We’re at the halfway point of the 2023 NFL season with nine weeks of regular-season games left to be played before we reach the first round of the playoffs. There are still plenty of games left to be played to settle the NFL awards, as all but once race has been really competitive, but who are the betting favorites after the first half of the season?
NFL Awards Leaders: Betting Favorites at the Halfway Point
Below are each of the current betting favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook to win NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year.
NFL MVP: Patrick Mahomes/Jalen Hurts/Lamar Jackson (+350)
I wrote about Mahomes/Hurts/Jackson being co-favorites for NFL MVP in a race that looks to be extremely tight for the rest of the season. There hasn’t been one quarterback that has separated himself from the competition so far this season, so it makes sense to see three elite QBs on the three best teams in football right now be tied as the betting favorite for MVP.
You could argue that Tua Tagovailoa has been the most impressive QB statistically through the first nine weeks of the season. He’s the NFL’s leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and QB rating.
However, Tua trails the top three in betting odds because these are taking the rest of the season into the equation, and to this point, the Dolphins haven’t proven themselves capable of beating good teams.
Offensive Player of the Year: Tyreek Hill/Christian McCaffrey (+125)
A.J. Brown became the first player in NFL history to have 125+ receiving yards in six straight games and has over 1,000 receiving yards in nine games, yet he’s third in odds to win OPOY. That’s how good Tyreek Hill and Christian McCaffrey have been.
Hill has been on a historic pace this season and is on his way to becoming the first wide receiver in NFL history to finish with more than 2,000 yards. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey has 13 touchdowns in nine games this season and could challenge LaDainian Tomlinson’s single-season record, although it’s very unlikely.
In almost any other year, Hill, McCaffrey, and even Brown would be the runaway favorite to win OPOY. With how productive Hill and McCaffrey particularly have been, this will be a very interesting race to keep an eye on in the second half of the year.
Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons (+175)
Micah Parsons has a narrow lead over Myles Garrett (+200) and T.J. Watt (+200) in the betting odds at the moment. These were the top three favorites to win the award going into the season, so it’s no surprise to see them in a competitive race after nine weeks.
Although they’re very close in odds, it’s a bit surprising to see Garrett behind Parsons. Garrett has been the most impactful player on the best defense in the NFL and is leading Parsons in nearly every statistical category. The betting odds indicate it’s a three-man race, though, and it’s going to be an extremely close one for the rest of the season.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: C.J. Stroud (-500)
Unless C.J. Stroud gets injured, this award is pretty much a wrap. Stroud has been phenomenal as a rookie this season and is coming off a historic performance of 470 yards and five touchdowns.
MORE: C.J. Stroud Shatters Record in Texans’ Thriller
For the season, Stroud has thrown for 14 touchdowns with just one interception and has led the Texans to a 4-4 record — more wins than they had all of last season.
Stroud’s rookie season has been so impressive that impressive rookie wide receivers such as Puka Nakua (+650) and Jordan Addison (+1600) are now long shots to win the award. If Stroud wins, that will snap a two-year streak of non-QBs winning OROY.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jalen Carter (-200)
It seemed unfair at the time when the defending NFC champions landed Jalen Carter in the draft, and the Georgia rookie DT has been even better than advertised. In nine games, Carter ranks in the top five in sacks, win rate, and hurries at his position in the entire NFL, and that is while playing less than half the snaps this season.
Carter might be the odds-on favorite, but Seattle Seahawks rookie CB Devon Witherspoon (+200) isn’t far behind. The oddsmakers believe that Witherspoon is the only serious challenger to Carter, however, as Detroit Lions S Brian Branch is a distant third in odds at +1000.
Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell (+180)
Dan Campbell has been the betting favorite to win Coach of the Year since the odds first opened, as the Lions have met all of their lofty preseason expectations through the halfway point of the season.
At 6-2, Detroit is -1100 to win the NFC North, making them the heaviest favorites to win a division of any team in all of football. The last time the Lions won the division was in 1993, and that was when they played in the NFC Central.
MORE: Odds to Make the NFL Playoffs
After Campbell, it’s no surprise to see Mike McDaniel as second in betting odds at +400, with the Dolphins at 6-3 and Tua Tagovailoa playing at an MVP-level. Following McDaniel are Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans at +600 apiece, then John Harbaugh (+1000) and Nick Sirianni (+1500).
Comeback Player of the Year: Damar Hamlin (-110)
We all know the story with Damar Hamlin, so it’s no surprise that he has been an odds-on favorite since it was first reported he was able to play this season. But given how spectacular he has played this season after suffering two concussions in 2022, Tua (+175) has been closing in.
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