The NFL Defensive Player of the Year award is one of the few ways defense is celebrated in today’s NFL. With rules continuing to be bent in the favor of offenses, this is one of the only avenues for defense to be encouraged. And in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year betting markets, bettors can often find value betting on who will win this award that supports the stifling of opposing offenses.
This award has largely been passed around by defensive linemen in recent years, with defensive linemen winning it six out of the last eight years. If you count T.J. Watt as a defensive linemen, it is seven out of eight. Of course, five of those combined awards went to Aaron Donald and J.J. Watt. But the ability to make plays up front has been rewarded handsomely in this market in recent seasons.
That brings us to the betting odds for this year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year:
2022 NFL Defensive Player Of The Year Odds
| Player |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett | +700 | +700 | +750 | +700 | +700 |
| Watt | +700 | +700 | +700 | +800 | |
| Donald | +700 | +900 | +700 | +750 | +900 |
| Parsons | +1000 | +900 | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Bosa | +1500 | +1400 | +1400 | +1500 | +1400 |
| Leonard | +3500 | +2000 | +5000 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Crosby | +4000 | +2200 | +4000 | +2800 | +3000 |
| Gary | +8000 | +2200 | +3500 | +3500 | +3000 |
| Bosa | +2000 | +2500 | +2000 | +2000 | +2500 |
| Young | +2000 | +3000 | +2000 | +2000 | +4000 |
| Mack | +2500 | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 | +4000 |
| Hunter | +2800 | +4000 | +2500 | +3000 | +4000 |
| James | +3000 | +4000 | +5000 | +4000 | |
| Ramsey | +5000 | +4000 | +5000 | +5000 | +4000 |
| Miller | +2500 | +4000 | +3500 | +3000 | +4000 |
| Warner | +3500 | +5000 | +5000 | +4000 | +5000 |
| Jackson | +6500 | +5000 | +6500 | +5000 | |
| Surtain II | +10000 | +5000 | +12500 | +10000 | +6000 |
| Gregory | +6000 | +5000 | +6000 | +6500 | +6000 |
| Smith | +4000 | +5000 | +6000 | +4000 | +5000 |
Preseason NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds
Going into this season, there is not a clear favorite to take home this award like their was last season. Aaron Donald was around +400 to win NFL DPOY going into 2021, though T.J. Watt ended up winning it with an historic season of sack production (Donald got the last laugh by making two huge plays in a row to secure the Super Bowl for the Rams). This season, Watt, Myles Garrett, and Aaron Donald are all around the same odds at the top of the board to claim this edition of the award. But there is some strong competition right behind them.
Micah Parsons had a huge year last season for the Dallas Cowboys, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. He joins Nick and Joey Bosa, Maxx Crosby, and Rashan Gary as the only other players at +2500 or better to win Defensive Player of the Year. As we mentioned earlier, it has paid to be a defensive lineman in the hunt for this award in recent years. That could hurt Parson’s chances relative to the other players at +2500 or better, but another huge year of production from Parsons could put him in serious consideration.
Outside of the top-eight favorites, pass rushers make up the bulk of the list of dark horse candidates to claim this honor. Chase Young and Khalil Mack make up the remainder of the list of players at +3000 or better to win this award. Of course, there are plenty of other candidates that could make a run to the trophy, but they would likely need to put up some massive numbers in the sack or interception categories to be considered.
Caesars Sportsbook
NFL Defensive Player of the Year Handicapping
When betting on NFL Defensive Player of the Year, it is tough to balance the hunt for value in the market with choosing a player who actually has a chance to win the award. It is going to be very difficult for anyone to outperform Watt and Donald in terms of consistent production both statistically and in terms of what their value to their respective defenses. But there are a few choices at longer odds that could pull through.
Joey Bosa at around +2500 and Khalil Mack at around +3000 are interesting selections before the start of the season, as they can benefit each other. Mack joins the Los Angeles Chargers this season after wasting some of his best years with the Chicago Bears. The combination of Mack and Bosa up front will be very difficult for opposing offensive lines to protect against, and one or both of these sack artists could put up big enough numbers to claim the award.
Nick Bosa might also be worth playing at close to +1500 going into the 2022 season. The Niners are great across the board defensively, and Bosa played incredibly during the postseason when he racked up four sacks in three games. He finished fourth in sacks a season ago, and could challenge Watt and the rest of the pass rushers on the list above for the league lead this year en route to his first DPOY.
Of course, it should be noted that there is an argument that this award should belong to Aaron Donald every single year. He simply makes passing the ball and running the ball more difficult for opposing offenses than any player in football today. Getting him at nearly double the price of last season going into this year is a play that cannot be knocked either.
