National Football League

MVP Watch: Josh Allen edges ahead of Kyler Murray and Dak Prescott

Updated Oct. 27, 2021 11:05 a.m. ET

The flip-flopping atop the NFL MVP odds leaderboard continued this week, with a new — albeit familiar — favorite at the summit in Josh Allen.

After missing out a week ago, Allen reclaimed the spot he held the week prior. It's shaping up to be a fight to the finish, for sure!

Here are the MVP favorites heading into Week 8, according to FOX Bet's insights, with a breakdown of each candidate's recent play and what is on the horizon. (All odds current as of Tuesday morning.)

1. Josh Allen: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total at FOX Bet)

How it's going: The Buffalo Bills had a bye week to wash away a 34-31 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 6's Monday night game. But despite Allen's inability to get a potentially decisive yard on a late quarterback sneak, he still had an MVP-level performance. The 25-year-old went 35-for-47 for 353 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 107.8. With a week off, Allen should be rested and ready to roll.

What's next: The floundering Miami Dolphins (1-5), a team Allen is more than familiar with, visit on Halloween. In seven career meetings with Buffalo's AFC East rival, Allen has a 6-1 record and is riding a six-game winning streak. When the teams previously met this season in Week 2, the Bills blanked Miami in a 35-0 walloping.

What people are saying: "Miami, Jacksonville and the Jets coming up after the bye for Josh Allen, who is going to thrust himself to the top of the [MVP] conversation." ⁠— Mike Garafolo of "Good Morning Football"

2. Kyler Murray: +425 (bet $10 to win $52.50 total at FOX Bet)

How it's going: For the second straight week, Murray didn't finish the game for the Arizona Cardinals, but not because of injury or anything unfortunate. Rather, he and the undefeated Cardinals are playing such dominant football that the coaching staff has had the luxury of pulling starters before the clock hits zeroes. In Sunday's 31-5 pasting of the Houston Texans, Murray got off to a slow start but ultimately went 20-for-28 for 261 yards, three touchdowns and an interception before he got the early call to the sideline.

What's next: Grab your popcorn for a blockbuster Thursday night matchup between the Cardinals and Green Bay Packers (8:20 p.m. ET on FOX). Murray has yet to face off against Aaron Rodgers in his three-year career. Snagging a win against the three-time and reigning league MVP would only further strengthen Murray's grasp on this year's award.

What people are saying: "Best quarterback. Best team. Sublime skills." ⁠— Michael Vick of "FOX NFL Kickoff"

3. Dak Prescott: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total at FOX Bet)

How it's going: Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are coming off an early bye week, but it seemingly came at the perfect time. A calf injury cropped up at the end of Dallas' 35-29 overtime win over the New England Patriots in Week 6, and the week off seemingly gave Prescott extra time to heal. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly said he feels "very good" about Prescott's status. Given Prescott's 73.1% completion rate for 1,813 yards and 16 TDs so far, that's tremendous news for the Cowboys.

What's next: Assuming Prescott is good to go, he and the Cowboys will travel to take on the 3-3 Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night. In his two previous meetings against the Vikings, Prescott has posted a 1-1 record with a total of 536 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

What people are saying: "The Dallas Cowboys don't want to mess with whatever they finally found. … [The Cowboys] are going to check out the MRI and say, ‘You know what? If you can play, you will play because we don’t want to mess with this groove.'" ⁠— Marcellus Wiley of "Speak For Yourself" on how the Cowboys should approach Prescott's injury