2016 NFL MVP Odds: Matt Ryan Heavily Favored

The 2016 NFL season is in the books. The night before the Patriots vs. Falcons Super Bowl, several NFL awards will be announced, including MVP.

The award, voted on by 50 media members after the regular season, does not take into account playoff performance. Still, Matt Ryan is the favorite at Bovada.lv.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: 1/2

Matty Ice led the Falcons to a first-round Playoff bye and ultimately the franchise's second Super Bowl appearance. He finished behind only Aaron Rodgers with 38 TDs and his passer rating of 117 led the league. He was 9/4 to win before a four-TD performance against the Saints in Week 17 vaulted him into the lead.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: 11/4

The Packers' signal caller was a one-man band this season. Rodgers paced the NFL with 40 TD passes as he compensated for a non-existent run game and injury-riddled defense. The Pack won their last six regular season games. He was 15/4 to be named MVP before winning a primetime showdown with the Lions to decide the NFC North in Week 17.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots: 15/4

In December, Brady was the odds-on favorite at 5/2. He finished the season strong with six TDs in his last two games, but being suspended for four games had many questioning whether he deserved the honor. He threw for 28 TDs against just two picks overall.

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys: 22/1

Zeke proved himself worthy of the No. 4 overall pick in the Draft. He had over 300 more rushing yards (1,631) than the next closest player and was third with 15 rushing TDs. Elliott and fellow rookie Dak Prescott carried the Cowboys to a first-round playoff bye. He was 2/1 before Week 17, but sat out as the Cowboys rested their starters.

Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers: 66/1

Like Brady, Bell didn't play a full season in 2016. He was out three games for violating the league's substance abuse policy, but still finished with 1,268 yards rushing (5th in the NFL), 105.7 yards per game (2nd), and 75 receptions (2nd among RBs). His one path to winning MVP is the fact he accounted for 72% of the Steelers' rushing yards despite missing three games and was the team's second leading receiver.

Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders: 66/1

Carr's MVP bid ended with a broken fibula in Week 16. He was 33/1 to win the award then, and Oakland sputtered in his absence. The Raiders' struggles in Week 17 and the post-season could have been an argument for an MVP award, but he's a longshot to win. Carr had 28 TDs and nearly 4,000 yards passing. His one path to winning MVP is for voters to see how much the team faltered without him.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: 66/1

Prescott admirably filled in for the injured Tony Romo this season and he performed well enough that the Cowboys could reportedly move on from their veteran QB in the off-season. Like Elliott, Prescott suffered from a shortened Week 17, as he was 10/1 to win MVP before Ryan, Rodgers, and Brady all shined in the final week.