Stephon Gilmore Still Odds-On Favorite to Win NFL DPOY, Chandler Jones Still Listed at +1000

• New England Patriots’ corner Stephon Gilmore has two interceptions, a touchdown and six passes defensed in the last three weeks.
• Los Angeles Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald has three sacks and eight tackles in his last three contests.
• Arizona Cardinals’ linebacker Chandler Jones registered four sacks last week and now has 19 on the season. He’s 3.5 shy of the NFL record (22.5) set by Michael Strahan.

The NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year odds have shifted significantly over the last few weeks of action. On December 11th, Stephon Gilmore’s odds were at +450 but now the NFL DPOY odds now show him as a -250 favorite.

As we enter the final week of the regular season, can anybody swoop in and take the award from him?

2019 NFL DPOY Odds

*Odds taken December 25th

Gilmore Ascends Following Big Game Versus Bengals

Gilmore’s odds have changed quite a bit in the last couple of weeks and one of the big reasons for it was his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15. He picked off Andy Dalton twice in that game, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

We asked Stephon Gilmore if he was Defensive POY: "my play speaks for itself……no question" pic.twitter.com/VaUxFRAzoL

— Zolak & Bertrand (@ZoandBertrand) December 18, 2019

Overall, he has picked up six passes defended in his last three games – that’s nearly a third of the 19 he’s collected this year – which has helped him shoot up the board.

On top of that, the Patriots have won two in a row while the teams of a lot of contenders have faltered. That’s also strengthened Gilmore’s case.

Donald Slips as Rams Stumble

Aaron Donald is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and for a portion of the 2019 campaign, he was favored to win the award. However, back-to-back losses by the Rams where the doors were blown off the defense seems to give the impression that he’s not having the same type of impact as Gilmore.

While that may or may not be true, the optics tend to be a factor here. Donald has three sacks, eight tackles and a pass defended over his last three games. However, the Rams have lost two straight while giving up 78 points. It becomes tougher for him to make a case when the defense is performing poorly.

Can Chandler Jones Swoop In?

Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones is making a late-season push to steal the DPOY from Gilmore. The Cards are coming off an impressive road win over the Seattle Seahawks and Jones is chasing the NFL’s all-time record for sacks in a season. That’s why he’s in the conversation.

Jones collected a whopping four sacks last week, which pushed him up to 19 on the year. He has 10.5 sacks in his last seven games and has also forced four fumbles, which is a remarkable stretch. The record for sacks in a season is 22.5 – Jones will need another four-sack effort to beat it – but if he pulls it off, he might get the nod over Gilmore.

He’s facing Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams this week, who have had a tough time protecting their quarterback. Goff has been sacked nine times in his last seven games. He’s been sacked four times in a game twice.

Jones is having a great season but back-to-back four-sack weeks seems unlikely. Unless he notches the record, it’s hard to see him edging out Gilmore.

What’s the Best Bet?

It feels like it’s Gilmore’s year right now and you’re only paying -250 right now. That’s not too bad of a price for someone who has a clear-cut lead over the rest of the pack. With Donald, I don’t see him in the running right now while Jones needs a record-day as well as the sack record to get the award.

At -250, Gilmore seems like a reasonable bet that Jones won’t make it happen.