There are literally thousands of gambling opportunities for NFL bettors to pursue during Super Bowl 56. There are the traditional picks against the spread, moneyline and over/under bets, but prop bets will be all over the place in the days and weeks leading up to the Bengals-Rams showdown.
Want to bet on the length of the national anthem? Go for it. The coin toss? That's always an option too. Heck, some sportsbooks are even carrying a prop bet about whether Snoop Dogg will smoke on stage during the halftime show.
Whatever your cup of tea is, you can pursue it. But year after year, there is one potential prop bet that comes with an appealing-looking payout: the Super Bowl MVP.
The Super Bowl MVP race is usually dominated by quarterbacks, but other positions have been known to win. As such, bettors are able to take chances on long shots to win the award. Sometimes, they pay off in spades, like if you had Malcolm Smith in Super Bowl 48 or Julian Edelman in Super Bowl 53. More often, the bets fail, as quarterbacks with the shortest odds to win the award take it home, but it's all about having the chance for a big payout on a small bet.
The 2022 Super Bowl between the Rams and the Bengals will see both quarterbacks emerge as the MVP favorites. They are decent bets, but there are better opportunities to pursue some mid-tier values and sleepers who could surprise and take home the award.
Below is a breakdown of the Super Bowl 56 MVP odds, and which Bengals and Rams you should bet to win the award.
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Super Bowl 56 MVP odds
Matthew Stafford is currently the favorite to win Super Bowl MVP. The Rams' quarterback is +115 — meaning a $100 bet would net a $115 profit — to win the award per odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Only two other players have odds shorter than 10-1 to take home the MVP. They are Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (+230) and Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (+650). Burrow has been red-hot of late and is the primary reason that the Bengals were able to beat the Chiefs and make the Super Bowl, while Kupp is the first receiver in NFL history to post more than 2,000 receiving yards in a single season, including the playoffs, so it's no surprise to see them among the MVP favorites.
Some other notable listings include Aaron Donald (+1700), Ja'Marr Chase (+2200) and Von Miller (+5000). Bengals punter Kevin Huber (+50000) has the longest odds to win the MVP.
Below is the full list of MVP odds, via FanDuel Sportsbook.
| Player | Odds |
| Matthew Stafford | +115 |
| Joe Burrow | +230 |
| Cooper Kupp | +650 |
| Aaron Donald | +1700 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | +2200 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | +2500 |
| Cam Akers | +3400 |
| Tee Higgins | +4000 |
| Joe Mixon | +4000 |
| Von Miller | +5000 |
| Sony Michel | +7000 |
| Van Jefferson | +7000 |
| Tyler Boyd | +8000 |
| Jalen Ramsey | +8500 |
| Tyler Higbee | +8500 |
| Kendall Blanton | +10000 |
| Trey Hendrickson | +10000 |
| Samaje Perine | +10000 |
| Evan McPherson | +10000 |
| Sam Hubbard | +15000 |
| Eli Apple | +15000 |
| Vonn Bell | +15000 |
| Drew Sample | +20000 |
| Trent Taylor | +20000 |
| Troy Reeder | +20000 |
| Leonard Floyd | +20000 |
| Chidobe Awuzie | +21000 |
| Jessie Bates III | +21000 |
| Chris Evans | +24000 |
| BJ Hill | +25000 |
| DJ Reader | +30000 |
| Eric Weddle | +30000 |
| Ben Skowronek | +30000 |
| Kevin Huber | +50000 |
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Super Bowl 56 MVP best bets
Matthew Stafford (+115)
If the Rams win Super Bowl 56, Stafford stands a very good chance of winning MVP. Quarterbacks have won the award 31 times during the 55-year history of the Super Bowl, more than all the other positions combined. MVP simply lends itself well to the quarterback position, as QBs rack up offensive stats and scores with ease. As long as this contest isn't a low-scoring one, Stafford should generate some MVP buzz.
Stafford has averaged 301.7 passing yards and two passing touchdowns per game during three postseason starts. He also has run for two touchdowns. If Stafford posts another efficient stat line similar to that and nears 300 passing yards, he'll have a good chance to take home the hardware. The payout won't be huge with him, but betting on a quarterback is never a bad strategy.
Joe Burrow (+230)
The same argument for Stafford applies for Burrow. If the Bengals win, Burrow's name will automatically be thrown into the MVP mix. He hasn't been quite as prolific as Stafford during the postseason, but he has thrown for either 300 yards or two touchdowns in each of his three games.
The Rams' defense will post a challenge for Burrow but if he can lead them to victory, he will be in the spotlight. That will give him a chance to be the MVP.
Cooper Kupp (+650)
Wide receivers have won the Super Bowl MVP seven times. That's tied for the second-most by position with running back. It has happened four times since Deion Branch took home the award in 2005, so Kupp has a very good chance to be the next to win it.
Kupp has caught 37 passes for 533 yards and five touchdowns during the playoffs. He has averaged 10 catches, 162.5 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his last two games. He is Stafford's favorite target and will almost certainly post another massive stat line in this one. The Bengals have a hole in their secondary at the No. 2 cornerback position, where Eli Apple starts, so Kupp could take advantage of that if the Bengals don't shadow him with Chidobe Awuzie.
Either way, Kupp looks like a more appealing gamble than either of the quarterbacks given the payout that could come from his +650 odds.
Tee Higgins (+4000)
Some may be confused as to why Ja'Marr Chase (+2200) isn't the pick over Tee Higgins. Chase would certainly be a fine bet, but if you're going to bet a Bengals receiver, Higgins is the better value for two reasons.
First of all, Higgins has a better payout at 40-1 odds than Chase's 22-1 odds. Second, Chase seems likely to get the tougher matchup in the Super Bowl, as Jalen Ramsey might shadow him. Ramsey is PFF's No. 1-graded corner this year and while he can have his slip-ups — as we saw on Mike Evans' 55-yard touchdown in the Bucs-Rams game a couple of weeks ago — he should have a good chance to slow down the dynamic rookie.
Meanwhile, Higgins won't face as difficult a task and at 6-4, he has a size advantage on the Rams' defensive backs. Darious Williams (5-9), Donte Deayon (5-9) and David Long Jr. (5-11) could be tasked with guarding Higgins, so that would give him a major edge in the contested-catch battle. We'll take a chance on him in that appetizing matchup, especially given that Higgins has 199 receiving yards in his last two matchups combined.
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Von Miller (+5000)
Like the Higgins vs. Chase debate, you could easily slot Aaron Donald (+1700) over Miller if you'd like. But the value you're getting with Miller, who has already won a Super Bowl MVP, is superior to that of Donald.
The Bengals' weakness is their offensive line. Joe Burrow was sacked 51 times during the regular season and has been sacked 12 times in the postseason so far, including nine times against the Titans.
If the Cincinnati line struggles against the Rams' top-tier pass rush, which has Donald, Miller and Leonard Floyd up front, they could take over this game. As we saw in Super Bowl 50, voters are willing to award the MVP to a defensive player in an elite performance. If Miller can get a couple of sacks, he could become the first non-quarterback to rack up multiple Super Bowl MVPs.
Evan McPherson (+10000)
And, finally, a long shot. No kicker has ever won Super Bowl MVP, but if anyone can do it, it's McPherson.
McPherson has made four field goals in each of the Bengals' first three playoff games. He hasn't missed yet and could break the all-time record for most made field goals in a single postseason in the Super Bowl. If he can do that and hit a late, clutch kick to win the game, that may be enough for voters to give him consideration, given how important he has been to the team's success, hitting walk-off field goals in back-to-back games.
McPherson needs a perfect game script for that to happen, but it is at least possible. That makes him the best bet among the players with 100-1 odds or longer.