Week 5 is in the books.
As the 2026 NFL season nears the 2/3rds mark, let’s take a look at the biggest emerging betting trends and storylines.
A two-way battle for MVP
Josh Allen remains the slight favorite after his spectacular performance in Buffalo’s 37-34 overtime win over the Rams.
He rushed for 121 yards in the victory, while Brock Purdy kept the 49ers undefeated with a comeback win over Seattle.
Purdy opened at +1800 and has climbed all the way to +300 at FanDuel Sportsbook, while Allen has shortened from +600 to +250.
Patrick Mahomes (+600) and Trevor Lawrence (+900) are also lingering, but the MVP is shaping up to be a two-horse race through five weeks.
An unlikely Super Bowl favorite
The Rams have lost three of their first five games, including Monday’s heartbreaker against the Bills, yet oddsmakers aren’t giving up on them.
Los Angeles remains a co-favorite alongside the undefeated 49ers, who have surged from +1900 in the preseason to +700.
The Rams, meanwhile, have slipped from +500 entering the season.
Buffalo is close behind the co-favorites at +750.
The Ravens (+800) are the only other team better than 10/1.
Jets rookie suddenly the DROY favorite
After an underwhelming start to his rookie campaign, David Bailey exploded for three sacks against Cleveland on Sunday.
The breakout performance vaulted the No. 2 overall pick from +1000 to +200 to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, overtaking Giants rookie Arvell Reese (+300).
Bailey now leads all rookies with five sacks.
NFL bettors suffer brutal bad beats
A pair of gut-wrenching bad beats took place on Sunday.
The first came in the Bengals’ 31-24 win over the Dolphins, when Miami kicker Riley Patterson missed an extra point off the upright with less than a minute remaining.
Betting on the NFL?
The miss handed Bengals -6.5 bettors an improbable victory while crushing Miami +6.5 backers.
Commanders bettors suffered their own nightmare against the Giants.
Washington, which was a 3.5-point favorite, blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead before squandering a potential game-winning field goal opportunity in overtime.
The Commanders inexplicably let the clock expire deep in Giants territory, settling for a 27-27 tie and leaving Washington spread bettors empty-handed.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
