With the NFL season months away, this is when future bets are placed on various categories, including the league’s most valuable player.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has the second-best odds of winning the prestigious award at +900, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That means if you place $100, you win $900 if Herbert wins MVP.
Herbert is behind Bengals’ Joe Burrow, Bills’ Josh Allen and Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, who are tied for the best odds at +700.
Herbert has been nothing short of outstanding in his first three seasons with the Bolts, throwing for 14,089 yards, 94 touchdowns and 35 interceptions and shattering various records along the way.
However, Herbert has yet to fully unlock what makes him such a great player: his immense arm strength and talent.
Last season, Herbert dealt with fractured rib cartilage and other key players on the offense had their respective injuries, and they did not have a speed option, which limited him from uncorking it.
Still, former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system was bland, keeping most of Herbert’s throws short and underneath. But now the Chargers are hopeful OC Kellen Moore’s offense will do wonders for Herbert, and all signs are pointing to that coming to fruition.
The middle-to-deep passing game should improve. While Moore was the Cowboys offensive coordinator, they had the seventh-highest average depth of target in the NFL (8.3 air yards per attempt).
Additionally, on the move is when Herbert is at his best. And Moore utilized a lot of quarterback movement. In 2019, 2021 and 2022, QB Dak Prescott had the ninth-most dropbacks where he was rolling right or left or scrambling right or left to throw.
The new system is the recipe to success for Herbert, and so is the return of all key members on the offensive side of the ball, including left tackle Rashawn Slater and the addition of wide receiver Quentin Johnston.
With that being said, if you’re a bettor, Herbert for MVP could be a sneaky good play.
