MVP Leader Russell Wilson Leads Seattle Seahawks Into Sunday Night Game vs. Arizona Cardinals

Posted on: October 25, 2020, 12:56h. 

Last updated on: October 25, 2020, 01:06h.

Bill Huber Read More
Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

Russell Wilson has led the Seattle Seahawks to four close victories. What isn’t close is his hold on the NFL MVP race ahead of Sunday night’s game at the Arizona Cardinals.

Russell Wilson
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3), the MVP front-runner, leads his 5-0 team into a Sunday night game at the Arizona Cardinals. (Image: Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports)

Wilson has led Seattle to a 5-0 start on the strength of a league-leading 129.8 passer rating, 19 touchdown passes, and 8.9 yards per attempt. His Seahawks are a 3.5-point favorite for the primetime matchup against their NFC West rivals.

MVP Race

At BetMGM, Wilson opened the season at +600 to win his first MVP. Now, he’s a commanding -130 at BetMGM, and -125 at DraftKings.

At this point, there’s not much reason to throw any money on Wilson.

Yeah, they would lay it if he thought he was locked in. But I don’t think he’s locked in yet,” said Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, to Casino.org.

“You’ve got guys behind him like Aaron Rodgers, who’s having a good year, although they lost their last game and it wasn’t his best game. You’ve got Patrick Mahomes at 4/1. Then it widens out. It’s double-digits on everybody. Lamar Jackson is 16. Derrick Henry, running backs usually don’t win this award – it’s an award won by quarterbacks, for the most part – but he’s 25/1. But, who knows?”

Wilson’s counterpart, Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray, is in the mix as well. Here are the MVP odds at BetMGM.

  • Seattle QB Russell Wilson: -130.
  • Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes: +550
  • Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers: +600
  • Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson: +1,800
  • Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger: +2,000
  • Tampa Bay QB Tom Brady: +2,000
  • Tennessee RB Derrick Henry: +2,000
  • Arizona QB Kyler Murray: +2,200

“There are some outsiders with some value,” DraftKings’ Avello said.

As for the Game …

Seattle opened as 3-point favorites against the Cardinals (4-2). It quickly moved to 3.5, and that’s where it stayed all week. As the early games got under way, Seattle had 71 percent of the bets and 69 percent of the spread money.

“Seattle’s grabbing the money across the number 3, which is a key number,” Avello said. “The early money is an indicator that the Seahawks are going to be bet all the way up to game time.”

After a bye, Wilson has a 6-1 record. If he throws four touchdown passes, he’d become the third quarterback in NFL history with at least 250 touchdown passes in his first nine seasons. The others are Peyton Manning and Dan Marino.

Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald needs one reception to join Jerry Rice as the only players with 1,400 career catches.