Super Bowl MVP Predictions & Expert Picks 2026: Seahawks vs. Patriots
So much of the Super Bowl 2026 build-up and anticipation is focused on who will win between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, who face off Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET (NBC), no individual prop market draws more attention than Super Bowl MVP.
So we polled our NFL experts for their Super Bowl MVP predictions ahead of Seahawks vs. Patriots and came back with eight players among their picks to win MVP - including five selections for a Seattle star dealing at +550 odds - as part of our Super Bowl predictions for the Big Game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
π Super Bowl MVP predictions: Expert picks & MVP odds 2026
See the latest NFL odds and our experts' NFL picks for every game this season.
| NFL expert | Player | Odds (FanDuel) |
|---|---|---|
| James Bisson | Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seahawks | +850 |
| Esten McLaren | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks | +550 |
| C Jackson Cowart | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks | +550 |
| Dustin Saracini | Rashid Shaheed, WR, Seahawks | +4500 |
| Andrew Brennan | TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Patriots | +12500 |
| Andrew Reid | Drake Maye, QB, Patriots | +230 |
| Corey Scott | Drake Maye, QB, Patriots | +230 |
| Gary Pearson | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks | +550 |
| Liam Fox | DeMarcus Lawrence, DL, Seahawks | +10000 |
| LJ Blut | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks | +550 |
| Matt Burke | Christian Gonzalez, CB, Patriots | +15000 |
| Rob Paul | Leonard Williams, DL, Seahawks | +10000 |
| Sean Tomlinson | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks | +550 |
With the Seahawks favored by 4.5 points to beat the Patriots in Super Bowl 60, it comes as little surprise to see nine of our 13 MVP predictions hail from Seattle. But it's rather shocking that none of them feature the Super Bowl MVP odds favorite with QB Sam Darnold garnering zero votes from our staff.
Instead, his favorite target Jaxon Smith-Njigba is our top choice, too, with five of 13 votes (mine included) siding with the newly minted NFL Offensive Player of the Year winner. He's dealing at +550 odds via FanDuel, which implies a 15.38% probability of him winning the award via our odds converter, despite drawing 38.5% of our staff votes.
JSN and Drake Maye were the only players to earn votes from multiple experts, while six other players - including four with +10000 odds or longer - earned a vote from our staff. Here's a breakdown of the final voting results with each player's vote count:
π Super Bowl MVP expert picks
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks (5)
- Drake Maye, QB, Patriots (2)
- Christian Gonzalez, CB, Patriots (1)
- DeMarcus Lawrence, DL, Seahawks (1)
- Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seahawks (1)
- Leonard Williams, DL, Seahawks (1)
- Rashid Shaheed, WR, Seahawks (1)
- TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Patriots (1)
π Who will win Super Bowl MVP?
See all of our NFL analysis and expert predictions for Super Bowl 2026.
π’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks (5)
"I'll take Jaxon Smith-Njigba to become the ninth wide receiver ever and third since 2009 to win Super Bowl MVP. The Seahawks' No. 1 option and NFL receiving yards leader will remain heavily featured, and his MVP candidacy won't be impacted by the mistake or two that could derail Sam Darnold's bid." - Esten McLaren
"There's a reason Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the most-bet player in this market after a historic season that saw him post the seventh-most receiving yards in NFL history (1,793) along with 10 touchdowns in the regular season. He was all over the field in the NFC Championship Game, and I expect him to be the featured focus for the betting favorites and become the third receiver in the last decade to win Super Bowl MVP honors." - C Jackson Cowart
"Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the man with the master plan. His skills go way beyond one-handed catches, and he'll showcase why he's the best receiver on the planet against a New England Patriots pass defense that was at best mediocre during the regular season." - Gary Pearson
"Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the best player in this game and has been the catalyst for the Seahawksβ offense all season. He should have no issues beating Christian Gonzalez and taking a few deep balls to the house." - LJ Blut
"This is often a quarterback-driven award, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba is such a target vacuum that the focus will be on him as the central piece if the Seahawks prevail. He's received double-digit targets in five of his last seven contests, including 12 during the NFC Championship Game, which the standout turned into 153 yards and a touchdown." - Sean Tomlinson
π΄ Drake Maye, QB, Patriots (2)
"Drake Maye will do enough to lead his team to glory on Sunday, and that will be enough for him to be crowned the Super Bowl MVP. He nearly won the regular-season MVP, too, so what better way to cap his sophmore season than with this award?" - Andrew Reid
"Drake Maye will win Super Bowl MVP on Sunday. He has been a top two quarterback this season, and it is not unheard of for a second-year Patriots quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP as an underdog (cough, cough, Tom Brady)." - Corey Scott
π’ Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seahawks (1)
"I've made my general disdain for these quarterbacks known, so I'm firing on Kenneth Walker III, who might not be the best player on either team but is almost certainly the most important. I expect the ground game to decide this one, and given how I think the game will go, that makes Walker the right choice for MVP." - James Bisson
π’ Rashid Shaheed, WR, Seahawks (1)
"Rashid Shaheed is the sexy long-shot play here, so let's walk a different path and go with the man who can (and will) blow the top off your defense. A punt or kick return touchdown to seal the game might just seal a big pay day for you, too." - Dustin Saracini
π’ DeMarcus Lawrence, DL, Seahawks (1)
"The Patriots' offensive line has given up five sacks in three straight games, opening the door for a game-wrecker on the Seahawks' defense to claim Super Bowl MVP. I'm going with DeMarcus Lawrence, who has tallied a sack in each of Seattle's playoff games and led the team in forced fumbles and recoveries this season." - Liam Fox
π’ Leonard Williams, DL, Seahawks (1)
"Defense wins championships, and Seattle is in the Super Bowl thanks to the No. 1 defense in the NFL. While rookie Nick Emmanwori is an enticing player to pick, Leonard 'Big Cat' Williams is the engine that makes this defense go. He has an advantageous matchup, too, with New England's interior O-line being its weakness." - Rob Paul
π΄ TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Patriots (1)
"What if I told you the Patriots have been saving Hendo throughout the playoffs for this very moment? After totaling only three carries in the AFC Championship, the rookie is going to explode on Sunday." - Andrew Brennan
π΄ Christian Gonzalez, CB, Patriots (1)
"Christian Gonzalez. Jaxon Smith-Njigba ruined my fantasy season with a pathetic 2 catch, 23-yard day late in the season against Minnesota. I can, in no good conscience, bet on him for SB MVP. FWIW too, JSN only had 3 catches for 19 yards in the Divisional Round against San Fran. Star Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez should be able to handle JSN, and shine in a low scoring game. Love Gonzalezβs odds at a whopping +15000. $$$!" - Matt Burke
π More Super Bowl player prop bets
- Super Bowl player props
- Super Bowl MVP opening odds & early predictions
- Super Bowl MVP sleeper picks
- Seahawks vs. Patriots player props & best bets
- Super Bowl anytime touchdown scorer odds
- Super Bowl anytime touchdown scorer predictions
- Super Bowl first touchdown scorer predictions
- How to fade Sam Darnold vs. Patriots
- How to fade Drake Maye vs. Seahawks
- How to bet on Seahawks' historic defense
- Why you have to bet George Holani to score first touchdown
- 5 Super Bowl long shot bets to make now
- Will any Super Bowl records be broken?
πΊ How to watch Super Bowl 2026: Seahawks vs. Patriots
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 8
- Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, Calif.)
- TV: NBC/Peacock
See our full breakdown for how to watch Super Bowl 2026, including TV info and streaming options for Seahawks vs. Patriots in Super Bowl 60.
β Super Bowl 2026 FAQs
Who is favored to win the Super Bowl?
The Seattle Seahawks are the Super Bowl favorites with odds of -240 to beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 2026. Those odds carry an implied probability of 70.59% for the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl, according to our odds converter.
Who is favored to win Super Bowl MVP?
Sam Darnold is the betting favorite to win Super Bowl MVP with +115 odds to win the award, implying a 46.51% chance he'll win MVP honors while turning a $10 bet into a $11.50 profit if he does.
When is the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl will be on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m. ET from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
Where is the Super Bowl?
Super Bowl 60 will be at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Who's playing in the Super Bowl?
The NFC champion Seattle Seahawks will face the AFC champion New England Patriots in Super Bowl 2026.
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