‘Bear Bets’: Best NFL MVP, Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year bets

National Football League

Published Aug. 9, 2024 9:34 a.m. ET

The start of the 2024 NFL season is less than a month away!

As the countdown to the season moves ahead, “Bear Bets” continues to preview the upcoming year. Last week, the crew shared its favorite win total wagers for the 2024 season.

This week, Chris “The Bear” Fallica and Geoff Schwartz were rejoined by Sam Panayotovich and Will Hill for the first gambling Group Chat segment of the year.

Each shared their favorite award bets, so let’s get to their wagers!

What’s your favorite MVP bet or approach to wagering MVP?

Hill: Brock Purdy (+1600)

“He’s going to put up stats. He’s going to limit interceptions. He’s got a million weapons around him. He’s probably going to win 12 games. He’s probably going to be lower than 16-1 at some point late in the season when they’re 10-3, 11-3, whatever it is, and he’s got gaudy numbers.”

Schwartz: Bet on the QB you think will be the top seed in each conference, regardless of value

“It’s Patrick Mahomes, it’s Joe Burrow. If you think that Jordan Love and the Packers are the No. 1 seed, throw some money on him. But betting on someone like Anthony Richardson to finish 10-7, he’s not winning the MVP.”

The Bear: Aaron Rodgers (+2500 at some sportsbooks) and Josh Allen (+800)

“I think there’s this narrative out there about the Bills being down. I think that roster turnover could be a good thing. They might be better off without Stefon Diggs. And obviously, if they go on and have a great year this year, last year, so many people were begging Josh Allen to be the favorite.”

NFL Season Preview: 2024 NFL MVP odds

How do you view the battles for Rookie of the Year?

Sammy P: Caleb Williams will likely win Offensive Rookie of the Year, but Bo Nix (+1800) is a better wager to make. Maybe play Keon Coleman (+3000)

“I don’t think that Bo Nix at 18-1 is a bad pop at all. System guy, Sean Payton usually gets the most out of his quarterbacks. Quick throws. They’ve got talent. Pretty good O-line.

“I think Coleman is as good as any of these guys in terms of pure physical attributes. He’s a big guy that can go up and get it, can make one-handed grabs, over the shoulder. Can make basically make any catch on the field.”

Hill: Marvin Harrison Jr. to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+500), but make a long-shot bet for Cody Schrader to win at +25000

“I think we’re all kind of forgetting how good Marvin Harrison Jr. is. He goes to a quarterback that isn’t a perfect player. He gets hurt too much, he’s too little. You can see all those things. He’s still pretty good and an adequate player. Probably 10th or 12th-best quarterback in the league. … So, he could be putting up some eye-popping numbers.

“Christian McCaffrey got hurt in training camp. Getting 250-1 on Cody Schrader isn’t a bet that’s going to win. But that could at least give you a positive cash out of Schrader, who led the SEC in rushing and will be in Kyle Shanahan’s system, if he plays well. We’ve seen crazier things happen in Shanahan’s system with late-round picks.”

How Christian McCaffrey calf injury affects early NFL betting for Niners

The Bear: Brian Thomas Jr. to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+4000) and to lead all rookies in receiving yards (+1600)

“He is a big-play weapon and with Jacksonville losing Zay Jones and Calvin Ridley, he’s going to be a massive part of that offense. He will give Trevor Lawrence a big deep threat.”

Schwartz: Malik Nabers as a possible value play (+1400)

“I don’t know if he’ll get enough yards, per se. But the ability to make those explosive plays and make wild plays to get on the radar — it’s in New York, we know those games are on national television far more than they should be. So Nabers is sort of the sleeper here and in a lot of these awards.”

Which NFL rookie will have the most receiving yards during the Regular Season?

Are there any Comeback Player of the Year wagers you like?

Schwartz: Aaron Rodgers (+200)

“I think it’s just Aaron Rodgers. Joe Burrow has already won this award. Is he going to win this award twice in three years? If they’re going to be good, the only answer is Rodgers.”

Are Aaron Rodgers & Jets best win total bet in the AFC?

The Bear: Talanoa Hufanga (+15000)

“I like this wager just because we saw how their secondary was in the pass game last year. They really struggled last year without him. If they improved defensively, I think you could point some fingers to him being the reason why. At 150-1, you’re not expecting him to win that bet. But if he makes some plays and the 49ers defense plays well, why not?”

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