of Super Bowl 2023
A bettor searches the Philadelphia Eagles depth chart for a potential Super Bowl MVP long shot.
According to BetMGM, a Michigan bettor bet $2,500 on Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell to win Sunday’s Super Bowl MVP. Gainwell is listed at +12500 to win the award, meaning the payout would be $312,500 if it came to fruition.
Gainwell has had a strong postseason so far, sharing carries with Miles Sanders. While Gainwell only rushed for 240 yards in the regular season (compared to Sanders’ 1,269), Gainwell has surpassed Sanders by 160 yards in Philadelphia’s two playoff games to 132 yards.
Gainwell also has just two fewer carries (26) than Sanders (28) and has caught three of five targets for 35 yards. Sanders has fired just once from the backfield — a three-yard reception in the NFC Championship win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Kenneth Gainwell is a long shot for a reason
Gainwell played well, but was it really a true split-backfield approach for the Eagles?
Sanders had 17 carries against the New York Giants in the divisional round — a 38-7 blowout — and 13 of those came in the first half. Five of Gainwell’s 12 carries came in the first half.
The Eagles had a 28-0 lead at halftime and were content to mainly run time in the second half while maintaining a large lead. Sanders had four carries in the second half. Gainwell had nine, including a 35-yard touchdown in the last two minutes.
In the NFC Championship against the 49ers, the splits were similar. Sanders had 10 carries in the first half while Gainwell had three rushing attempts and two goals. In the second half, with the Eagles leading 28-7 and the 49ers without a healthy quarterback, Gainwell had 11 carries while Sanders was bubble wrapped and touched the ball just once.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell in action during the NFC Championship NFL football game on Sunday, January 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
And when you look at the regular season as a whole, the carry distribution for the Eagles weighs heavily in Sanders’ favor. He had 259 attempts, more than Gainwell (53) and Boston Scott (54) combined.
Could Gainwell have a big role in the Super Bowl? The Eagles have so many other weapons, and that includes quarterback Jalen Hurts’ run ability. Hurts had 760 yards and 13 touchdowns on 165 rushes in the regular season. The Eagles also have two star wide receivers – AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith – and a superb tight end, Dallas Goedert.
Gainwell, who doesn’t even play special teams (Scott is the kickoff returnee), is the definition of a long shot.
Who are the favorites to win Super Bowl MVP?
Not surprisingly, the two quarterbacks are favorites to win Super Bowl MVP. Hurts and Patrick Mahomes are both listed at +135 on BetMGM. A quarterback has won the Super Bowl MVP 31 times, including four of the last six seasons. Mahomes himself won it in Super Bowl LIV when the Chiefs defeated the 49ers.
Behind those two on the odds board are Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (+1100) and Eagles receiver AJ Brown (+1400). Next up are Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith, Sanders and Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick all listed at +3000.
Mahomes (10.9%), Kelce (10.8%) and Hurts (10.4%) have received the most MVP bets at BetMGM. Mahomes got 21.9% of the money, Hurts follows with 16.1%.
Here’s a more complete look at the Super Bowl MVP odds board at BetMGM:
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