Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is now listed as a co-favorite to win the 2023 NFL MVP, according to PointsBet Sportsbook.

Max Meyer, Senior Editor at PointsBet, reveals that reigning MVP Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen opened as +650 co-favorites. Allen went to +700 on March 22, and no one has matched Mahomes until Burrow this past Saturday at +650.

Meyer added that Burrow is the leader in betting handle for MVP at 17.7%, and he has attracted more than twice as much money as Mahomes. Allen currently sits third at +700, while Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts is fourth at +950

Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Co-Favorites for 2023 NFL MVP

Burrow and Mahomes have squared off in the last two AFC Championship games, splitting the pair with the Bengals winning 27-24 in overtime in 2021 before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, while the Chiefs beat the Bengals 24-21 last season.

Overall, Burrow is 3-1 against Mahomes with a pair of comeback victories in the 2021 and 2022 regular seasons.

The teams will renew what is turning into one of the best rivalries in the league when they meet again in Week 16 this season in Kansas City.

That head-to-head history, plus the improved Bengals offensive line — notably enhanced by plucking Orlando Brown Jr. from the Chiefs to protect Burrow’s blindside — is a big reason why Burrow deserves to be considered a co-favorite to win the award.

But it’s going to take more than just another regular-season victory against Mahomes, who also was MVP in 2018 and has a pair of Super Bowl MVP awards as well, for Burrow to capture the award in 2023.

Uphill Fight For Burrow vs Mahomes

Burrow put up terrific numbers each of the last two seasons with 34 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 4,611 yards, and an NFL-best 70.4% completion rate in 2021, followed by 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 4,475 yards while completing 68.3% of his passes.

Yet, he was little more than an afterthought among voters, finishing fourth last year with 128 voting points.

That was the first season in which the NFL used a weighted voting system for first, second, and third-place selections. Prior to that, each of the 50 voters submitted just one name, and Burrow did not receive a single vote in 2021 despite leading the Bengals to the Super Bowl.

Burrow is vying to become the third player in Bengals history to win MVP. Boomer Esiason won the award in 1988, while Ken Anderson captured it in 1981. Both quarterbacks led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in those seasons before losing to the San Francisco 49ers.