CFL Most Outstanding Player Odds: Rourke, Alexander Emerge as Favourites

Quarterbacks dominate the top of the CFL Most Outstanding Player odds as the 2026 CFL regular season gets underway, with BC Lions pivot Nathan Rourke leading the way as a short +300 favourite to claim the honours for a second straight season.

Rourke is followed by Montreal Alouettes passer Davis Alexander, who returns to action following an injury-plagues campaign pegged as a +600 bet, while Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchel rounds out the top of the odds board as a steadily improving +650 bet.

With kickoff on CFL Week 1 just hours away, here’s look at how the favourites stack up, along with dark horse picks worthy of a value bet.

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CFL MOP favourites

Nathan Rourke opens the season as the favourite to become just the second player to take home the MOP award in consecutive seasons since Anthony Calvillo, and with good reason. The 28-year-old emerged as the first Canadian quarterback in decades to win the CFL’s top individual award in 2025 after throwing for over 5,200 yards while adding more than 500 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He’s also entering 2026 as the No. 1 player in TSN’s Top 50 rankings.

The case for Rourke is simple. Not only does he put up elite passing numbers, Rourke also creates highlight-reel plays with his legs. That dual-threat ability gives him a statistical ceiling none of his MOP rivals can match.

Winning back-to-back MOP awards is a huge challenge, and the Lions can expect opposing defences to scheme around him all season long. If you simulated this season 100 times, Rourke probably wins this award more often than anybody else. But at +300 chalk, the question isn’t whether Rourke can win. It’s whether that price offers enough value to CFL betting fans.

Davis Alexander endured a series of injuries that limited him to just eight regular-season game appearances in 2025, but the Alouettes passer played through the pain come November, and fell just short of leading the Als to a second Grey Cup win in three years. Now back at full health, Alexander offers intriguing value as a +600 second favourite. Indeed, while MOP bettors know what they are wagering on in Rourke and veteran Bo Levi Mitchell, it is possible we have yet to see the best from Alexander. Indeed, the 28-year-old should benefit from leading a finely tuned Alouettes squad that is expected to tone again win the East, and the from the mentorship of Montreal Grey Cup hero Calvillo, who has taken over the reins as the squad’s QB coach.

Of course, it is unwise to sleep on Bo Levi Mitchell. Who has steadily closed the gap on the favourites since offseason odds were published. The 36-year-old veteran led the CFL in passing yards in each of the past two seasons, and also piled up a league-high 36 TD passes in 2025.

it remains to be seen if Mitchell’s advancing age will work for or against him. MOP voters love veteran swan songs. But at 36, Mitchell is rapidly reaching the twilight of his career, and his continued spot among the betting favourites will hinge on both his personal stats and whether he can lift the Ti-Cats to the top of the CFL East in consecutive years for the first time in 45 years.

CFL MOP dark horses

After missing the entire 2025 CFL season due to injury, Chad Kelly returns to action well off the pace as a +1200 wager to claim his second career CFL MOP award. The Toronto Argonauts pivot claimed the honour in 2023 but has seen limited action since due to a lengthy suspension and health concerns. However, the two-time Grey Cup champion gets set to start the campaign with a clean slate and leading an Argos squad that faces tempered expectation. If Kelly can regain his MOP form and lift the Boatmen back into the hunt in the East, expect his odds to shorten significantly by Labour Day, making him worthy of a value wager right now.

The CFL MOP award has become the domain of quarterbacks, with pivots raising the hardware in eight of the past 10 seasons. But Kenny Lawler could be poised to change all that. The Ticats’ wide receiver is coming off a stellar 2025 campaign in which he led the league with 14 TD catches while piling up 1443 receiving yards. The stars must align for Lawler to claim the prize. That means once again putting up gaudy TD numbers on a division winning squad during a campaign that does not feature a QB tallying absurd numbers. That’s a lot to ask, but as a +1800 long shot, Lawler should not be overlooked by CFL fans looking for early-season value.

Prediction: Davis Alexander (+600)