Tua Tagovailoa has drawn more MVP bets than Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers in past 2 weeks

A new report indicates that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has recently become a more popular choice to win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the upcoming campaign.

Max Meyer of Caesars.com looked at the different odds pertaining to the Dolphins for this year and noted the steep increase in odds for Tagovailoa in just the past two weeks.

“Tagovailoa’s NFL MVP odds were first displayed at 175/1, yet he’s since swung to his current standing of 75/1,” Meyer wrote. “The lefty quarterback ranks 12th in tickets for MVP at 2.4%, and 13th in handle at 2.8%. He’s received two $1,000 bets to collect the hardware at 75/1 odds, one from a Nevada bettor and the other from an Indiana bettor.

“Over the past two weeks, Tagovailoa has been an especially popular MVP bet. The only players who have received more money in this market over that span are Trey Lance, Derek Carr, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert. Overall, Tagovailoa has drawn more MVP bets than Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Kyler Murray and Matt Stafford. He’s also been a sleeper pick to finish with the NFL’s most passing yards (40/1), as he’s 10th in tickets (2.5%) and 15th in handle (1.3%).”

The surge in enthusiasm for Tagovailoa is due in part to the outstanding weapons he’ll have at his disposal this year. These include second-year wideout Jaylen Waddle, blazing new acquisition Tyreek Hill and the team’s solid tight end, Mike Gesicki.

Talk about Tagovailoa contending for MVP honors might come as a surprise to some Dolphins fans. That’s because he’s experienced his ups and downs during his first two seasons and is still hoping to put together a breakout campaign.

Tagovailoa’s inconsistency has led to some talk of the Dolphins potentially demoting the player they selected with the fifth overall choice in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Even before that talk began, rumors about the Dolphins trading for a veteran signal-caller like Deshaun Watson were heard. Watson eventually was dealt to the Cleveland Browns, though his status for this year is still up in the air.

One absolute necessity for Tagovailoa to even be considered for MVP honors is getting the Dolphins to the postseason. That goal has narrowly eluded the team in each of his two seasons and can’t happen again if he has any hopes of such prominent recognition.

For now, Tagovailoa is simply trying to make sure he’s ready for the regular season. The Dolphins open up the preseason portion of their campaign on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.