In the words of The Office’s Kevin Malone, “If anyone gives you 10,000 to 1 odds on anything, you take it. If John Mellencamp ever wins an Oscar, I’m going to be a very rich dude.” Well… if throwing five or ten dollars on 10,000 to 1 odds isn’t tempting enough, how about 20,000 to 1? That’s what Draft Kings currently have as the odds for former Husky and current Rams defensive tackle to win Super Bowl MVP. So… why does Gaines have a better chance of winning MVP than Mellencamp does an Oscar?

Well, first of all, Gaines has a few all-time greats that will help draw attention away from him along the defensive line. With Aaron Donald who will surely be drawing double teams on almost every single play lining up next to him, and Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller on the edge, there won’t be many opportunities to double team Gaines for the Bengals offensive line. Gaines has had his best season yet as a pro in 2021, and has received some very high praise from arguably the best player in the NFL, his teammate Aaron Donald.

Gaines recorded 4.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits over the course of the 2021 season, and has added half a sack and two more QB hits so far during the playoffs. The Rams should be able to easily get pressure with four rushers, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Gaines walked into a couple of sacks on Sunday.

The Bengals have caught fire over the last month, but their biggest weakness is still the offensive line, specifically on the interior. Joe Burrow was sacked 51 times in 2021, more than any other quarterback in the NFL. And against the Tennesee Titans in their divisional round matchup, the 2020 #1 overall pick went down nine times, four of them coming from defensive tackles. The Rams defensive line is more talented than Tennesee’s, and while they probably won’t match nine sacks, Gaines and Donald could be the keys to stopping Burrow.

So if you’re feeling adventurous, why not (where it’s legal to do so of course) throw $5 on Gaines to win MVP?  There’s a good possibility to winds up with a sack, potentially two in the big game, and maybe forces a fumble, he’ll be in the running. At the end of the day, if he wins, you’re rich, and on the 99.9% chance he doesn’t, you skip Starbucks for a day.