The LEAST Talked About 2027 NFL MVP DARKHORSE

Every summer, I scour the sports betting apps and platforms to find hidden betting gems.

Last year we were as close to a long shot mvp as we’ve seen in a while. Drake Maye entered the season +6000 and was one vote shy of securing that long shot mvp victory.

This year, there’s another darkhorse that I’m keeping my eyes on. He is currently ranked as the 24th favorite, so not really in the race. Which is exactly why I’m focusing on him as a dark horse.

But not any dark horse can win. Brandon Aubrey, the star kicker for the Cowboys cannot win MVP. Heck, even Myles Garrett the best defensive player in the league can’t really win mvp because defensive players rarely win that award.

Let’s face the reality. The NFL MVP award in this modern era, is a quarterback award. The last 13 mvps have been given to quarterbacks with the last non qb mvp given to Adrian Peterson in 2012. And since then, we’ve seen legendary running back seasons from Todd Gurley, CMC, Saquon Barkley, Alvin Kamara, Ezekiel Elliot, etc. and none of them were close to an MVP. The reality is if you put money on a non quarterback it’s essentially like setting money on fire.

That’s rule number 1.

Rule number 2 is that the quarterback must be on a team that has some success. Teams with losing records do not have mvp candidates. They don’t have to win the division but it’s expected the quarterback will play well enough to lead his teams to the postseason and possibly deep into the playoffs.

Obviously the betting favorites are Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes. These are blue chip superstars on proven franchises that will be in the hunt for a Super Bowl title. But, they aren’t dark horses.

There is, however one team, that wasn’t great last year but showed promise. And they upgraded in the offseason, and they were gifted the second easiest projected schedule heading into the season. Just like the Patriots last year.

And they have a 2nd year quarterback, just like Drake Maye last year. And this quarterback has serious talent, he finished 2nd in rookie of the year voting. This player who is my official dark horse for MVP in the 2026-2027 season is… Tyler Shough.

Listen Tyler Shough didn’t take the league by storm, but he played well despite his situation. He finished the season with almost 2,400 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.

Shough was able to play competent football despite not an overwhelming amount of talent around him.

But, the Saints upgraded majorly on offense this past offseason. They added running back Travis Etienne who is not a superstar but a competent runner and pass catcher. They drafted number 1 wide receiver in the draft Jordyn Tyson with their first round pick. Tyson is coming off a season with over 700 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. He’s a big physical receiver and will pair well with Chris Olave who is extremely talented. This one two punch at wr is one of the better tandems in the league. Mix in a healthy offensive line that has a lot of upside and Shough might throw for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns this year.

And the Saints schedule? 2nd easiest projected schedule. I could see 10 or 11 wins which would be enough wins to keep Shough in the award talks if he is playing well.

And their division? It’s gettable. The Bucs are a solid team but have been so banged up lately, they are inconsistent. The Falcons don’t have a clear answer at quarterback. And the Panthers? Probably their biggest competition, but I could see the Saints beating them once to split the season series, which would be enough to keep the Saints in the hunt.

Tyler Shough is currently +10000 to win MVP. So I’m gonna say this one more time: he 99% is not going to win MVP. But, these odds are too nice to pass up personally for the situation I am looking at. Tyler Shough is my dark horse for NFL MVP, and I would not be surprised to see him holding the award next February.

(This is not gambling advice, nor is this financial advice)