris Bell
Odds: +6000
This year’s offensive rookie class is a bit thin. There are a lot of guys at the top who have a good chance of winning Offensive Player of the Year, but once you get outside of the top-10, it gets hard to find anyone with a real chance. But I’m going with Chris Bell.
Bell never had 1,000 yards in college, but if it weren’t for a late-season torn ACL, he probably would’ve done it in 2025. He’s 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, and probably would’ve been a late first-round pick or early second-round pick had he not suffered his ACL injury.
Bell also enters a situation where he doesn’t have a lot of competition. Right now, Bell’s biggest competition for targets in Miami is Malik Washington and Tutu Atwell, and Bell seems to be making an impression in training camp. If he can work his way into the starting rotation, he could see a heavy workload in 2026.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Cashius Howell
Imago
Odds: +5000
I wasn’t a huge Cashius Howell fan coming out of college, mainly because his arms were even shorter than Rueben Bain’s, but I can also acknowledge that if he finds a way to work around his short arms, he has a ton of upside.
Like with Offensive Rookie of the Year, it was hard to find someone who has a real shot at winning Defensive Rookie of the Year outside of the top-10, but Howell is clearly the most talented edge rusher in that group, so he felt like the obvious choice.
Cincinnati’s defense should be much better than it was last year, and if Howell is their best pass rusher and they make it to the playoffs, he could very well be in the hunt for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Protector of the Year: Rashawn Slater
Imago
Odds: +2000
I don’t know how Rashawn Slater is outside the top-10 in Protector of the Year odds. He’s one of the best tackles in football, but I guess it’s because he’s coming off a torn ACL and might take a little bit to get back into rhythm.
If Slater comes back and is his normal self and helps LA boast one of the best offenses in football, which is not unrealistic given the talent they have on that side of the ball, he should absolutely be in consideration for Protector of the Year.
