Betting on the Superbowl MVP is one of the most enjoyable betting propositions for the big game.  It’s one of those rare types of future wagers where you are almost betting on the Superbowl and playing fantasy football at the same time.  However, betting the Superbowl MVP odds can be one of those very tricky type of proposition / future wagers.  Why?  We’ll because it’s one of those hard to predict wagers where you need to find some balance as you look for value.  It’s also one of those types of wagers where the average public bettor often gets suckered into getting a very low value bet (on either a ridiculous Superbowl MVP longshot or a favorite that pays less than it should…..

When Looking at Superbowl MVP Longshots:
There are often many huge long shots that look tempting due to their large payout and the player’s notoriety, but at the same time, the player might never even touch the football during, even a regular season game….much less, the Super Bowl.  If betting a player down the list, make sure to factor in the player’s health, the likelihood that he will see the end zone, and/or make multiple game changing plays.  Make sure to factor the competition and how the player has performed in big playoff games in the past.  Also, if the player is in a non-skill position it’s likely that he will not have any chance to actually win the Superbowl MVP (regardless of how many great plays he makes to help his team).  FFor the most, part, anyone below 150 to 1 on the list of Super Bowl MVP odds to win the Su

An example of a zero value long shot would be a full back (who is very popular) having a very sizable payout, and being very low on the MVP odds list, despite the fact that he scores very little and rarely gets the football.  Another example of a zero value long shot would be a popular Offensive Tackle being on the list.

Who usually get’s the MVP? Yes, the quarterback, the running back, a wide receiver. Well if you remember last in last year’s Super Bowl, linebacker Malcolm Smith won the award in Seattle’s dominating win over Denver. In this interesting matchup on Sunday, both teams have outstanding defensive unit’s and either of these two players are more than capable of making a game changing play. Wagner, the heart of Seattle’s ferocious front 7, and Jamie Collins, the versatile linebacker who has really come into his own this season. Yes, this is a crapshoot, but here you find two outstanding players presenting tremendous value.

When Looking at Superbowl MVP Favorites:
The top of the Superbowl MVP odds are usually the quarterbacks, the running backs, and the top pass catcher on each team.  The quarterback is the showcase position.  The quarterback gets the spotlight and is usually the most talked about player on the field.  This applies even on teams where the quarterback isn’t the most skilled player, or where the quarterback is less responsible for the team even getting to the super bowl.  However, there are times where a quarterback’s over-hype and popularity overshadows another offensive player that is; (a) more likely to make the difference between winning and losing, and is also more likely to reach the end zone on multiple occasions in the Superbowl.  Sometimes popularity, likeability, and overwhelming hype provides good value in another player’s odds to win the Superbowl MVP award.

An example of this would be Rusell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks offering a smaller payout than Marshawn Lynch, while Lynch’s success on the field usually determines weather Seattle wins or loses.

You guessed it.  It’s those pompous and arrogant blowhards in the sports media (who are so smart, that they’re getting washed out by bloggers on the web).  Sports writers from the major newspapers and sports networks across the United States decide who was the most valuable player to his team on the field that night.  Even if a writer never played a sport in his life, spent the entire game watching the gametracker, and/or didn’t watch a single play from the game…..that writer’s vote counts the same as the next.

Why is this important?  Well, human beings have emotions, and it effect their judgement (especially the annoying sports writers that make up the AP).  Therefore, if the media likes the player, he’s more likely to win a toss-up between two guys.  If you are down to two players, and both have similar odds to win the Superbowl MVP award. it may be useful do a Google News search for the names of players on both teams and see how many positive and negative headlines (from the major publications only) are on that player.  This will give you an idea of whether the media likes this player or not.  Often players who ignore the media, have proven them wrong, or don’t offer substantial interview sessions get some unfavorable spin from the mainstream sports media.