Handicapping the four biggest NFL awards for the upcoming season in Las Vegas sportsbooks

Handicapping the four biggest NFL awards for the upcoming season in Las Vegas sportsbooks Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026 | 2 a.m. Long gone are the days when preseason NFL futures betting in Las Vegas sportsbooks focused solely on teams. Player performance is now just as popular, if not more, and has been gaining steam each year, especially as the 2026‑2027 season approaches. Hundreds of wagers are available on virtually every major‑name skill position, challenging gamblers to predict statistics. Awards races, however, may rank as the most intriguing and fashionable form of individual futures, allowing bettors to stake a relatively small amount for a large return on a season‑long pursuit of the sport’s top honors. Much like the offseason workout where we dissected futures markets with a favorite and a longshot, here is a preseason handicap of the four biggest NFL awards. **Most Valuable Player** Favorite: Justin Herbert at 12-to-1 (STN Sports) Long shot: Kyler Murray at 60-to-1 (STN Sports) Herbert, the Los Angeles Chargers’ seventh‑year quarterback, has consistently shown the ability to flash as the league’s top passer. Maintaining that level has been the challenge. His defenders argue he has never had the right coaching in place to highlight his strengths—until now. Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel steps in as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator, widely regarded as one of the NFL’s premier playcallers. The potential of a McDaniel/Herbert pairing is formidable. Speaking of offensive masterminds, Minnesota Vikings head coach/playcaller Kevin O’Connell has already revitalized the careers of several veteran quarterbacks. None of them were as previously productive as Murray, who could thrive throwing to standout receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. **Offensive Player of the Year** Favorite: Jahmyr Gibbs at +650 (i.e. risking $100 to triumph $650) (Boyd Sports) Long shot: Nico Collins at 40-to-1 (Caesars/William Hill) Gibbs, the Detroit Lions’ running back, is both the outright favorite in this market and the consensus No. 1 pick in fantasy football drafts. The hype is justified, and perhaps not even close to reaching a fever pitch. The Lions’ offense has operated at an elite level for three straight seasons with no signs of slowing. Gibbs is now the undisputed focal point of the attack, serving as the workhorse in the running game and a top threat in the passing game. Collins, the Houston Texans receiver, is likewise far and away the team’s leading weapon. He appeared to be one of the league’s top receivers for stretches of the past two seasons. As long as he remains healthy, he will resume where he left off. **Defensive Player of the Year** Favorite: Will Anderson Jr. at 8-to-1 (Boomer’s Sportsbook) Long shot: Abdul Carter at 60-to-1 (Boomer’s Sportsbook) The Texans’ defense projects as the best in the league by nearly every comprehensive metric, and there is no question who leads the unit. Edge rusher Anderson is an unstoppable force, coming off a finish as the runner‑up for this award last season, only behind Myles Garrett, who set the single‑season sack record with 23. He also won Defensive Rookie of the Year two seasons ago, proving he has consistently stayed on voters’ radars. Carter, the Giants’ second‑year edge rusher, should have claimed his own Defensive Rookie of the Year award last season with a bit more luck. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 draft was a threat across all metrics but was hampered by finishing with just four sacks. Some positive regression is expected to head his way this year. **Offensive Rookie of the Year** Favorite: De’Zhaun Stribling at +950 (STN Sports) Long shot: Mike Washington Jr. at 45-to-1 (Boyd Sports) It is difficult to swallow Stribling, a second‑round receiver drafted by San Francisco, at this price when he was as high as 50-to-1 heading into training camp. However, he looks poised to become the No. 1 receiver in the ever‑efficient, pass‑happy 49ers offense. That upside could drive the price even lower. Washington, the Raiders’ running back taken in the fourth round, out‑ran incumbent Ashton Jeanty throughout training camp, and Jeanty is now nursing an ankle injury. Jeanty will return eventually, but Washington may have already secured the lead role—or at least a significant share of the workload—by then. This communicative appeared successful Las Vegas Weekly.