NFL MVP Race Front and Center Today – December 31

The NFL MVP race will be sorted out over these next two weeks. 49ers QB Brock Purdy’s four-pick performance against Baltimore last week relegated him to second-tier status in the NFL MVP race. That performance did, however, lift Ravens QB Lamar Jackson into the driver’s seat. Jackson is now the -190 favorite to win the award, which will be announced the day before Super Bowl LVIII.

Jackson is having himself a year. He has completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,357 yards and 19 touchdowns. On the ground, he is Baltimore’s leading rusher with 786 yards and five more scores. More importantly, Jackson has guided the Ravens to the NFL’s best record – 12-3. Baltimore currently owns the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Baltimore hosts 11-4 Miami today in what should be a great game.

The NFL MVP Race Heats Up

With Purdy now listed as a longshot at +1200, his teammate RB Christian McCaffrey is now the closest competition for Jackson in the NFL MVP race. McCaffrey leads the NFL in rushing with 1,395 yards. He has scored 14 touchdowns on the ground. The versatile running back has also caught 63 passes for 537 yards and seven more touchdowns. McCaffrey is listed at +475 in the NFL MVP race. San Francisco plays Washington today.

Only two other players are listed under +1000 in the NFL MVP race. Buffalo QB Josh Allen is given +800 odds. He and the Bills are getting hot at the right time. Buffalo has won three straight to get back into the AFC playoff picture. The Bills are No. 6 in the AFC right now. Allen has thrown for 3,778 yards and 27 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 413 yards and another 13 scores. Buffalo hosts New England today and closes the season next week against Miami.

Speaking of the Dolphins, their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is the other contender in the NFL MVP race. Tagovailoa is having his best season as a pro. That’s because he’s managed to stay healthy. Miami is 11-4 and in first place in the AFC East. Tagovailoa has been a big part of that, leading the NFL’s top-scoring offense (30.9 ppg). The Miami QB has completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 4,214 yards and 26 touchdowns. Tagovailoa is given +900 odds in the NFL MVP race.

The New Year’s Eve Leaderboard

On this eve of the New Year, it was more of the same on the SportsHub daily leaderboard. Sports Central was our big winner, but four more Sports Hub exclusive handicappers were in the top-5. It’s been that way pretty much since we started this. That’s why there is value in a Sports Hub membership. Click that orange button above and join the biggest group of winners on the planet. 

Here’s how yesterday’s leaderboard played out.

• Sports Central: The guys at Sports Central went 6-2 on a variety of picks. They ended up winning $380 total. Not a bad day!
• Coach Rick: The Coach continues to rule college football, nailing Florida State for two picks in the Orange Bowl. He hit a college basketball pick too to go 3-0 and win $300 for the day.
• Our friends: We have a long relationship with the guys at Knup Sports who went 4-1 yesterday and earned $290. They have been rocking it for the month with winnings of $1650 over the last 30 days.
• Sports Hub experts: Gino Russo, Patrick Doyle, and Kyle Parker each went 2-0 and won $200 yesterday. They are three of our top experts here at Sports Hub and names you probably recognize if you’ve been a loyal reader. Gino has been the most consistent of the three over the past 30 days with $1243 in winnings and a 61.2 percent winning percentage.

Mostert Out, Could Affect NFL MVP Race

Here at Sports Hub, we like to stay up to date on what is trending in the sports world. There are often times when our handicappers will utilize the latest trending information to capitalize on a bet. That could be the case today.

There is a very important player who will be out of Miami’s lineup today. That could affect the Dolphins’ chances in their game against the Ravens today. It may also affect the NFL MVP race, which features Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson and Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa.

What else is trending?

• Raheem Mostert out: The Miami running back will not play today against Baltimore. That will be one less weapon for Tagovailoa as he competes in the NFL MVP race.
• Bucs in: With a win today, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will clinch the NFC South. Tampa Bay has won four straight and plays at home today against division rival New Orleans.
• Streak ends: The Detroit Pistons finally ended their losing streak. That streak, 28 games, set a new NBA record for the longest such streak in a single season. Detroit beat Toronto 129-127 last night. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 30 points and 12 assists.

• Orange Bowl: We mentioned yesterday how players opting out affects many of the year-end bowl games. That was evident yesterday when Georgia smoked Florida State 63-3 in the Orange Bowl. 

NFL MVP Race Heats Up Today

The NFL MVP race is front and center in today’s league action. There are some big games today with a number of playoff scenarios on the line. We mentioned Tampa Bay already. The Rams and Seahawks can both clinch spots, but both teams need help.

With Week 17 in the NFL the focal point of today’s schedule, don’t forget to prepare yourself for today’s action by visiting our Week 17 NFL picks page. You will find all sorts of exclusive information that will help you have success in betting the games today. You can also visit our picks database (members only) where you can find out how the best handicappers in the world are betting today’s games.

Here’s today’s schedule.

1. NFL schedule: Miami is at Baltimore in the biggest game of the day. Green Bay and Minnesota will play the Sunday night football game and the result of that one has some playoff implications. The Vikings (7-8) are currently eighth in the NFC playoff standings. The Packers (7-8) are ninth. 

2. NBA: Detroit will have a well-deserved day off after breaking their 28-game losing streak. There are six games on tap today in the NBA. 
3. NHL: There are nine games on the New Year’s Eve schedule as the league gets ready for tomorrow’s Winter Classic. 
4. NCAAB: It’s a smaller college basketball schedule today. No. 4 Arizona plays at Stanford in a Pac-12 matchup. No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 24 Ole Miss are also playing today, though not against each other.
5. Soccer: The weekend usually always brings some top tier soccer matches. Today, though, there are just two English Premier League matches that are already underway. Other than those, there isn’t much international soccer action today.
6. Tennis: The Brisbane International and the ASB Classic tennis tournaments continue this weekend. Rafael Nadal played and lost in a doubles match in Brisbane. He may return to the tour in 2024.

Today should be an interesting day for the NFL MVP race. Jackson can all but lock it up with a stellar performance against Miami. A Baltimore win would add even more to Jackson’s standing in the NFL MVP race. There are over 100 NFL picks in our database right now and more will come throughout the day. Check it out before you place your final bets. 

Have a great day and celebrate New Year’s Eve with some wins! Come back tomorrow and we’ll ring in the New Year with even more success at the ticket window. Happy New Year!