2024-25 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award Odds: Hutchinson Hurt, Watt Takes Over

With Aidan Hutchinson forced to undergo season-ending surgery, several pass rushers are pacing ahead in 2024 Defensive Player of the Year odds, including T.J. Watt.

Trevor Knapp - Publishing Editor at Covers.com
Trevor Knapp • Publishing Editor
Oct 30, 2024 • 10:39 ET • 4 min read
T.J. Watt Pittsburgh Steelers NFL DPOY
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson was gathering momentum in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds, but a broken tibia suffered vs. the Cowboys in Week 6 has derailed his chances.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, the 2021 DPOY and a four-time finalist for the coveted award is now the clear frontrunner in this market.

Is this NFL odds race over? Or will a dark horse throw his hat into the ring? Let's take a look at where things stand with Week 9 on the horizon.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds

Player Team Position DraftKings FanDuel bet365
T.J. Watt Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers LB +100 +100 +100
Will Anderson Texans Houston Texans DE +450 +550 +550
Chris Jones Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs DT +550 +1,400 +1,000
Dexter Lawrence Giants New York Giants DT +800 +1,400 +1,200
Xavier McKinney Packers Green Bay Packers S +1,000 +2,200 +1,600
Nick Bosa 49ers San Francisco 49ers DE +1,500 +1,500 +1,400
Kerby Joseph Lions Detroit Lions S +1,600 OTB OTB
Brian Branch Lions Detroit Lions S +1,800 +4,000 +4,000
Maxx Crosby Raiders Las Vegas Raiders DE +2,000 +5,000 +2,800
Patrick Surtain II  Broncos Denver Broncos CB +2,200 +1,500 +1,600

Odds as of 10-30-2024.

Best NFL bonuses

FanDuel New Users
Bet $5+ on your first wager
Get $200 in bonus bets! Claim Now

Favorites to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award

T.J. Watt (+100)

Finishing as 2023's league leader in sacks with 19, T.J. Watt has picked up where he left off during the Pittsburgh Steelers' start to the season. The star pass rusher boasts 6.5 sacks and 24 solo tackles thus far, spearheading a defense that is allowing just 14.9 points per game. 

Watt walked away with the DPOY award in 2021, and if it weren't for injuries the following year, he would have been a serious contender to repeat in 2022.

Will Anderson (+450 to +550)

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson has been a monster over his last three games, tallying five sacks and six TFLs while batting a pass that turned into an INT.

Anderson entered Week 6 tied for seventh in the NFL with 23 quarterback pressures but had just 2.5 sacks on the season. He's no longer flying under the radar in this market.

Chris Jones (+550 to +1,400)

A former second-round in 2016, Chris Jones hasn't stopped being a menace for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The five-time Pro Bowler set the tone for the Super Bowl champs' stop unit last season, sporting a pass-rushing grade of 90.3 according to Pro Football Focus. Lawrence has taken his production to another level in Kansas City's first seven games, generating four sacks and 33 total pressures.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year betting splits

  • Although T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons topped the board before Week 1 at +550 via BetMGM, Maxx Crosby took in the most wagers with 17.8% of tickets and 2.4% of the handle. 

NFL Defensive Player of the Year betting trends

• Since this award was first given out in 1974, seven defensive players have claimed this award more than once. However, no defensive back has ever won it multiple times. 

• The NFL DPOY odds board is filled with pass rushers for 2024, which is little surprise given that nine of the last 10 winners of the award totaled at least 11 sacks.

• While voters for the NFL MVP Award seem to take team success into the equation, the same hasn't necessarily been true for DPOY accolades. Four of the last nine winners of the DPOY award were on defenses that ranked outside the Top 10.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year history

A quick look at the NFL DPOY winners since 2000 and the position they played.

Year NFL DPOY Award Winner Position
2023 Myles Garrett DE
2022 Nick Bosa DE
2021 T.J. Watt  Edge 
2020 Aaron Donald DT
2019 Stephon Gilmore CB
2018 Aaron Donald DT
2017 Aaron Donald DT
2016 Khalil Mack Edge
2015 J.J. Watt DE
2014 J.J. Watt DE
2013 Luke Kuechly LB
2012 J.J. Watt DE
2011 Terrell Suggs  Edge
2010 Troy Polamalu S
2009 Charles Woodson DB
2008 James Harrison Edge
2007 Bob Sanders S
2006 Jason Taylor Edge
2005 Brian Urlacher LB
2004 Ed Reed S
2003 Ray Lewis LB
2002 Derrick Brooks LB
2001 Michael Strahan DE
2000 Ray Lewis LB

NFL Defensive Player of the Year winners by position

Position Number of DPOY awards
Linebacker 17
Defensive end 14
Defensive tackle 10
Cornerback 6
Safety 5

Although linebackers have dominated this honor historically, defensive tackles have come on strongly lately, winning three of the last seven NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards thanks to the dominance of Aaron Donald.

Google News
Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

NFL DPOY Odds FAQs

Pages related to this topic

Trevor Knapp - Covers
Publishing Editor

Trevor joined the Covers content team as a publishing editor in early 2022. Growing up in Vancouver, he studied Broadcast and Online Journalism at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), and interned with TSN and Sportsnet Radio while also writing for the Daily Hive.

An avid bettor of the MLB, NFL, and CFL, Trevor advises his fellow sports bettors to leave their hearts at the door and not hesitate to fade their favorite team. It's a strategy he follows regularly as an apathetic Toronto Blue Jays and Indianapolis Colts fan.

Popular Content

Legal Canadian sports betting

Best Canadian betting sites Ontario sports betting
Covers 25 Years Logo Established in 1995,
Covers is the world
leader in sports
betting information.
Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo