Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes drops to 20-1 to win NFL MVP after injury
After the Chiefs’ 4-0 start to the season, a bettor at the Westgate sportsbook placed a $22,000 wager to win $20,000 on Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes to repeat as NFL MVP.
That bet, and another sizable wager placed at Circa Sports on Mahomes to win MVP, is in serious jeopardy after Mahomes suffered a dislocated kneecap in Thursday’s 30-6 win at the Denver Broncos.
Mahomes, who reportedly will miss at least the next four games, dropped from the 9-4 second choice at the Westgate to win the MVP to the 20-1 seventh choice behind Russell Wilson (+175), Deshaun Watson (+250), Christian McCaffrey (+450), Aaron Rodgers (16-1), Tom Brady (16-1) and Dalvin Cook (16-1).
“If Mahomes is going to miss at least four games, he’s got no chance,” Circa sportsbook manager Chris Bennett said. “How do you win the MVP playing three quarters of the season? It seems pretty unlikely to me.”
Kansas City’s odds to win the Super Bowl didn’t move much after its AFC West win over the Broncos (2-5). The Chiefs (5-2) dipped from 10-1 at Circa to win the Super Bowl to 12-1. The Patriots moved from the plus 210 favorites to plus 195, followed by the Saints and 49ers at 8-1.
Circa also moved New England (6-0) from the minus 150 favorite to win the AFC to minus 170 and lowered the Chiefs from the plus 450 second choice to win the AFC to plus 550.
“Beyond the Patriots in the AFC, it’s pretty wide open who gets that second bye,” Bennett said. “It could still be the Chiefs. It wouldn’t surprise me. (Backup QB) Matt Moore might do just fine.”
The Westgate had the Chiefs at 10-1 to win the Super Bowl before Thursday’s game and kept them at 10-1 afterward.
“If they had won the game with Mahomes, we probably would’ve knocked them down to 6-1 because that was a big division game,” said Ed Salmons, Westgate’s vice president of risk management. “But with his injury, we left them at 10-1.”
New England is the plus 175 Super Bowl favorite at the Westgate, followed by the Saints (7-1) and 49ers (10-1).
Kansas City remains the favorite to win the AFC West, but its odds dipped to minus 200. The Oakland Raiders (3-2) are the plus 275 second choice, followed by the Chargers (2-4) at 7-1 and the Broncos at 20-1.
“If Mahomes was healthy, the Chiefs would be minus 1,200,” Salmons said. “The whole division just looks like trash. Kansas City, even without Mahomes this season, could still win the division. That’s how bad the division is.
“The Chargers have a million injuries and lose every week. Who knows if the Raiders are good. I guess we’ll find out this week.”
Oakland is a 4½-point underdog Sunday at Green Bay.
Kansas City will host the Packers on Oct. 27. Depending on the health of Green Bay’s banged-up receiving corps, Salmons projects the line to range from pick’em to the Packers as 3-point favorites.
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Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.