Will Levis for Offensive Rookie of the Year

sportsbookreview.com

08 November 2023

Will Levis for Offensive Rookie of the Year

The Tennesse Titans just announced a new starting quarterback, so let’s take a deeper look at Will Levis' Offensive Rookie of the Year chances as a long-shot pick.

For a period in our lives back in the spring, Will Levis held a unique place in our hearts for being the mayo in coffee guy and the unpeeled banana eater.

The internet never forgets, so he may forever be known for whacky food habits, despite saying it was all a joke. But now he’s rising in viral ways for other actual football reasons.

Levis erupted during his first start before holding his own nicely throughout a tough road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a result, the Tennessee Titans named him their starter on Tuesday, regardless of Ryan Tannehill’s health.

His odds of being named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year improved instantly, moving from +4600 to +3100 through FanDuel. Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is rightfully dominating that market while listed as the runaway front-runner at around -500. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puca Nacua is in another continent and occupying second place at roughly +700 through ourbest NFL betting sites.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds

That means any shred of value in backing Stroud is long gone, and it’s time to use a little bit of lunch money to go long-shot hunting. And hitching a ride with Will Levis and his rookie of the year odds just became highly appealing.

Will Levis' Offensive Rookie of the Year case (+4600 via FanDuel)

What he's done

Levis is only the third quarterback in NFL history to record four touchdown passes during his debut, joining Fran Tarkenton (1961) and Marcus Mariota (2015). His touchdown throws weren’t easy screen passes either when someone else was doing the heavy lifting. The difficulty level was cranked, with three of Levis’ touchdown tosses going for 30-plus yards, the most ever during a debut, according to NFL.com.

That dazzling aerial bombardment included a 61-yard connection with DeAndre Hopkins.

Levis finished the day with a 130.5 quarterback rating and 8.2 yards per completion. Although he didn’t reach quite the same heights during a 20-16 Week 8 loss to the Steelers, Levis was still impressive in a difficult road environment while giving his team an opportunity to win as he recorded another 262 passing yards.

Now he takes his momentum forward and faces a schedule that’s silky soft for any rookie quarterback, and especially a catapult-armed one. Combine that with his pure talent, and Levis holds the recipe for long-shot intrigue.

Take advantage of the schedule

Of the Titans’ nine remaining games, six are against teams that currently field defenses ranked 20th or worse against the pass. That includes two tilts apiece against the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars (who rank 30th while allowing 263.5 passing yards per game) and the Houston Texans (24th at 238.0 yards). Best of all, Levis gets to be eased in further during his third-ever start, which comes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (31st at 279.4 yards).

There’s the strong potential a launchpad lies ahead for a young passer who already knows what it feels like to fly high. The gap to Stroud is significant, and Levis will need to keep shining brightly while getting comparably limited playing time overall in 2023.

But the rookie of the year markets can be volatile, and prone to quick swings. His two head-to-head matchups with Stroud and the Texans late in the season could swing things in his favor.

Just look back on how the oddsboard lined up before the season. Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson was the favorite among our best sports betting sites at +300, and 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young wasn’t far behind him at +400. Those two have plummeted since due to poor play from Young, and the Falcons severely mishandling Robinson during his rookie season. His odds are now as long as +2400 through FanDuel, while Young has been sent off to sea at about +5000, putting him already well behind Levis.

Unseating Stroud after his NFL rookie record 470 passing yards in Week 8 with five touchdowns will be difficult for anyone. But Stroud has produced his share of duds too, including two recent outings with a season-low 140 passing yards against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8, and another low with a 48.2 completion percentage in Week 6.

Little certainty lies behind him on the oddsboard too, with Nacua and Jordan Addison in difficult quarterback situations, and Robinson navigating usage concerns.

Then there’s Levis, who boasts the talent, the schedule runway, and the sky-high odds.