2026 Super Bowl MVP Favorites, Opening Payouts, & Picks

Patriots QB Drake Maye celebrates with the AFC Championship trophy; Maye is a top Super Bowl MVP favorite in Super Bowl LX vs. the Seahawks.
AP Photo/John Locher

Super Bowl LX is set, as the Seattle Seahawks (16-3) and the New England Patriots (17-3) collide in San Francisco on Sunday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET. 

Star players provided memorable moments in the conference championship wins, including Patriots QB Drake Maye’s game-clinching 7-yard run. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold was excellent in the NFC Championship, recording 346 passing yards and 3 TDs.

Who could continue their great play on the brightest stage, contending for the 2026 Super Bowl MVP? 

According to PrizePicks Team Picks, the starting quarterbacks stand out as the top 2026 Super Bowl MVP favorites on the payouts list. Alongside Maye and Darnold, who else could contend for the Most Valuable Player award with higher payouts?

Let's dig into the full list of Super Bowl MVP favorites for the 2026 Super Bowl with three picks to target.

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2026 Super Bowl MVP Favorites

Four players sit head and shoulders above the fied the 2026 Super Bowl MVP favorites, and three are Seahawks, as PrizePicks Team Picks list Seattle as a 4.5-point favorite. The top two MVP favorites are the QBs on either side.

  • Seahawks QB Sam Darnold: 2.08x Yes | 1.66x No
  • Patriots QB Drake Maye: 3.33x Yes | 1.29x No
  • Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 5x Yes | 1.13x No
  • Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III: 8.33x Yes | 1.05x No
  • Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson: 22.22x Yes
  • Patriots WR Stefon Diggs: 33.33x Yes
  • Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp: 33.33x Yes
  • Seahawks RB George Holani: 33.33x Yes
  • Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson: 33.33x Yes
  • Seahawks WR Rashid Shaheed: 33.33x Yes

Find the full list of Super Bowl MVP Payouts on the PrizePicks app. Team Picks data on Super Bowl MVP futures is live as of writing and is subject to change.


Seahawks QB Sam Darnold

Earn a $208 payout on a $100 pick on Darnold to win Super Bowl MVP on PrizePicks Team Picks.

During the regular season, Seahawks QB Sam Darnold totaled 20 turnovers. He’s been flawless in the turnover department in two playoff games, with 0 turnovers. 

This was especially a concern in the NFC Championship, as the former first-round pick recorded 6 interceptions over two regular-season meetings with the Rams. Darnold answered by completing 69.4% of his passes while racking up 346 passing yards, 9.6 yards per passing attempt, and 3 passing TDs.

Keep in mind, Los Angeles finished the season by giving up -0.08 expected points added (EPA) per dropback (10th), via SumerSports. The Pats’ defense is comparable by surrendering -0.06 EPA per dropback (11th).

This could be a more favorable matchup for Darnold, as New England is 19th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate — behind the Rams, ranked eighth.

Furthermore, Sharp Football Analysis has the Patriots running man coverage at the ninth-highest rate. Darnold ranks 13th in catchable rate against man compared to 30th when facing zone, per PlayerProfiler.

Following an outstanding performance in the NFC Championship, the USC product is projected to throw 229.5 passing yards and 1.5 passing TDs for Super Bowl LX, per PrizePicks.


Patriots QB Drake Maye: Super Bowl MVP Payout

Earn a $333 payout on a $100 pick on Maye to win Super Bowl MVP on PrizePicks Team Picks.

The Super Bowl MVP has become a QB award, as three consecutive signal-callers won the trophy, and seven of the last nine MVPs were quarterbacks. 

New England features a 2.77x to win the Super Bowl, putting Patriots QB Drake Maye as the second favorite to win Super Bowl MVP (3.33x) as of writing. Maye has enjoyed a breakout season, listed as the second favorite to win the regular-season MVP (5.88x) behind only Rams QB Matthew Stafford, per PrizePicks Team Picks.

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After averaging 223.5 passing yards, 8.0 yards per passing attempt, 2.0 passing TDs, and 1.0 INT per game in his first two playoff games, the second-year QB reached only 86 passing yards while completing 10 passes in the AFC Championship.

However, the nasty weather in Denver made a huge impact, but that shouldn’t be a concern in Santa Clara for the Super Bowl LX.

Seattle features an elite defense, surrendering only 6.2 yards per passing attempt (second) and -0.10 EPA per dropback (eighth) while ranking seventh in ESPN’s pass rush win rate. The Seahawks have allowed 7.5 yards per passing attempt in the postseason, giving Maye an angle to thrive.

The former North Carolina Tar Heel has perhaps the best “carry potential” of Super Bowl LX, proven by 0.26 EPA per play in the regular season (first). If the Patriots are to pull off the upset, they will likely need a big game from their star QB. He’s projected 226.5 passing yards for February 8’s game.


Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III

Earn a $833 payout on a $100 pick on Walker to win Super Bowl MVP on PrizePicks Team Picks.

Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (5x) and RB Kenneth Walker III (8.33x) are the third and fourth favorites to win Super Bowl MVP, followed by a large drop off with Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson holding a 22.22x payout.

Maye carried the load for the Patriots’ offense for most of the season, emphasizing his chances to win Super Bowl MVP. Darnold, on the other hand, has a much stronger supporting cast. For example, Smith-Njigba was the regular-season receiving champ, posting 1,793 receiving yards.

Walker makes a strong case to contend for Super Bowl MVP, too. Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Divisional Round. That’s led to increased usage for Walker, sporting a 62.5% snap share in the playoffs compared to 46.8% in the regular season. 

The Michigan State product has produced 89.0 rushing yards, 39.0 receiving yards, and 2.0 TDs per game in the postseason, with a hefty workload of 19.0 rushing attempts and 3.5 targets per contest. 

New England’s defense appears more vulnerable on the ground, ceding 6.3 yards per passing attempt (fifth) and 4.1 yards per carry (10th). The unit also allows -0.04 EPA per rushing attempt (tied for 13th).

PrizePicks projects Walker for 76.5 rushing yards and 21.5 receiving yards in the Super Bowl.


Make 2026 Super Bowl Picks on PrizePicks

Who will win the 2026 Super Bowl MVP? As usual, the quarterbacks make a strong case, but don’t sleep on Kenneth Walker III with increased usage in the playoffs.

On PrizePicks, you can earn money with your 2026 Super Bowl predictions. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on the Super Bowl winner, spread, or the MVP winner, now available in 30 states.

Keep it right here with the Playbook for continued NFL picks, predictions, and news every day.

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Team Picks and Culture Picks are event contracts offered by Performance Predictions II, LLC d/b/a PrizePicks Predict, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA Member. All event contract customers must be U.S. residents and 18+. Some event contracts may not be available in every state. Event contract trading carries significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. No guarantee against loss is offered. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. Void where prohibited by law. Restrictions apply. For full terms of service see prizepicks.com/predict-regulatory. Team and Culture Pick Early Payouts subject to market liquidity. The content provided is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, or a recommendation to trade any commodity interest.

about the author

Riley Thomas is a 2021 graduate of Ohio University who has worked for FanDuel Sportsbook and BetUS Sportsbook. He specializes in covering the NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball. In Riley's free time, you can find him cheering on Ohio State and Kentucky or playing video games and reading the latest comics.

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