NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds 2024

After 12 weeks of NFL action, the Defensive Player of the Year Award has a clear-cut favorite, with Pittsburgh outside linebacker T.J. Watt (-160) separating himself from the pack.

Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones (+1100) and San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa (+1600) round out the top three.

Watt (2021) and Bosa (2022) have previously won the award and are attempting to add a second trophy to their cabinet.

We’ll take a deep dive below into the 2024 DPOY odds and showcase the favorite, a contender and a longshot who could win the award.

Note: Odds were correct at the time of writing.

How Is The Winner Decided?

The Associated Press (AP) Defensive Player of the Year Award (DPOY) is presented yearly to the best defensive player in the NFL, as determined by a panel of 50 AP sports writers.

The AP DPOY has been awarded since 1971. The recipient is announced the day before the Super Bowl at the “NFL Honors” ceremony.

2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds

The odds featured below reflect 12 weeks into the season. These odds have been shopped and are the best currently available. They are subject to change.

Player/Position	Team	Odds	Sportsbook(s)
T.J. Watt (OLB)	PIT Steelers	-160	FanDuel/Caesars
Chris Jones (DT)	KC Chiefs	+1100	FanDuel
Nick Bosa (DE)	SF 49ers	+1600	DraftKings
Trey Hendrickson (DE)	CIN Bengals	+1600	BetMGM/FanDuel
Dexter Lawrence II (DL)	NY Giants	+1900	FanDuel
Patrick Surtain II (CB)	DEN Broncos	+2500	FanDuel/BetMGM/DraftKings/BetRivers
Will Anderson Jr. (DE)	HOU Texans	+2500	FanDuel/ESPN BET

Notable Stats:

• Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson (DE) recorded 7.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss (TFL) and 19 total tackles through five weeks before suffering a season-ending broken leg. He was on pace to win the DPOY.
• Dallas OLB Micah Parsons, the co-favorite entering the season at +550 on most bookmakers, has only played six games due to injury. He’s recorded three sacks, 17 total tackles and three TFLs.
• Watt led the league in sacks last season (19) for the third time since entering the NFL in 2017.

2024 DPOY Candidates

The three candidates below present a strong case to win the 2024 award.

The data was compiled from ESPN, Pro Football Focus (PFF), Player Profiler and Pro Football Reference.

The Favorite

T.J. Watt – PIT Steelers (-160)

The Wisconsin product ranks first in forced fumbles (four) and fifth in quarterback pressures (38). He has also recorded 7.5 sacks (sixth), 12 TFLs and two fumble recoveries.

Opposing teams often double-team the 30-year-old, yet he still owns a 19% defensive end pass rush win rate, ranking 11th in the league for the position.

He’s helped the Steelers’ defense as a collective unit rank fifth in pass rush win rate (46%).

Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades Watt 92.9/100, which is second among all defensive players.

Watt has made the Pro Bowl for six consecutive seasons from 2018-2023 (every campaign aside from his rookie year).

At -160, it would likely take an injury to prevent him from winning his second DPOY award due to just seven games remaining on Pittsburgh’s schedule.

The Contender

Chris Jones – KC Chiefs (+1100)

The dominant force on the Chiefs ranks first among all defensive tackles (DT) in pass rush win rate with 18%.

Jones has also recorded 35 quarterback pressures (fourth in the NFL among DTs), 3.5 sacks and five TFLs.

PFF gives the 6-foot-6, 310-pounder an 89.5 rating for interior defenders, the league’s third-best rating.

The Mississippi State product has made the Pro Bowl for five consecutive seasons (2019-2023) and was named to the AP NFL All-Pro first team the past two years.

He’s also helped the Chiefs significantly in run-stopping. Kansas City ranks first in the NFL in run block win rate (75%).

Longshot

Dexter Lawrence – NY Giants (+1900)

The 6-foot-4, 342-pound defensive lineman is tied for second in the league in sacks (nine) with Nick Bonitto and trails Trey Hendrickson (11.5).

However, Lawrence has played in a game less than Bonitto and Hendrickson.

Through 10 weeks, Lawrence has earned an 89.8 rating by PFF among interior defenders, the second-best behind Pittsburgh’s Cam Heyward (90.5).

Lawrence ranks fourth among DTs with eight TFLs and ninth with 21 solo tackles.

Previous NFL DPOY Winners

Year	Player/Position	Team
2023	Myles Garrett (DE)	CLE Browns
2022	Nick Bosa (DE)	SF 49ers
2021	T.J. Watt (OLB)	PIT Steelers
2020	Aaron Donald (DT)	LA Rams
2019	Stephon Gilmore (CB)	NE Patriots
2018	Aaron Donald (DT)	LA Rams
2017	Aaron Donald (DT)	LA Rams
2016	Khalil Mack (OLB)	OAK Raiders
2015	J.J. Watt	HOU Texans
2014	J.J. Watt	HOU Texans

Note: Khalil Mack won the award with the Oakland Raiders. The franchise relocated to Las Vegas in 2020.

Always Shop Around

Odds shopping is imperative when betting on sports. It is defined as comparing odds across various bookmakers and finding the best available price.

For example, Chris Jones is currently +1100 on FanDuel Sportsbook to win DPOY. A $10 bet would net a $110 profit.

He’s also listed at +850 on Caesars. A $10 bet would earn $85 in profit. There is a significant disparity between the two payouts, so odds shopping every time you bet saves you money and helps your long-term ROI.

BestOdds features an odds shopping tool that allows readers to see the best available lines and payouts for moneylines, spreads and totals.

Remember to bet responsibly and carefully monitor your bankroll.

How To Bet On The NFL Defensive Player Of The Year

To bet on the DPOY award, you must:

1. Log into your sportsbook.
2. Look for the NFL betting odds tab.
3. Click on the ‘Players Futures’ category.
4. Select the DPOY award to display the odds.
5. Choose the player you want to wager on.
6. Submit it from the bet slip window on the right-hand side of the screen.