Though the NFL offseason has not even entered the training camp portion of its calendar, there is still buzz around which teams and players will lead the league in the 2024-25 NFL campaign. Per a recent report from BetOnline, as the new season approaches, the chatter around potential Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) candidates is heating up, with Christian McCaffrey leading the pack according to the site. After a stellar season last year with the San Francisco 49ers, McCaffrey is poised to repeat his OPOY triumph (at least according to BetOnline), a feat not seen since Marshall Faulk accomplished it in the early 2000s. As of this article’s writing, the 49ers’ running back has the best odds at the site to win the 2024-25 OPOY award at +550 but is followed closely by various rivals.
In this article, SBS will be going over the latest news coming from BetOnline and also how you can use it to your advantage this month and beyond.
Per the article, last season, McCaffrey was a human highlight reel throughout the year. The Stanford product racked up 1,459 rushing yards at a clip of 5.4 yards per carry. Moreover, like Faulk, he was a dual-threat weapon each time he got on the field, notching 564 receiving yards as well. This all led to him scoring 21 total touchdowns last year and his dynamic play was a reason the 49ers offense, and as a whole, were Super Bowl contenders throughout the year and have him in prime position to retain the title this season. A three-time First-Team All-Pro selection, he also led the NFL in scrimmage yards last season as the 49ers made a run to the championship game with an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII.
While the 49ers star is certainly a strong favorite for a reason, there are obviously other players who would like to have a word as the best offensive weapon in the league. Leading that list of challengers, per BetOnline, is Miami’s Hill at +650 who had another fantastic campaign last year. Known as “Cheetah,” for his blazing speed, the Dolphin wide receiver led the league with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 scores last year. An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, he had a chance to break the all-time single-season receiving record last year, but fell just short. That said, his first two seasons with the Dolphins have been nothing short of amazing, notching two 1,700-plus receiving-yard campaigns. Of course, if he can stay healthy and on the field, he is the league’s most explosive receiving threat and the most consistent playmaker for the loaded Miami offense.
Noted by the same article on the website, since the award’s inception in 1972, only seven offensive players have won it more than once, with Jerry Rice being the only receiver to achieve this multiple times. Moreover, the competition has historically been dominated by running backs, but recent years have seen wide receivers like Michael Thomas, Cooper Kupp, and Justin Jefferson lock down the honor. Perhaps this is indicative of how pass-friendly the NFL has become over time. Finally, out of the 51 OPOY winners, 28 also snagged the Most Valuable Player award in the same season, highlighting the overlap between standout performance and MVP credentials.
Given these statistics, it is perhaps no surprise that the rest of the top choices for OPOY this upcoming season, per BetOnline, are almost all wideouts. Beyond Hill, Jefferson returns at +850 to claim the title this next year after an injury-riddle campaign last season. In 2022, when he won the award, he accrued a league-leading 1,809 receiving yards along with eight receiving scores to pace the Vikings. Moreover, his career average of 98.3 yards per game is an NFL record and shows how effective he is at wrecking opposing defenses for Minnesota.
The rest of the top five from BetOnline is filled with other electric wide receivers. This includes Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb (+850) and Jefferson’s former LSU teammate, Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals. Both are All-Pro talents who have been game-wreckers in the past but have not quite ascended to the next level of notching OPOY. That said, Lamb is clearly the centerpiece of the Dallas offense, while Chase has the benefit of catching passes from an excellent quarterback in Joe Burrow who is poised to make a strong return from injury in 2024-25.
Once you are all squared away and updated with the latest news coming from BetOnline, make sure to tap into the awesome array of information for you only at SBS. Of course, regular readers are aware this would include the BetOnline sportsbook review guide which goes over all of the latest news coming from the site and more. Speaking of more, if you are interested in even more gridiron action, make sure to bookmark the NFL betting sites rundown. Here you can peruse the latest betting markets on the sport and also even more useful notes and tips about the NFL. Finally, for those interested in maximizing their wagers (and who isn’t), our best bonus betting sites breakdown is a must-read page where you can find a catalog of different bonus offers available to you and how you can use them to your advantage.