NFL bettors love speculating about which players will win the league’s end-of-year awards, and one trophy that gamblers can place wagers on now FOX Bet is Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY).
A few names stand out from the rest when it comes to players who could win the award this season. The Raiders’ Maxx Crosby went from being a fourth-round pick in 2019 to one to watch for DPOY in 2022. The defensive end signed a massive new contract after finishing the 2021 season with eight sacks, and he is on a Vegas team that could be in the mix for the AFC. TJ Watt won the award last season, and with odds listed at +750, it’s clear that bookmakers think the Steelers’ big guy could go back-to-back.
According to FOX Sports Research, since the DPOY trophy started being awarded in 1971, a player from the AFC has won 26 times and an NFC player has won 25 times. So the conferences are pretty evenly matched.
When it comes to the side of the league the Defensive Player of the Year represents, history tells us that it’s a virtual coin flip. So we wanted to dig a little deeper and highlight some players that stand a chance at bringing home the hardware.
But let’s first dive into the odds of the current top 20 players to win Defensive Player of the Year (with all odds via FOX Bet).
ODDS TO WIN NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR*
Myles Garrett: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Aaron Donald: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
TJ Watt: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Micah Parsons: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Nick Bosa: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Fletcher Cox: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Joey Bosa: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Danielle Hunter: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Chase Young: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Maxx Crosby: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Khalil Mack: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)
Derwin James: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)
Bradley Chubb: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)
Darius Leonard: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)
Von Miller: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Jalen Ramsey: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Jaire Alexander: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Fred Warner: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Brian Burns: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
JC Jackson: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
*odds as of 8/9/2022
Aaron Donald, Micah Parsons and Von Miller are all poised to make history if they can snag the DPOY award at the end of the season.
Aaron Donald: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Donald — the mean, lean defensive machine — was a crucial part of the Rams’ championship run last season. He had three tackles and two sacks in Los Angeles’ Super Bowl win over the Bengals, and he finished the season with 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. The 2014 first-rounder’s odds to win next season’s DPOY currently sit at +700, tied at the top of the board with Myles Garrett. And to think Aaron was teasing retirement only a few short months ago. An NFL without Donald? No, thank you.
But can the defensive tackle live up to the hype and bring home the gold again? Donald, after all, is one of only three players to have won the award three times. The star would be the first to win it for a fourth if he has another dynamic season in 2022.
With a Super Bowl ring, eight Pro Bowls and a Defensive Rookie of the Year to his name, he’s under no real pressure to prove anything else in the league. But the ability to just play without needing to prove anything might be Donald’s secret weapon to earn his fourth DPOY.
Micah Parsons: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Currently, the Cowboys’ odds to bring home the Lombardi sits at +1800 at FOX Bet. Could reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY) Micah Parsons be the spark on Dallas’ defense that helps Jerry’s Boys be the last team standing? Legions of Cowboy-faithful sure hope so.
Parsons made an indelible mark in his first year in the league. The linebacker racked up 13 sacks (ranked sixth in the NFL) and recorded three forced fumbles. In the Cowboys’ lone playoff game in 2021, the then-rookie had three solo tackles and assisted on six. According to FOX Sports Research, Lawrence Taylor (1981, 1982) and Luke Kuechly (2012, 2013) are the only players to win DROY and then DPOY in consecutive years.
At +1000, Parsons becomes the third player to do so, which is a wager worth considering. And it might take Micah having a monster year on D for Dallas to finally go deep into the postseason for the first time since — well, let’s just say it’s been way too long and Cowboys fans are getting impatient.
Von Miller: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Everything Von Miller touches ends up looking better. Look at his track record as one of the league’s best-dressed athletes. But it’s not just fashion that’s Von’s forte; defense tops the list of things this linebacker is great at.
In his 10½ seasons with the Broncos, Miller averaged 39 tackles and 11 sacks. He also got his first Super Bowl ring and was named Super Bowl MVP at Mile High. During his short, eight-game tenure with the Rams, No. 40 recorded 23 solo tackles and five sacks. But before bouncing to Buffalo, the eight-time Pro Bowler added another Lombardi to his case.
As Miller enters his 12th NFL season and first with the Bills, his odds to win the DPOY are a long +3500. The tenured defensive threat’s odds are behind younger talents’ like Chase Young (+3000), Khali Mack (+3300) and former Broncos teammate Bradley Chubb (+3300). FOX Sports Research notes only two instances in which a player won the award in his first year with a new team; Neon Deion Sanders won in 1994 with the Cowboys after playing for the Falcons, and Bryce Paup won in 1995 with the Bills after playing for the Packers.
Should bettors back Von Miller to become just the third player to win DPOY in the first year with his new team? Especially with those odds? Well, his presence has helped shape his last two teams’ defenses. It would be a shame to miss out on Miller at this price if he does it again in Buffalo, which is why at +3500, he might be worth the sprinkle.
While FOX Sports betting expert Sam Panayotovich loves Aaron Donald, he’s going with a long shot to win the award.
“You could make a strong case that Aaron Donald (+700 at FOX Bet) should win this award every year, but I’m going deeper down the betting board for a bigger payout,” Sammy P said. “Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter has sack-per-game potential when healthy, and if the Vikings’ offense takes another step under new coach Kevin O’Connell, the defense will be in more sack-friendly situations.
“I like Hunter to dominate off a season-ending injury and live in the backfield, and four games against Justin Fields and Jared Goff will only pad his stats.”
PICK: Danielle Hunter (+3000 at FOX Bet) to win Defensive Player of the Year
So are you ready to place your early bet on Defensive Player of the Year? Head over to FOX Bet to get in on the action now!
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