Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was carted off the field during Thursday’s practice. He suffers what appears to be a non-contact calf injury during the team’s second practice of training camp. Burrow, who just this week had surpassed Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs as the NFL MVP betting favorite, came up limping after running with the ball during practice.
Burrow then went down and left the field with assistance. Bengals coach Zac Taylor later telling reporters that the injury appears to be a calf strain. Let’s look at how the Bengals odds have changed.
Latest Bengals odds, Joe Burrow futures
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| Bengals to win AFC North | |
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| Burrow to win MVP | |
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Sportsbooks react to Burrow injury
Earlier this week, Burrow had pulled ahead of Mahomes in MVP futures at betting sites like BetMGM Sportsbook. Burrow, who threw for 4,475 yards and 35 touchdowns last season, was also among the favorites to lead the NFL in passing yards this season.
Some NFL sportsbooks quickly took Burrow off the board after news and video of the practice injury spread on social media. But others still have him available for bets such as MVP () and to lead the league in total passing yards ().
The good news is that calf strains are a more common athletic injury. A torn MCL and ACL in Burrow’s left knee sidelined him for the rest of his rookie season in 2020. It’s not necessarily a great sign that it’s coming so early in training camp. But it does give Burrow more time to get healthy before the regular season begins.
How will this affect Bengals futures odds?
Among NFL division winner futures odds, the Bengals opened as the favorite to win the AFC North for a third consecutive season. Some sportsbooks have taken the division off the board entirely in the immediate aftermath of the injury, but Cincinnati is still a favorite according to other books, with a line for total wins at .
The Bengals went 12-4 last season. They won the division before exiting the NFL playoffs in a 23-20 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC championship game.
