Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald worth backing as Super Bowl MVP candidates

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Breadcrumb Trail Links Sports Picks Sports Betting NFL Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams catches a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. Getty Images Article content

Odds are the Super Bowl most valuable player will be one of the quarterbacks – Matthew Stafford or Joe Burrow.

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Of the 55 times the game has been played, a QB has received the award 31 times.

It has also gone to a running back seven times, a wide receiver seven times, a linebacker four times, a defensive back three times, a defensive lineman twice (including co-winners Randy White and Harvey Martin of the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XII ), and a kick returner once.

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The latter occurred when Desmond Howard returned four kicks for 154 yards, including a 99-yard sprint for a touchdown, and six punts for 90 yards to lead the Packers to a 35-21 victory over the Patriots in SB XXXI.

Only one other player – Green Bay WR Antonio Freeman – churned up triple digits in real estate that day, and he just had three catches for 105 yards and a TD. Both quarterbacks were just past the 50% mark in completions, as Brett Favre threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns while Drew Bledsoe had 253 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.

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Howard was the easy choice.

Topping the list for Super Bowl XVI presented on covers.com is Stafford (even) and Burrow (+225), while Cooper Kupp has the shortest odds (+600) of non-quarterbacks.

There’s lots to like about Kupp, of course.

In fact, a strong case could be made for him to be named the league’s regular season MVP over Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Jonathan Taylor on Thursday night.

Selected 69th overall by the Rams in 2017, Kupp is on his way to becoming known as one of the best third-round picks of all-time with guys like Travis Kelce (2013), Russell Wilson (2012), Lance Briggs and Jason Witten (2003), Frank Gore (2005), Steve Smith (2001) Hines Ward (1998), Terrell Owens (1996), Curtis Martin (1995), John Lynch (1993) and, oh yeah, Joe Montana (1979),

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This season he became just the fourth wide receiver in NFL history to lead the league in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns, joining the elite company of Jerry Rice (1990), Sterling Sharpe (1992) and Smith (2005).

Kupp’s 1,965 yards from scrimmage was the most ever by a receiver. Of his 20 games (including post-season) to date, he has reached triple digits in yards 13 times and double digits in receptions six times. He has also scored 20 touchdowns while reaching the end zone at least once a game in 14 games.

Sensational rookie WR Ja’Marr Chase will get some bettor backing at +1800, but he’s going to have Jalen Ramsey in his hip pocket all day. The Bengals don’t have a DB the quality of Ramsey to stick on Kupp.

If you want Chase-like odds-without going complete longshot and betting on Cincinnati’s red hot kicker, Evan McPherson, at +1500-also available at +1800 is Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

Winner of the NFL’s defensive player of the year award three of the past four years, Donald will have the determination of a bull dog to get his hands on the Lombardi Trophy after getting a strong sniff before it was taken away by Tom Brady three years ago .

Donald has had 14 sacks this season, including playoffs, and the Bengals have allowed a league high 63, including 12 in the playoffs and nine in the divisional round victory over the Titans.

Tennessee has a fine line, but it’s not as good as the Rams’.

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