2026 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Betting Odds Tracker
All betting odds provided by Betway.
| Team | Odds After Week 1 | August Odds | March Odds |
| Myles Garrett, Edge (LAR) | +2,500 | +425 | +450 |
| Will Anderson Jr., Edge (HOU) | +350 | +700 | +800 |
| Aidan Hutchinson, Edge (DET) | +475 | +900 | +800 |
| Nik Bonitto, Edge (DEN) | +1,100 | +1,400 | +1,200 |
| Maxx Crosby, Edge (LV) | +1,100 | +1,600 | +650 |
| Brian Burns, Edge (NYG) | +2,800 | +2,500 | +1,200 |
| Danielle Hunter, Edge (HOU) | +2,500 | +2,500 | +2,500 |
| Jalen Carter, DL (PHI) | +2,500 | +2,500 | N/A |
| T.J. Watt, Edge (PIT) | +2,500 | +2,500 | +1,400 |
| Jared Verse, Edge (CLE) | +3,500 | +2,800 | +1,200 |
| Nick Bosa, Edge (SF) | +1,800 | +2,800 | +1,200 |
| Trey Hendrickson, Edge (BAL) | +2,500 | +2,800 | +2,000 |
| Abdul Carter, Edge (NYG) | +3,500 | +3,500 | N/A |
| Aaron Donald, DL (LAR) | +3,000 | +4,000 | N/A |
| Fred Warner, ILB (SF) | +4,000 | +4,000 | N/A |
| Micah Parsons, Edge (GB) | +6,500 | +6,500 | +800 |
| T.J. Watt, Edge (PIT) | +900 | +1,800 | N/A |
Odds Movement
The biggest story here is that Myles Garrett, a massive preseason favourite, had meniscus cleanup surgery and will miss at least four games, which dropped his odds to +2,500. He's pretty much out of the race.
And his exit makes the race all the more interesting. Will Anderson Jr. and Aidan Hutchinson were already in the mix, but now they jump to becoming favourites in this race after they both got to the QB in Week 1.
T.J. Watt came out of nowhere to have a huge game after being all but forgotten following a subpar 2025 campaign. He's back in the sacks, and his pick-six is the type of splash play that sticks in the minds of voters. At +900, he's worth a look if he can replicate this performance in the coming weeks.
Nick Bosa also saw his odds drop from +2,800 to +1,800, bringing him close to gettin in the conversation. Aaron Donald, meanwhile, sat out a game and still saw his odds go from +4,000 to +3,000.
Preseason Best Value Bet: Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Detroit Lions (+900)
We said it back in March and we’ll say it again now that he’s offering even more value than before: Aidan Hutchinson is going to be thoroughly in this race. He is now nearly two full years removed from that gruesome leg break in October 2024. He had 14.5 sacks and 35 QB hits last year. Discounting 2024 when he missed 12 games to injury, his sack numbers have gone up in every year he’s been in the league.
The other thing is that, unlike OPOY, DPOY is almost always won by one of the preseason favourites. The only DPOY winners with preseason odds above +1,400 since 2014 have been DBs, and if a DB wins, there was no point in betting anyway. Five of the last six winners were also top five in preseason odds, and Hutchinson is sitting firmly in the No. 3 spot right now.
Detroit is going to have a good year overall, and Hutchinson will be a big reason for that.
Preseason Dark Horse Candidate: Jalen Carter, DL, Philadelphia Eagles (+2,500)
If you want to get a little more wild, one of the newcomers to the top 15, Jalen Carter, would be an interesting option. The Eagles should have an excellent defense again this year, and Carter should be the best player on that unit. He would have to boost his sack numbers up significantly at least to double-digits, however, even if he is an interior lineman.
