Ron Schwane/Associated Press

2018 NFL Odds: Josh Allen Favored to Have Most Starts Among Rookie QBs

Kyle Newport

With just more than a week remaining until the 2018 regular season kicks off, quarterback competitions are going down to the wire.

And while nothing has been decided in many cases, a handful of rookie passers find themselves in the mix to be under center in Week 1. According to OddsShark, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills has the best odds of all rookie passers to record the most start this season:

Buffalo traded up to take Allen with the seventh overall pick in April's draft. By doing so, it created a three-way battle, featuring Allen, free-agent signee A.J. McCarron and Nathan Peterman. However, it may have become a two-man race after McCarron suffered a shoulder injury earlier this preseason.

Peterman—a 2017 fifth-round pick—made two starts for the Bills last year, going 1-1 while throwing five interceptions in the first half of his first start. Allen, on the other hand, had shown flashes of potential during the preseason before his latest appearance of the preseason. He completed just six of 12 pass attempts for 34 yards while being sacked five times in a 26-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Sam Darnold has emerged as the favorite to be the New York Jets' starting quarterback. New York also has a three-way battle going, featuring Darnold, incumbent starter Josh McCown and free-agent pickup Teddy Bridgewater.

It appears that Darnold has the edge in the race, though. ESPN's Rich Cimini recently reported that a couple of Jets players expect the third overall pick to win the job. Although Bridgewater has been impressive at times this preseason, he may wind up becoming a trade chip.

Those appear to be the two likeliest rookies to crack their respective starting lineups.

Barring injury, No. 1 overall Baker Mayfield will be on the sideline to start his rookie campaign. Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson made it clear from the time his team acquired Tyrod Taylor that he will be the starting quarterback come Week 1—and nothing has changed since then.

Arizona Cardinals top pick Josh Rosen currently is trying to beat out veteran Sam Bradford in the desert, and while he is coming off his best performance yet, Lamar Jackson is currently fighting for the Baltimore Ravens' backup job.

It's hard to envision a scenario other than injury in which the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mason Rudolph or the New York Giants' Kyle Lauletta unseat Ben Roethlisberger or Eli Manning, respectively.

   

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