Donald Still Behind in Defensive Player of the Year Odds After 4-Sack Game
By Chris Amberley in NFL Football
Updated: April 6, 2020 at 11:17 am EDTPublished:
- Aaron Donald is vying to become just the third player in NFL history to win back to back Defensive Player of the Year honours
- Donald’s odds have improved after his four sack performance versus the 49ers
- Khalil Mack’s Odds have fallen after two straight mediocre games, but he is still a massive favorite
Aaron Donald is the best Defensive player in Football. In fact, he might be the best player in the entire NFL. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is terrorizing opposing offenses every week, yet he still isn’t getting the respect he deserves at the books.
Odds to Win 2018 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Khalil Mack | EVEN |
| JJ Watt | +650 |
| Aaron Donald | +650 |
| Myles Garrett | +750 |
| Gino Atkins | +2000 |
| Von Miller | +2000 |
| TJ Watt | +2000 |
| Danielle Hunter | +2200 |
Fresh off claiming Defensive Player of the Week honours, Donald’s odds to win Defensive Player of the Year have shortened, but he is still well behind the current favorite Khalil Mack.
Donald is Dominant
Donald is Pro Football Focus’ highest graded player through seven weeks of the season. Just how dominant is he? Check out this ridiculous stat line from the Rams’ blowout win over the 49ers.
Four sacks, nine total tackles, six tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, a forced fumble + a fumble recovery ?
Congrats @AaronDonald97 for being named NFC Defensive Player of the Week!
? » https://t.co/OBxGPC2OE6 pic.twitter.com/PLovTciU4m
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 24, 2018
That’s an entire season’s worth of stats for most interior defenders, but for Donald it’s just another day at the office.
Aaron Donald is a full-grown man and he’ll take that football now. Just ripped it out with one arm. pic.twitter.com/GUWG8UbVmD
— Dieter Kurtenbach (@dkurtenbach) October 21, 2018
He leads in the league in sacks, has 11 more quarterback pressures than anyone else and is a huge reason why the Rams are off to a 7-0 start.
Mack Takes a Step Back
After storming out of the gate with gaudy numbers, Khalil Mack has seen a big drop in production over the last two weeks. He’s currently playing through an ankle injury and is not impacting the game at the same level as Donald.
Khalil Mack vs Aaron Donald Statistical Comparison
| 5 | Sacks | 8 |
| 4 | Forced Fumbles | 1 |
| 25 | QB Pressures | 47 |
| 3 | Tackles for Loss | 10 |
While it’s refreshing to see Mack’s odds come back to the pack, a bet on him at even money seems foolish given his injury status. He should be priced in the same tier as Donald, if not lower, and is not worthy of a bet until his odds are drastically reduced.
All in on Donald
It’s time to push our chips into the middle. I’m kicking myself over missing a chance to bet Donald at +900 last week, but his current price won’t last long.
He is a generational talent and it’s only a matter of time before he is the runaway favorite to repeat as Defensive Player of the Year. Grab the +650 while you can.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
