Quarterbacks have by far and away won the Super Bowl MVP award more than any other position so it’s no surprise to find New England QB Tom Brady (7/5) and his New York Giants counterpart Eli Manning (9/4) as the two betting favorites on Bovada’s Super Bowl props to win the Super Bowl XLVI MVP award this Sunday night in Indianapolis.
 
A QB has won the award 24 times, which is more than three times as many as the next nearest position – running backs seven MVP awards. And a running back hasn’t won the honor since Denver’s Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and three scores in SB XXXII against Green Bay.
 
A quarterback has won MVP honors the past two Super Bowls and four of the past five. That includes Manning, who threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns in New York’s 17-14 upset of then-unbeaten New England in Super Bowl XLII. This is Brady’s fifth Super Bowl and he has been named MVP twice, in SB XXXVI (145 yards passing, one TD vs. the Rams) and XXXVIII (354 yards passing, three TDs vs. Carolina). Brady has thrown for 602 yards, six touchdowns and three picks in two games this postseason, while Manning has thrown for 923 yards, eight TDs and one interception in three playoff games this season.
 
A receiver has been the only other offensive player to win a SB MVP award since 2000. Giants WR Victor Cruz has the shortest odds of any receivers in this game at 8/1. Cruz was third in the NFL in receiving yards during the season and sixth in catches and he had a big NFC Championship Game against San Francisco with 10 catches for 142 yards. He hasn’t found the end zone yet this postseason, however.
 
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is next on the odds at 10/1. Gronk had a record-setting regular season with 90 catches for 1,327 yards and 17 scores. And he was huge in the divisional round win over Denver with 10 catches for 145 yards and three scores. But Gronkowski suffered a high ankle sprain in the AFC title game win over Baltimore. Gronkowski will play in the Super Bowl but won’t be 100 percent and likely will need surgery this offseason. A tight end has never won MVP honors in the big game.
 
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