Every year, just before the Super Bowl, the NFL announces player awards, such as MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, that you can bet on at the current prices.
This article focuses on the Defensive Player of the Year. To decide which players are worth investing in, we’ll take a look at the NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds. The goal is to decide which players look especially good and sufficiently promising, such that we position ourselves for a larger payout by investing in them before their odds drop.
2025-2026 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award Players to Watch
In addition to examining the current NFL Defensive Player of the Year betting odds, I will break down the current favorite, Nik Bonitto, and suggest investing in two players, Devin Lloyd and Brian Burns.
| Player | Odds | Sportsbook |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Burns | +3500 | |
| Devin Lloyd | +4000 | |
| Nik Bonitto | +300 |
Because there are many players to choose from, we increase our chances of hitting by betting on multiple players. Two is a good number, and both Lloyd of Jacksonville and Burns of the Giants are worthy.
New York Giants’ Brian Burns (+3500)
Brian Burns is a seminal element of the Giants’ defense and, because the Giants struggle to score, of his team as a whole. He is in a great situation where he is counted on to an extent that defensive players on other teams are generally not.
His importance to a subpar team creates impressive moments in which he stands out by contributing to upsets. For example, he contributed a sack and a tackle for loss when his team upset the Chargers.
This is a great bet because his influence is statistically measurable and perceptible, such that one doesn’t need to watch the Giants in order to know how valuable and effective he is. He ranks third in the NFL with seven sacks.
He also ranks at least near the top in categories such as tackles for loss, pressures, and QB hits. So expect more dominance from him. I recommend wagering on him at this price, which really fails to appreciate his level of impact and his promise going forward.
Jacksonville’s Devin Lloyd (+4000)
Devin Lloyd is a linebacker who has improved along with his entire team, which has already equaled its win total from last year.
Lloyd presented himself ideally when Jacksonville defeated the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. In that game, Lloyd accomplished a 99-yard defensive touchdown by intercepting Patrick Mahomes.
Lloyd flew under the radar last year because he was really bad under a now-departed defensive coordinator. However, under his current defensive coordinator, Lloyd’s situation is clearly better now. He ranks number one with four interceptions, which is incredible, especially for a linebacker.
Those who saw him play in college at Utah, where he was an All-American, are not surprised by his current success, given the incredible potential that he displayed back then. Since he finally has an effective and devoted coaching staff, one can only expect his success to continue.
He is worth investing in at the current price, which entails a great payout, before the odds drop.
Denver’s Nik Bonitto (+300)
It’s imperative to mention Nik Bonitto, who has dominated the early part of the season.
He is the NFL’s current sack leader with eight sacks. His success in one-on-one battles does a lot to suggest a positive outlook for him going forward.
However, I do not recommend investing in him because the odds suggest that he has a tremendously better outlook than Burns and Lloyd, when this simply isn’t true. Burns and Lloyd are at least as capable as Bonitto, and yet their odds are so much more attractive.
The betting value with Bonitto is no longer there.
What We’ve Covered and Next Steps
Burns’ Giants get to square off with Bonitto’s Broncos, so we’ll get to see Burns prove his value in a way that demonstrates the underrated extent to which he stacks up well against Bonitto.
Lloyd gets to face the Rams in London, where the Jaguars benefit from their experience playing overseas. We can’t wait to see Burns and Lloyd. Those are the two players worth investing in, according to the Defensive Player of the Year odds.
Timing is everything in sports betting, so be sure to invest in them before their odds drop. Capitalize on their favorable odds by opening a new offshore sportsbook account and placing a bet today.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
