NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds & Best Bets – Donald & Garrett Co-Favorites to Win

• Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett are +700 co-favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year during the 2022-23 season
• Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt have the next-shortest odds to win the award
• Below, see the NFL’s 2022 DPOY favorites and best bets

Last season, T.J. Watt dismantled opposing offenses to the tune of an NFL-leading 22.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 21 tackles for loss. He captured his first career Defensive Player of the Year Award and, unsurprisingly, he’s amongst the betting favorites again this season.

In the eyes of oddsmakers, he’s the fourth-most-likely option to snag the title in back-to-back seasons, sitting at +900. Co-favorites Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett see their DPOY odds set at +700.

2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds

The aforementioned Watt won his first DPOY Award last season, putting up monster numbers as he shattered his previous high-water mark in sacks by 7.5. He has the slight edge over Myles Garrett to put up the most QB takedowns again this season.

Aaron Donald has been a force ever since the Rams took him with the 13th selection in 2014. He’s won DPOY in three of the last five seasons, most recently doing it in 2020. Garrett, the first overall pick in 2017, had a career-high in sacks last year with 16.

At odds of +700, a $10 wager on either Donald or Garrett would net a return of $80 should they win the prestigious award.

Donald Dominant Defender

Aaron Donald continues to chug along at a Hall of Fame pace through his first eight NFL seasons, and he’s showing no signs of letting up. Upon winning his first Super Bowl, there were rumblings he might retire, but that was quashed as he signed a 3-year, $95 million dollar extension.

Last season, he recorded 12.5 sacks, which was his sixth such double-digit sack campaign of his illustrious career. He also forced four fumbles for the fourth time in five years. He found himself front and center in a training camp brouhaha with the Bengals where he swung a helmet in a melee during practice.

"I can't believe Aaron Donald would rip off another player’s helmet and attack him with it.”

Also Aaron Donald: pic.twitter.com/9zKbOGILKC

— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) August 27, 2022

Offensive coordinators tear their hair out in preparation for the beast that is Donald, and at this point there’s no obvious sign of regression in his game.

Garrett a Worthy Adversary

Even though Myles Garrett has been fantastic through five seasons, it feels like he hasn’t fully scratched the surface yet in his vast potential. He’s been ever so slightly out in front of the DPOY Odds race from before and after the draft, and throughout the preseason.

#Browns Myles Garrett on improving his craft pic.twitter.com/RJNaHGmguh

— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) August 23, 2022

Garrett has racked up 28 sacks over the past two seasons, where he was in the top-six both times (third in 2021). In 68 career games, he’s posted 58.5 sacks.

He’ll have a terrific opportunity to get out to an early lead in the race. He’s up against former Browns QB Baker Mayfield and the Panthers in Week 1, where surely he’ll want to exact a measure of revenge on his former teammate.

Value Picks to Win 2022 NFL DPOY Award

In attempting to find value, look no further than last year’s champ T.J. Watt, who has longer odds than the top three choices (+900). He’d join his brother J.J. (2014-15) and Aaron Donald (2017-18) as recent back-to-back winners.

Random but T.J. Watt is a Week 1 monster. His numbers in the first week of the season since entering the league in 2017:

7 sacks (2nd)
9 TFL (1st)
15 QB hits (1st)

Watt only trails Chandler Jones, who collected five of his nine Week 1 sacks in 2021.

— Daniel Valente (@StatsGuyDaniel) August 31, 2022

Peering further down the board, Joey Bosa of the Chargers at +2000 is very intriguing. He had 10.5 sacks in 2021, and tied for second with seven forced fumbles. With the addition of running mate Khalil Mack to that defense, should be go off, there’s a solid chance he wins DPOY.

Joey Bosa: Highest pressure-rate over the last two seasons ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/mNHEZBmfI0

— PFF (@PFF) August 25, 2022

However, the less risky play is simply the monster that flummoxed NFL teams last year in ridiculous fashion, as he became the first player in over three decades to lead in sacks two straight seasons. T.J. Watt also has more value than the top selections on the board.

Pick: T.J. Watt (+900)