Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen MVP Race Receives Pick From ESPN

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Spencer Ostrow | Last updated Jan 6, 2025 11:05 AM ET

The 2024 NFL regular season has officially come to an end. After 18 long weeks of action, teams are either gearing up for a run at the Super Bowl or already making organizational moves to build for the future.

Meanwhile, award voters are set to submit their votes ahead of the playoffs this weekend. One of the biggest decisions they’ll make is for the league’s MVP award, which recognizes the most valuable player of the regular season.

On Monday, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell shared his pick for who he believes should take home the MVP award. It’s worth noting that his selection is separate from the four ESPN voters who will cast their official ballots this week.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen currently has the best odds of winning at -230. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson isn't too far behind at +185. After that, there is a major gap, essentially meaning this is a two-man race.

Barnwell claimed he "was leaning Allen as recently as last week" but he has "to go with Jackson."

"Jackson was just a tiny bit better," Barnwell said. "He was comfortably more productive as a passer throughout the season, and while Allen had his spectacular moments, Jackson might have had more. He played more often against stiff competition and did so at an extremely high level. And while he had better playmakers than his Bills counterpart, he didn't have the same caliber of offensive linemen."

Barnwell also stated that if someone else picks Allen to win the award, he "wouldn't argue."

"I wouldn't argue if you prefer Allen," Barnwell added. "This is a very tight race. I would hardly be surprised if Allen won the award."

Here's a breakdown of both players' stats from this season.

Jackson (17 games played):