The NFL's MVP races have not produced much drama in recent seasons. Typically, the battle for the award has been, at most, a two-horse race — if not a shoo-in win for some of the NFL's best quarterbacks.
That said, the 2023 MVP race is not following that formula. It is as wide open as ever entering the final five weeks of the season.
No true favorite has emerged. There was a time when Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes had the shortest odds to win the award, but in recent weeks, the betting odds have shifted wildly.
Hurts remains among the favorites, but his divisional counterpart, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, has steadily gained steam in recent weeks. The veteran quarterback has been on a long-lasting hot streak, and with the Cowboys chasing the Eagles for first place in the NFC East, many believe that he has a legitimate shot to get the award.
Could the MVP be on the line as Dallas and Philadelphia square off in NFL Week 14? Nothing is every guaranteed in awards races, but the team that emerges as the victor will likely have the MVP favorite on its roster.
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Here's what to know about the MVP race as Prescott, Hurts and Brock Purdy fight hard for it.
Dak Prescott MVP odds vs. Jalen Hurts MVP odds
Prescott and Hurts have the second- and third-shortest odds to take home the NFL MVP with five weeks left in the season, according to Caesar's Sportsbook.
Prescott has odds of +325 to win his first MVP trophy. His odds have been gradually shortening after a slow start to the season. He has averaged 3.5 touchdowns per game since Dallas' Week 7 bye and has recorded multiple scores in every game over that span.
Meanwhile, Hurts' odds have lengthened to +430 after the Eagles were soundly defeated by the 49ers in Week 13. Hurts has been among the MVP favorites since before the season began. During Philadelphia's winning streak, he remained the frontrunner to win the award. He still has a shot to do so, but he will need to bounce back and continue to run well to solidify his standing.
NFL MVP odds 2023
Brock Purdy is the lone player in the NFL with shorter odds to win the NFL MVP than Prescott and Hurts. Only 10 players in the league have odds shorter than 50-1 to win the award.
Below is a look at the odds for those 10 players, per Caesar's Sportsbook.
| Player | Team | Odds |
| Brock Purdy | 49ers | +280 |
| Dak Prescott | Cowboys | +325 |
| Jalen Hurts | Eagles | +430 |
| Lamar Jackson | Ravens | +600 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | +750 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | Dolphins | +1000 |
| Tyreek Hill | Dolphins | +1100 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 49ers | +1500 |
| C.J. Stroud | Texans | +3000 |
| Josh Allen | Bills | +4500 |
There is certainly a case to be made that Purdy — who leads the NFL in passer rating with a mark of 116.1 — should be the NFL MVP this season.
However, Prescott and Hurts may be the better value picks at this point. Why? Because as good as Purdy is, he has had a lot of help from his supporting cast this season. Christian McCaffrey is arguably the best running in the league while the trio of Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle is one of the best marks in the offense.
Also, McCaffrey might split the vote with Purdy as analysts debate which player is most important to San Francisco's success. So, Prescott and Hurts could mount a convincing challenge to Purdy as each leads his dynamic offense in the race for the NFC's No. 1 seed.
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Dak Prescott stats
At present, Prescott has a slight edge over Hurts, and it's easy to understand why. The Cowboys quarterback got off to a slow start in the team's new offense helmed by Mike McCarthy, but since the team's bye week, he has been terrific.
Prescott entered Week 14 as the NFL's leader in touchdown passes (26), and he also has the second-highest passer rating in the league behind only Purdy. Below is an in-depth look at his stats for the season to date and where his numbers rank league-wide.
| Stat | Total | Rank |
| Comp. % | 70.1 | 3rd |
| Passing yards | 3,234 | 5th |
| Pass TDs | 26 | 1st |
| INTs | 6 | T-20th |
| Yards per attempt | 7.9 | 4th |
| Passer rating | 108.3 | 2nd |
| QBR | 75.4 | 2nd |
| PFF grade | 92.2 | 1st |
| Rushing yards | 171 | 14th* |
| Rush TDs | 2 | T-13th* |
* Among QBs.
Prescott's ability to stretch the field while avoiding turnovers has made him one of the NFL's most efficient quarterbacks. His well-rounded skill set — and the peak of his weeks-long hot streak — will certainly help him as he tries to make an MVP case during the season's final weeks.
Jalen Hurts stats
Like Prescott, Hurts has a strong MVP case. The Eagles QB was the runner-up for the award in 2022 and has continued to post great numbers during the 2023 season as well.
Hurts' passing numbers may not be prolific, but he remains among the NFL's elite rushing quarterbacks. His 12 touchdowns on the ground are tied for the second-most in the league with Christian McCaffrey behind only Raheem Mostert.
Below is a look at Hurts' overall stats, through the season's first 13 weeks.
| Stat | Total | Rank |
| Comp. % | 66.5 | 12th |
| Passing yards | 2,995 | 11th |
| Pass TDs | 19 | 11th |
| INTs | 10 | T-4th |
| Yards per attempt | 7.4 | T-9th |
| Passer rating | 93.8 | 13th |
| QBR | 61.4 | 8th |
| PFF grade | 82.2 | 13th |
| Rushing yards | 430 | 2nd* |
| Rush TDs | 12 | 1st* |
* Among QBs.
One could argue that Hurts' ability to move the ball through the air and on the ground should get him the MVP nod if the Eagles have the NFL's best record. He remains an accurate passer and if the MVP voters look at the efficacy of the "Tush Push" in evaluating Hurts, they could argue that his ability to consistently convert those short-yardage situations makes him among the most versatile quarterbacks in the league.
That may be enough to get him over the hump in a head-to-head-to-head competition with Prescott and Purdy.
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Dak Prescott stats vs. Jalen Hurts stats
Prescott and Hurts have both had great seasons, but Prescott has Hurts beat through the air. He has a better passer rating than his divisional counterpart and has completed a higher percentage of his passes while averaging more yards per attempt, as can be seen below.
| Stat | Dak Prescott | Jalen Hurts |
| Comp. % | 70.1 | 66.5 |
| Passing yards | 3,234 | 2,995 |
| Pass TDs | 26 | 19 |
| INTs | 6 | 10 |
| Yards per attempt | 7.9 | 7.4 |
| Passer rating | 108.3 | 93.8 |
| QBR | 75.4 | 61.4 |
| PFF grade | 92.2 | 82.2 |
That said, Hurts' production on the ground more than doubles that of Prescott. And thanks to his 12 rushing touchdowns, Hurts has more total touchdowns than Prescott by a clip of 31 to 28.
| Stat | Dak Prescott | Jalen Hurts |
| Rushing yards | 171 | 430 |
| Rush TDs | 2 | 12 |
| Yards per carry | 4.2 | 3.6 |
As such, an MVP argument can be made for either quarterback. It's just a matter of preference.
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Why Cowboys vs. Eagles game may help decide NFL MVP race
What would go a long way toward helping either Hurts or Prescott separate himself in the MVP race would be to take control of the NFC East. The Eagles are positioned to do that with a win over the Cowboys in Week 14 while the Cowboys can tie for the division lead — and their head-to-head tiebreaker with the Eagles — with a victory.
The winner of the NFC East seems likely to get the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the conference, barring a strong late-season push from the banged-up Lions. That may position the quarterback of that team to have the best claim to an MVP, especially if Purdy's teammates, like McCaffrey, pull some votes away from him.
It remains possible that either Hurts or Prescott could post prolific stats and still manage to win the MVP vote even without winning the division. But in a tightly packed race, it seems like voters gravitate more toward the quarterback who won the division barring a massive statistical discrepancy between the top three candidates to end the season.
So, the winner of the Cowboys-Eagles game won't necessarily decide the MVP unequivocally. Still, it feels poised to give the winning quarterback a major boost in their MVP argument.
All that's to say that we should expect the odds on either Hurts or Prescott to shorten after this week's games. So, if you're looking to bet either to win the prestigious award, you should consider locking in those bets now.
