Don’t look now, but Lamar Jackson is making a serious effort to win back-to-back NFL MVP awards.

Already a two-time MVP, Jackson continued his cause on Christmas Day by leading the Baltimore Ravens to a dominant 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans, scoring two points in the process. Jackson is now up to 39 touchdown passes in the 2024 season (tying Joe Burrow for the league lead) and just four interceptions. He also leads the NFL in yards per carry on the ground.

With the win, the Ravens are now in first place in the AFC North with one game to go, as the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas. Earlier this week, I mentioned that a division win would help Jackson’s MVP case, as it would move him much closer to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the AFC standings:

If Jackson can clinch the AFC North, he would end up at least No. 3 in the AFC — which would put him much closer to Allen in the standings than if he were on a wild-card team. That could convince some voters to side with Jackson since the gap between team successes wouldn’t be nearly as wide as it was this season.

Before Christmas, Jackson was still closing the gap on Allen in Week 16, as not only did he outplay the Bills’ star, but Allen also suffered what appeared to be a minor injury in a close win over the New England Patriots.

Here’s a look at the latest odds to win NFL MVP this season.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Just three days ago, the NFL MVP odds looked like this:

Jackson’s Christmas Day win cut his chances in half with one game to go, while Allen and the Bills suffered a major blow on Wednesday. With the Chiefs beating the Steelers, Buffalo cannot officially finish as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Kansas City has clinched that spot, meaning there’s a chance the Bills (the current No. 2 seed in the AFC) and the Ravens (the current No. 3 seed) could end up right next to each other in the standings.

This definitely hurts Allen because he was previously a division winner while Jackson played for a wild card team.

Jackson’s numbers speak for themselves (Allen was great too) and he has a chance to win the AFC North with a win over the weak Cleveland Browns in Week 18.

If he has a good game in Week 17, there’s a chance those odds could change in Allen’s favor, but Jackson has certainly made this race tighter in recent weeks than some expected.

Odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and needs help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.