Super Bowl MVP Odds

There will be three former Super Bowl MVPs on the field in Super Bowl XLVI between the New England Patriots and New York Giants but the only double-winner is the runaway pick as top betting choice for this year.

Tom Brady is +115, by far the shortest Super Bowl MVP odds on the board at 5Dimes. His counterpart, the MVP of Super Bowl 42 four years ago, is Eli Manning, second at +175.

And the third member of this elite group is a whopping 66/1 longshot. Deion Branch won the award at Super Bowl 39 as the Patriots beat the Eagles.

Why are the QBs so far ahead of the field when it comes to Super Bowl MVP odds? Because they usually win the award. Four of the past five winners were QBs, with only Santonio Holmes - then with Pittsburgh - breaking up the run.

And running backs almost never win, which accounts for the longshot odds of Ahmad Bradshaw and Benjarvus Green-Ellis at +3000 and +4000 respectively.

The last RB to win the award was Terrell Davis for Denver back at Super Bowl 32. Since 1985 it has only happened three times with Emmitt Smith in Dallas and Ottis Anderson for the Giants also winning the award at that position.

Of course, both the Giants and Patriots love to pass, but the Giants could be the type of team to use the 1-2 punch of Bradshaw and fullback Brandon Jacobs to good effect. If they can establish a ground game, it keeps Brady off the field, limiting his chances to earn MVP votes.

The third pick for Super Bowl XLVI isn't even practising this week. Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski has a leg injury, but oddsmakers at 5Dimes respect his gamebreaking skills, making him +700.

Wideouts Wes Welker and Victor Cruz are next at +1400, while Hakeen Nicks is +1600.

Don't think it's worth the risk of picking a defensive player like Jason Pierre-Paul? The defensive player of the year candidate is a huge +5500 longshot (that's 55/1 odds) and Vince Wilfork is +6000 for New England.

More defensive players have won the award in the past 15 years (3) than running backs (Ray Lewis, Larry Brown and Dexter Jackson, who had two INTs for Tampa Bay).

Check out the full list of Super Bowl XLVI MVP odds courtesy of 5Dimes and watch for injury situations during the week to change these numbers.

Tom Brady     +115
Eli Manning     +175
Rob Gronkowski     +700
Victor Cruz     +1400
Wes Welker     +1400
Hakeem Nicks     +1600
Aaron Hernandez +1600
Ahmad Bradshaw     +3000
BenJarvus Green-Ellis     +4000
Mario Manningham +5000
Jason Pierre-Paul +5500
Brandon Jacobs     +6600
Vince Wilfork     +6600
Deion Branch     +6600
Stevan Ridley     +8000
Stephen Gostkowski     +8000
Danny Woodhead     +8000
Julian Edelman     +10000
Osi Umenyiora     +12500
Sterling Moore     +12500
Chad Ochocinco     +12500
Chris Canty     +15000
Brandon Spikes     +15000
Kevin Faulk     +15000
Justin Tuck     +15000

Past Super Bowl MVP winners: