It may not be the sexiest award in football, but there are some big names at the top of the Defensive Player of the Year odds for 2024-25.
Defense wins Super Bowl championships and having the Defensive Player of the Year certainly helps the cause. With a breakdown of the favorites and some potential value picks, here are the current DPoY odds:
NFL Defensive Player Of The Year Odds For 2024-25
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| T.J. Watt | +160 |
| Will Anderson Jr. | +650 |
| Chris Jones | +750 |
| Dexter Lawrence | +900 |
| Fred Warner | +1400 |
| Nick Bosa | +1400 |
| Xavier McKinney | +2100 |
| Patrick Surtain | +2500 |
| Maxx Crosby | +2500 |
Odds as of October 21st, from Caesers Sportsbook
Micah Parsons opened the season as DPOY favorite. The Cowboys' edge rusher finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting last year (with seven first-place votes), but he's not really in contention anymore this season after suffering a high-ankle sprain. With Aidan Hutchinson also suffering a major injury, TJ Watt is the new favorite.
DPOY Pick: T.J. Watt (+160)
I got Watt at +850 value before the season began and I'm still buying in now after Week 7. Watt arguably should’ve won the DPoY Award last year, leading the NFL in sacks for the third time. He’s come top-three in DPoY voting each season he’s been healthy since 2019 and earned 19 first-place votes last season (just four fewer than Myles Garrett).
I never really got why he didn't open as favorite this season and I was proven right in Pittsburgh's first few games of the season, with Watt leading another great Steelers defense. Give me TJ to snatch this award.
DPOY Value Pick: Xavier McKinney (+2100)
McKinney is having himself one hell of a season, so far. The Packers safety has a league-leading five interceptions through seven games, on top of 30 tackles, six passes defended, a sack, and a fumble recovery. McKinney currently ranks out as the best safety in the NFL, per PFF.
With his ball-hawking play so far (and contributions in sacks and tackles), I don't get how McKinney isn't higher in these odds. However, interceptions is a hard metric to reliability produce in so it'll be hard for the Packers DB to keep this up. There's a reason we've only had one defensive back win this award in the last decade.
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Last 10 Defensive Player of the Year Winners
| Year | Player | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Myles Garrett | Cleveland Browns | DE |
| 2022 | Nick Bosa | San Francisco 49ers | DE |
| 2021 | T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers | LB |
| 2020 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | DT |
| 2019 | Stephon Gilmore | New England Patriots | CB |
| 2018 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | DT |
| 2017 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | DT |
| 2016 | Khalil Mack | Oakland Raiders* | DE |
| 2015 | J.J. Watt | Houston Texans | DT |
| 2014 | J.J. Watt | Houston Texans | DT |
*now the Las Vegas Raiders.
Our previous 10 DPOY winners have a few familiar faces… Donald and the J.J. Watt make up 50% of this list! With the older Watt and Donald's retirements in recent years, maybe T.J. can pick up the mantle.
Who Has Won the Most NFL DPOY Awards?
| Player | Awards Won | Position | Team | Winning Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Taylor | 3 | Linebacker | New York Giants | 1981 - 1982, 1986 |
| J.J. Watt | 3 | Defensive End | Houston Texans | 2012, 2014 - 2015 |
| Aaron Donald | 3 | Defensive Tackle | Los Angeles Rams | 2017 - 2018, 2020 |
| Joe Greene | 2 | Defensive Tackle | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1972, 1974 |
| Mike Singletary | 2 | Linebacker | Chicago Bears | 1985, 1988 |
| Bruce Smith | 2 | Defensive End | Buffalo Bills | 1990, 1996 |
| Reggie Smith | 2 | Defensive End | Philadelphia Eagles / Green Bay Packers | 1987, 1998 |
| Ray Lewis | 2 | Linebacker | Baltimore Ravens | 2000, 2003 |
Where only two running backs have won three awards for Offensive Player of the Year, the DPOY award boasts three stalwart defenders in Donald, Watt, and Taylor. All three of these players earned the award in back-to-back seasons.
For all their accolades, none of these players brought their team to a Super Bowl in the same year they won DPOY.
NFL Teams With the Most DPOY Winners
| Team | Awards Won | Most Recent DPOY Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | OLB - T.J. Watt (2021) |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4 | OLB - Terrell Suggs (2011) |
| New York Giants | 4 | DE - Michael Strahan (2001) |
| Houston Texans | 3 | DE - J.J. Watt (2015) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | LB - Derrick Brooks (2002) |
| Buffalo Bills | 3 | DE - Bruce Smith (1996) |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 | DE - Jason Taylor (2006) |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | DE - Nick Bosa (2022) |
| Los Angeles Rams | 3 | DT - Aaron Donald (2020) |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | LB - Brian Urlacher (2005) |
The Steelers don’t even make this close — their long-standing reputation as defensive juggernauts is well-earned, doubling the Ravens and Giants’ collection of DPOY award winners.
Teams That Have Never Had A DPOY
While the Steelers seemingly churn out DPOYs every season, there are several teams that have never had a player win the award:
Defensive Player of the Year Betting Trends and Notes
- Four of the previous ten winners led the league in sacks during their DPOY season - Nick Bosa, Aaron Donald, and J.J. Watt (twice).
- Out of the previous ten winners, Aaron Donald (2020) and J.J. Watt (2015) are the only two players to have favorited odds before the start of the season,
- The five most recent DPOY winners represent the longest span the award has gone to a different player each year since J.J. Watt won his first award in 2012.
- Players can still stand a chance at winning even if their team’s performance is subpar — four of the last nine winners played on a defense that was ranked lower than the top ten.
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NFL Defensive POY Betting FAQ
Can I bet on the NFL Defensive Player of the Year?
Yes, you can bet on the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, plus a number of other NFL futures like Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year. But before you wager on these awards, be sure to sign up for a betting account with an online sportsbook.
Who is the favorite to win the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year?
TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the current betting favorite at -350 odds to win the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Micah Parsons, Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett are next up on the list in DPOY odds.
Who won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2020?
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald won the award in 2020. With 13.5 sacks, Donald was a dominant force for the Rams, and won his third Defensive Player of the Year award in four years. This season, Donald will try to become the first player to ever win the award four times.
