Rookie of the year and MVP betting
It’s widely acknowledged that quarterback is the most important position in football, but with the NFL regular season set to start tonight five teams start with rookies at QB. The Colts, Seahawks, Dolphins, Redskins and Browns are all putting trust in a rookie QB for the 2012 campaign. Find our preview on the season opener here: New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys.
Luck and Griffin III highlight first-year quarterbacks
The most talked about rookie quarterbacks for 2012 are the Colts’ Andrew Luck and the Redskins’ Robert Griffin III, the top two picks from this year’s NFL Draft. Luck was considered such a can’t-miss prospect that Indianapolis had no problem jettisoning franchise face Peyton Manning in the offseason so that the Stanford product could take over his job. So far in preseason Luck has looked good, maybe not Manning-in-his-prime good, but good enough to give Colts fans some optimism for the future. Luck is at +225 to win the Rookie of the Year award, and he’s also at +50000 to win the MVP.
Griffin III has been tasked with reviving a stagnant franchise in Washington, and he’s +400 to win the Rookie of the Year award and at +50000 to win the MVP. Like Luck, Griffin III has shown why he was so highly-touted so far during the exhibition schedule, but both those QBs have had to share some of their spotlight with the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, a third-round pick in this year’s draft who has been so impressive in the preseason that he’s been named Seattle’s starter. Wilson is at +1000 to win the ROY, with fellow rookie QBs Brandon Weeden of the Browns and Ryan Tannehill of the Dolphins both listed at +1800.
All three will be hoping to emulate Cam Newton who won rookie of the year for the Carolina Panthers with an impressive 35 touchdowns. Newton was the first rookie to run and throw for 10 touchdowns in a season and his passing yards (4,051) surpassed the previous record, held by Peyton Manning, in 1998. The Panthers will be hoping to make the playoffs this year and Newton is +3300 to bag the MVP.
Rodgers, Brady looking for redemption this season
The big boys on the quarterback odds, though, are the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers and the Patriots’ Tom Brady, and they both have the same goal for this season; get revenge on the New York Giants. The Packers were the top seed in the NFC last year, but that didn’t mean much when the Giants bounced them from the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Patriots were the top seed in the AFC, but New York got them in the Super Bowl. Rodgers is the favourite at +550 to win the NFL MVP this season, with Brady next at +700.
Then there’s Drew Brees, the face of a New Orleans Saints franchise that just had one of the most tumultuous offseasons in NFL history. New Orleans head coach Sean Payton isn’t on the sidelines this year thanks to the team’s bounty scandal, and Brees was involved in contentious negotiations on a contract extension all through the spring and summer. Brees, at +750 to win the MVP, will be looking to put all that behind him as the season gets going. Eli Manning still doesn’t have the prestige of a Brady, Brees, or Peyton, but his Giants head into the campaign as defending champions. You can back him to be named MVP at +1800 with Bovada.
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Full schedules for the regular season are here: NFL 2012 week 1, NFL 2012 week 2
