At the conclusion of each NFL Season, awards are given out to the top players in a number of categories that include the Most Valuable Player, Offensive and Defensive Rookies Of The Year, Coach Of The Year, and more.
NFL betting sites are anxious to cash in on the popularity of these awards and provide odds well in advance of the winners being selected.
That unique scenario allows gamblers that have a sneaking suspicion on the player or coach that’ll hoist the award to take advantage by betting early, as the odds are well into the positive for each candidate during the preseason.
That situation doesn’t change that drastically as the season progresses. Sure, you’ll have some folks drop completely off the board due to injury or sudden irrelevance, but for the most part, all contenders hold positive moneyline odds until within days of the award ceremony.
2021-22 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Micah Parsons +150
- Gregory Rousseau +600
- Azeez Ojulari +700
- Patrick Surtain II +1000
- Jamin Davis +1000
- Jayson Oweh +1000
- Asante Samuel Jr. +1000
The NFL moneyline odds included in the above futures bet feature Micah Parsons, linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, in the lead at +150.
We can’t help but notice defensive backs Asante Samuel Jr. (Los Angeles Chargers) and Patrick Surtain II (Denver Broncos) listed with +1000 NFL odds. They’ve both made early impacts on their respective defenses and appear to have the makings of top cover corners in the league.
It will require more interceptions, several more, but if either can ascend above Micah Parsons and bag the Defensive ROY Trophy, payouts will net at 10-to-1.
2021-22 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Odds
- Dak Prescott -300
- Joe Burrow +250
- Carson Wentz +900
- Jameis Winston +1200
- Nick Bosa +2000
- Derwin James +2000
The player in the lead for comeback player of the year has been Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott since the preseason. His odds are listed well into the negative, separating him by 550 points from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
If Prescott played for any other team in the NFL, he would not be featured in the above betting line. Joe Burrow missed a majority of his rookie season in 2020 and has already parlayed that into incredible early-season success for the Bengals in only his second year.
His trajectory is light years ahead of Prescott after the same amount of snaps, yet goofball pro football writers are still fascinated by the bright lights, big stars, and massive television ratings that the Dallas Cowboys garner.
Joe Burrow is a better quarterback right now than Dak Prescott ever will be. The team that each quarterback plays for is impacting the odds, and rightfully so. The final winners are based on the opinions of writers, and as mentioned above, those notions are skewed by corporate interests.
Prescott is ahead in the statistics as of Week 7, but will Dak deserve the award over Burrow if the Bengals defy the odds and win the AFC North over the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Brown, and Pittsburgh Steelers?
Cincinnati is atop the AFC North, which is certainly a more impressive feat than the Cowboys’ number one status in the “NFC Least.”
Remember, at the end of the 2021-22 season, barring injury, Burrow will have played in 27 total games compared to Prescott’s 85. Also, if you’re a gambler who believes in Joe Burrow, bet now. It is likely that his odds will narrow significantly if Burrow continues his current blistering pace.
Also, NFL wagerers may want to keep an eye on the Super Bowl betting odds for the Bengals. They’re currently at +4000 which is ridiculous for a team that is competing for the top seed in the AFC at midseason.