The New York Jets are 3-7 and oddsmaker Bovada no longer gives them a chance to win the AFC East. Last week, the Jets had 100/1 odds to win the division and now they are no longer offered as an option.
The best the Jets can finish this year is 9-7; the Patriots are currently 8-2. In other words, the only way for the Jets to win the division would be to run the table, including sweeping the season series against the Patriots, and having New England win just one other game for the rest of the year.
The Patriots have 1/75 odds of winning the division, meaning you would have to bet $75 to win $1. The Dolphins have 20/1 odds, down from 14/1 odds last week, and the Bills have 28/1 odds, up from 33/1 odds last week.
Vegas is also culling potential AFC representatives in the Super Bowl. The Patriots have 1/1 odds of winning the AFC, up from 11/10 last week. The Raiders (6/1), Steelers (15/2), and Colts (12/1) have climbed the charts, while the Broncos (9/1) and Chiefs (11/1) have dropped. These are the only teams receiving 20/1 or better odds.
The Ravens fell from 12/1 odds to 22/1, and the Texans dropped from 18/1 to 25/1. Both of these teams are division leaders. The Dolphins have also climbed from the depths of the conference, going from 40/1 odds last week to 28/1 odds.
But it’s clear that the Patriots are the favorites, with the Raiders, Steelers, Broncos, Chiefs, and Colts all in the next tier of competition. These six teams make up Vegas’ projected playoff teams.
The Super Bowl picture is gaining clarity as well. The Patriots remain flat with 9/4 odds, while the Cowboys (9/2), Seahawks (11/2), Raiders (12/1), Steelers (14/1), and Giants (20/1) have all crept up the board. The Broncos (20/1), Falcons (22/1), and Chiefs (25/1) have all tumbled down.
Patriots QB Tom Brady has moved back into the lead of the MVP discussion with 11/4 odds, while Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is close on his heels at 4/1. Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, who had been the favorite last week with 5/2 odds, has dropped to 9/2 on a “pedestrian” 127 yard, no touchdown week.
Raiders QB Derek Carr (7/1), Falcons QB Matt Ryan (7/1), Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (14/1), and Lions QB Matthew Stafford (16/1) make up the rest of the contenders.
Carr and Wilson are the starting quarterbacks on the #1 seed teams in each conference. Ryan has been the most productive quarterback in 2016, while Brady has been the most efficient. Prescott ranks 3rd in the NFL in passer rating, while Elliott leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage- but they will definitely split the Cowboys vote. All six of the Lions wins have come on 4th quarter comebacks led by Stafford.
Brady will win MVP if the Patriots claim the #1 seed in the AFC and he continues to rank #1 in passer rating. Despite losing head-to-head against Russell Wilson, Brady has 5 more touchdowns than Wilson in four fewer games- and the perception of Wilson is skewed because the Seahawks defense is perceived to be elite.