NFL 2026 Bets: MVP Props For Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jahmyr Gibbs

The 2026 NFL season is now just days away, affording bettors only a short period of time to capitalize on some potentially profitable preseason futures bets.

Sportsbooks offer a host of NFL futures, with many of those focused on end-of-season awards. One very popular betting market of this type involves the AP Regular-Season MVP Award, and as customary, this year's leaderboard is replete with notable names.

Ahead of Wednesday's Patriots-Seahawks kickoff that will officially cut the ribbon on the 2026 regular season, here's a trio of MVP contenders to consider:

Allen is a perennial MVP contender thanks to his elite dual-threat ability, and nothing has changed on that front heading into the 2026 season.

In fact, an argument could be made Allen is ideally set up for a second regular-season MVP award in the coming campaign. That belief stems from both a significant offseason acquisition at receiver in the form of DJ Moore, and a change at head coach to Joe Brady, who's previously served as Allen's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator .

Allen's passing volume has been down over the last two seasons , and with James Cook's breakout 1,621-yard campaign on the ground a year ago, the prolific signal-caller could be under 500 attempts again during the coming regular season. However, Cook is also a capable receiver and Allen has priceless continuity in the form of several very familiar targets to work with, not to mention his considerable comfort level with Brady.

Allen also averaged a career-high 8.0 yards per attempt last season, and his new No. 1 receiver Moore does have the ability to make plenty of plays downfield and produce after the catch. Finally, it's worth noting Allen has double-digit rushing TDs in three straight seasons, and he put up the second most of his career (14) in 2025.

Jackson is another supremely talented, versatile quarterback who typically finds himself near the top of the MVP futures market leaderboard.

This year, there's a bit of value to be had in the form of four-digit odds for a player who's already secured two MVP awards. Jackson comes into 2026 having fully recorded from the hamstring and back injuries that he now says significantly limited his mobility last season, and he's once again surrounded by a collection of familiar and capable skill-position weapons.

Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews once again are set to comprise Jackson's top three targets , a trio of pass catchers the talented signal-caller is highly familiar with. Jackson has also shown a welcome trend toward more aggressive downfield passing in recent seasons, averaging at least 8.0 yards per attempt in three consecutive campaigns.

Jackson rushed a career-low 67 times last season (next fewest-112), so the aforementioned injuries do appear to have legitimately had an impact. Assuming Lamar can enjoy a much less physically demanding 2026 and gets back over the 700-yard rushing mark he'd previously made the norm throughout his career, he should very much be in play for this award by year's end.

If looking for an intriguing non-QB longshot that has a realistic shot at pulling an upset for this award, Gibbs is certainly worthy of consideration.

The fourth-year back is the recent beneficiary of a massive three-year extension worth up to $75.75 million, a figure that underscores the value the Lions place in the explosive back. The breadth of the investment also speaks to how much usage awaits Gibbs in 2026, especially now that former backfield mate David Montgomery is in Houston.

Gibbs already averaged 18.8 touches per game in 2025 , and that was with Montgomery vulturing 10.7 percent contest as the complementary option. In turn, Gibbs' primary backup to open the 2026 season, Sione Vaki, has only seven career carries over his first two seasons, while No. 3 option Jacob Saylors does have plenty of UFL experience but was used almost exclusively on special teams in his 2025 NFL debut campaign.

Isiah Pacheco's (back) eventual return from injured reserve will ostensibly present some competition for touches, but Gibbs is naturally the clear-cut top option in the ground game and unlikely to cede too much opportunity. Given he also plays half his games on the fast track of Ford Field and is an elite receiver (career-best 77-616-5 line in 2025) in addition to a game-breaking runner, Gibbs is a legitimate high risk/high reward proposition in this market.