NFL Comeback Player of the Year Odds: McCaffrey Takes Center Stage
With Super Bowl LX just a week away, five finalists have been announced for the 2025 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
After a campaign in which Christian McCaffrey suited up for every game and posted a career-high 413 touches from scrimmage, the San Francisco 49ers running back is a heavy favorite to take home the award.
Here are the latest NFL odds ahead of the annual NFL Honors ceremony, scheduled for February 5 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds| CPOY Finalists |
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Over the last seven years, the NFL CPOY Award has been handed out to a quarterback.
From 2014 to 2018, every Comeback Player of the Year had suffered a season-ending injury during the previous year, and Alex Smith won in 2020 after recovering from a devastating leg injury that almost required amputation.
Joe Burrow joins Chad Pennington (2006 and 2008) as the only player to win this award twice.
Popular NFL futures marketsPrevious NFL Comeback Player of the Year award winners| Year | NFL CPOY winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Joe Burrow | |
| 2023 | Joe Flacco | |
| 2022 | Geno Smith | |
| 2021 | Joe Burrow | |
| 2020 | Alex Smith | |
| 2019 | Ryan Tannehill | |
| 2018 | Andrew Luck | |
| 2017 | Keenan Allen | |
| 2016 | Jordy Nelson | |
| 2015 | Eric Berry | |
| 2014 | Rob Gronkowski | |
| 2013 | Philip Rivers | |
| 2012 | Peyton Manning | |
| 2011 | Matthew Stafford | |
| 2010 | Michael Vick | |
| 2009 | Tom Brady | |
| 2008 | Chad Pennington |
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when wagering on NFL awards betting odds.
Change your strategy at different points in the seasonSportsbooks will adjust NFL awards odds as the season goes on. In the preseason and the early weeks of the regular season, betting on dark horses can prove very profitable. As the season continues, expect to see odds tighten around the favorites. At that point, it becomes wise to focus on the players near the top of the odds board, and betting big underdogs is unwise.
Look for value with underdogsLive long shots can provide tremendous value. Look at younger players on the verge of breaking out, or guys that have already been playing at a high level but could take the next step now that they are in an ideal situation with a new team, coach, or system. Other players that can give a great payout are established stars coming off underperforming seasons due to injuries or other factors.
Follow the narrativeWhen placing futures bets on individualawards, keep in mind that voters, not a scoreboard, are often the deciding factor. Voters can be influenced by a variety of factors, including media coverage and public opinion. Consider what the media narrative is for a particular season and which players they seem to be rooting for and against.
Researchhistorical trendsHistorical trends, especially recent ones, can give you a good idea of which way voters tend to lean. For example, the NFL MVP has been handed out to a quarterback in 14 of the last 15 seasons. Identifying those trends is a good way to separate the true contenders from the pretenders.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here