It’s been nearly 70 years since a rookie won the NFL MVP.
C.J. Stroud may just end that cold streak.
The Texans’ first-year quarterback is playing himself into the conversation with an outstanding rookie season in Houston.
Stroud is closing in on some of the biggest names in football on BetMGM’s NFL MVP odds board.
The Ohio State product currently has +2000 odds to win the award, the sixth-best mark behind five All-Pro-level quarterbacks.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Eagles signal-caller Jalen Hurts, who will face off on “Monday Night Football” on Nov. 20, are tied at the top with +300 odds.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson are a step behind the pair with +500 odds, while Bengals signal-caller Joe Burrow is +1400 to win the award.
Then there’s Stroud, who is arguably playing as well or better than everyone in the top five, at 20/1.
Stroud’s 2,626 passing yards are the second-most in the NFL entering Week 11 and his 15-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio is easily the best in the league.
The 22-year-old play-caller has led the Texans, who had one of the lowest projected win totals at most sportsbooks before the season, into playoff contention.
Houston is currently 5-4 and would get the No. 7 seed in the AFC if the season ended today after an impressive 30-27 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals last week, in which Stroud had perhaps his most impressive performance of the season.
Stroud threw for 356 yards with a touchdown and orchestrated a game-winning drive with less than two minutes to set up kicker Matt Ammendola for a 38-yard field goal to end the contest as time expired.
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It was the second straight week Stroud put together a last-minute, game-winning drive after he took the Texans 75 yards down the field in 40 seconds to score a touchdown and beat the Buccaneers, 39-37, in Week 10.
Even if Stroud falls short of what would be a historic MVP win, it looks like he’s bound to take home some hardware this season.
Stroud is an overwhelming favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at -2000 (BetMGM).
Only Jahmyr Gibbs and Puka Nacua (both +1800) have odds better than 30/1.