When a team scores 59 points the first game of the season, odds will move. That's what happened with the Chicago Bears, who now boast an early-season MVP candidate at quarterback.
After throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns and running for 65 yards and two touchdowns, Caleb Williams' odds to win the NFL's most prestigious individual award jumped from +1600 last week to +750 at BetMGM. That places him in the top three of MVP favorites, behind Josh Allen (+450) and Lamar Jackson (+700). Entering the season, eight players had better odds.
Williams' odds weren't the only to benefit from Chicago's offensive explosion against the Carolina Panthers. Ben Johnson's odds to win Coach of the Year moved from +1500 (tied for sixth) to +800, trailing only John Harbaugh
(+500) and Jesse Minter (+700). The Bears' team odds to win the tough NFC North leaped the Packers for second-best (+210) behind the Lions, and their playoff odds shortened from -105 to -150.
Here are more observations from the NFL futures market after Week 1.
Myles Garrett injury opens Defensive Player of the Year field
News that Myles Garrett would undergo surgery and be placed on injured reserve broke the Defenisve Player of the Year field wide open. With two DPOYs in the last three years, the reigning winner was favored to take home the award a third time with +400 odds entering the season. But after his lackluster performance against the 49ers and subsequent move to the IR, which will guarantee he misses at least the next four games, Garrett tumbled to +4000.
Texans star Will Anderson Jr. is the new favorite at +350, followed closely by Aidan Hutchinson at +450. T.J. Watt (+900), Maxx Crosby (+1100) and Nik Bonitto (+1200) round out the top five. Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday he didn't have a timeline for when Garrett will return.
Coach McVay provides an injury update on Myles Garrett. pic.twitter.com/JTw4HOBIWl
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 14, 2026
Australia travel protecting Rams from drop?
With as much hype as the Los Angeles Rams had going into the season, it shouldn't be surprising there hasn't been a massive overreaction to their opening week loss to the 49ers. In fact, the Rams are still favored to win the Super Bowl at +650. However, you would think at the very least, the division rival that just whooped them might get elevated in odds to win the NFC West. Especially considering the aforementioned injury to Myles Garrett, but nope.
Not only do the Rams (+165) still lead the 49ers (+195), they also still lead the Seattle Seahawks at +185. The only explanation is LA's weird travel plans for that Australia game passing as an excuse for their flat performance, and an expectation they'll bounce back once settled into a more normal routine.
Rueben Bain Jr. sliding after rough debut
Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. struggled in his NFL debut, finishing with one tackle against the Bengals and not even a single hit on the quarterback. Head coach Todd Bowles even said Bain took a step back, and that was certainly reflected in Defensive Rookie of the Year odds where the edge rusher dipped from leading +450 odds to +900.
Rueben Bain Jr. had 0 sacks, 0 pressures, 0 stops, and just 1 tackle on 41 snaps in his NFL debut
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 13, 2026
It’s always rough for rookies in the trenches, I expect him to improve as the season goes on pic.twitter.com/YUsxMnIYsK
The new favorite in the market is David Bailey at +400 after he recorded four tackles and a sack in the Jets' win over the Titans. He's followed by Caleb Downs (+650) and Jacob Rodriguez (+800), with Mansoor Delane and Sonny Styles now tied with bain at +900.
Chiefs an early odds-on favorite
All it took was one game for the Kansas City Chiefs to snatch the AFC West back from the Denver Broncos. Although Denver is still the reigning division champ, the Chiefs are now odds-on favorites (-115) to win the West after their stunning Monday-night blowout knocked the Broncos from +200 to +260.
This isn't typical. Going into Week 1, only three of the eight divisions had odds-on favorites (better than 50 percent chance). The Chiefs are now the fourth, and their rise was only strengthened by the Chargers' loss to the Cardinals, which sent LA sliding from +185 to +375. The Chargers' also suffered one of the biggest dips in Super Bowl odds, going from +1700 to +2500.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL Futures Week 2: Caleb Williams takes a leap in the way-too-early MVP picture
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