2023 NFL Futures Bets: Defensive Player of the Year Odds & Picks
As the 2023 NFL season stands on the edge of the horizon, our football forecasters at BettingPros are dusting off their crystal balls to bring you the most insightful and lucrative predictions in our latest article focusing on the best regular season awards. From predicting the season’s MVP to the outstanding offensive and defensive players, even to the Coach of the Year, our experts share their insights and expectations.
Andrew Erickson, Pat Fitzmaurice, Derek Brown and Joe Pisapia share their forecasts here, each bringing a unique perspective based on their deep understanding of the game and seasoned betting strategies. They have each developed a parlay, combining a mix of these future bets to maximize potential returns and sprinkle some extra excitement into this upcoming season.
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Best 2023 NFL Futures Regular Season Awards Bets
Here are the 2023 NFL Futures regular season awards bets that our featured analysts are making for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year. There are also a couple of popular parlays the analysts are offering.
AP NFL 2023-2024 Regular Season MVP
| ANALYST | PLAYER | ODDS | Sportsbook |
| Erickson | Lamar Jackson | 1600 | BetMGM |
| Fitz | Patrick Mahomes | 700 | DK/FD |
| DBro | Justin Herbert | 1400 | DK |
| Joe | Jalen Hurts | 1200 | FD |
MVP comes down to two simple principles-the best quarterback on the team with the best record. Currently, the teams with betting win totals above 10 include the Bengals (11.5), Eagles (11.5), Chiefs (11.5), Bills (10.5) and 49ers (10.5). The Ravens and Jaguars have 10.5 listed on some sportsbooks, and it’s the latter two that have my most interest from a betting perspective. Lamar Jackson should experience a renaissance surrounded by his best offensive personnel to date in 2023. Not a mistake that he has the shortest odds of winning offensive player of the year among quarterbacks. Factor in Jackson’s 74% win rate as a starting QB (12.5 wins in a 17-game season), and he’s the best bang for your buck in the MVP odds space. Note that our panel of experts all took the “over†on Ravens’ 9.5-win total in our NFL Season Win Totals piece.
-Andrew Erickson
Yeah, I’ll eat the chalk here. Mahomes has won the award in two of his five years as a starter. The Chiefs have averaged 12.8 regular-season wins over that span and are once again primed to be Super Bowl contenders. Mahomes has twice led the league in TD passes. He ranked first in passing yardage last season and has been runner-up in that category twice. He’s a bargain at +700.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
Justin Herbert will set the league on fire this year. Teamed with the best offensive coordinator he’s had at his side since his rookie season, Herbert could lead the NFL in every meaningful passing category this season. If Herbert posts ridiculous numbers and the Chargers win 11-12 games, his name will be in the discussion for MVP.
-Derek Brown
Hurts actually overtook Mahomes last season for this award right before his untimely injury. Few people recall this, but I do, and I think the Eagles are going to roll the NFC this season. That win total could push 14, and that would give Hurts an advantage over his AFC counterparts.
-Joe Pisapia
AP NFL 2023-2024 Offensive Player of the Year
| ANALYST | PLAYER | ODDS | Sportsbook |
| Erickson | Ja’Marr Chase | 1200 | FD |
| Fitz | CeeDee Lamb | 4000 | FD |
| DBro | Lamar Jackson | 2200 | DK |
| Joe | Ja’Marr Chase | 1200 | FD |
Don’t think you need to overthink this one, folks. In three of the last four seasons, the winner of AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year has been a WR that led the NFL in receiving yards. The only exception was during Derrick Henry’s 2,000-yard campaign. Ja’Marr Chase owns the second-shortest odds to lead the NFL in receiving yards in 2023 (+750). But the better bet is to go for a bigger payout at +1200. Joe Burrow is my favorite to lead the NFL in passing yards, which lends itself to Chase having an absolute monster 2023 campaign.
-Andrew Erickson
From the time this award was first introduced in 1972 to 2018, only one wide receiver had ever been named OPOY — Jerry Rice (1987, 1993). But wideouts have claimed three of the last four OPOY awards. Lamb had a superb third season in 2022, finishing with 107-1359-9, and he’s still ascending. The Cowboys are a public team and should be Super Bowl contenders, so Lamb will have a high profile. We’re getting attractive odds here.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
Everything aligns for Lamar Jackson to return to MVP-level form in 2023. With a new play caller and the best collection of skill players around him in his career, the only thing holding Jackson back would be himself, and I can’t see that happening. Jackson can silence all the doubters forever this season while rolling in the bountiful millions of his new contract like Scrooge McDuck.
-Derek Brown
Chase is the favorite, but the number is still amazing. Last year, I nailed this with Justin Jefferson at +1400, and this season I’m confident a full, healthy Chase/Burrow combo results in Chase taking this hardware home.
-Joe Pisapia
AP NFL 2023-2024 Defensive Player of the Year
| ANALYST | PLAYER | ODDS | Sportsbook |
| Erickson | Aidan Hutchinson | 3000 | FD |
| Fitz | Ahmad “Sauce†Gardner | 1500 | DK |
| DBro | Nick Bosa | 1200 | DK |
| Joe | Micah Parsons | 700 | FD |
Everybody that won DPOY votes last season (besides Sauce Gardner and Minkah Fitzpatrick) posted 12-plus sacks. The winner in the last two seasons has posted 18-plus sack totals. The path for the DPOY is through sack production, which naturally comes as a bonus by playing for a winning team. More leads, more pass-rush snaps, etc. Therefore, I am going with second-year edge rusher, Aidan Hutchinson.
The Lions own a top-10 schedule, so Hutchinson should have plenty of opportunities to generate sacks for a team that the media is very high on entering this season. He posted 9.5 sacks last year and finished second in DROY voting behind Gardner. The fact that Hutchinson has already been viewed by AP in voting bodes well for his chances to win DPOY. Micah Parsons won the DROPY in 2022 and followed it up with a second-place finish for DPOY in 2022.
As a side note, I do want to mention the longer shots that I love (because why not): Dolphins edge rusher Jaelen Phillips (+5000) and Jaguars edge rusher Josh Allen (+20000). Phillips has the chance to be the sack leader on a Vic Fangio-led Dolphins squad. He was sixth in total pressures last year but netted just 10 sacks. Also ranked 5th in PFF pass-rush grade. Jaguars pass-rusher Josh Allen I absolutely love at his crazy longshot odds. Similar to Phillips, he was 6th in total pressures but netted just 7 sacks. He ranked 3rd overall in QB hits behind Nick Bosa and Maxx Crosby. If the Jaguars truly take a leap in 2023, Allen (the 7th overall pick in 2021) could easily emerge as the face of their defense that lacks star power. Doesn’t hurt his chances either that he earned DROY votes back in 2019 and that his name is Josh Allen. Sharing a name with the guy on Madden is going to boost your reach on media outlets. Facts.
-Andrew Erickson
Only four cornerbacks have won the award in the past 30 years — Rod Woodson, Deion Sanders, Charles Woodson and Stephon Gilmore — but I think there’s still some value in taking Sauce at 15-1 odds. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year last season and finished eighth in the DPOY balloting. Gardner had a league-high 20 passes defended and was PFF’s top-graded cornerback. The Jets are going to be in the spotlight this year after trading for Aaron Rodgers, which means more primetime games and more attention for Sauce.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
Nick Bosa will again lead one of the league’s best defenses. The 49ers could make a deep playoff run this year if they can get their quarterback situation sorted out. If that happens and the 49ers’ defense remains a nightmare for opposing offenses, Bosa can take this down. Last year he ranked second in sacks and fifth in pass rush win rate (per PFF). I expect Bosa to be top five in both categories again in 2023.
-Derek Brown
Parsons was my ’22 investment too, but Bosa eventually snuck by him. If it’s possible, Parsons is in even better shape, and he worked out this off-season with soon-to-be Hall of Fame lineman Andrew Whitworth to think like an offensive lineman and take his game to the next level. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league, and Parsons also plays on a very public Cowboys team, so the media will hype him for the award easily.
-Joe Pisapia
AP NFL 2023-2024 Coach of the Year
| ANALYST | PLAYER | ODDS | Sportsbook |
| Erickson | Kyle Shanahan | 3000 | FD |
| Fitz | Matt Eberflus | 1200 | FD |
| DBro | Mike McDaniel | 2000 | DK |
| Joe | Arthur Smith | 1800 | FD |
I find the coaching of the year award requirements somewhat annoying. Basically, you’re looking for the coach that does the most with the least to work with at his disposal. Usually, it also pairs with a coach helping the progress of a young or retread quarterback. The team also wins more games than the previous year (or just exceeds expectations). It will be tough for the 49ers to repeat 13 wins in 2023, but there’s no doubt that the majority of the success they do have will be credited to their offensive-minded head coach. He finished second in the voting last season, dealing with a number of injuries at quarterback. With more question marks at QB between Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold in 2023, Shanahan’s going to get a ton of credit for this team’s success as the puppetmaster behind his signal-caller. His odds are just way too long.
-Andrew Erickson
The Bears finished 3-14 last season, so anything close to a .500 record for the Bears in 2023 will make Eberflus a serious contender for the award. The Bears were big spenders in free agency and had a lot of NFL Draft capital after selling the No. 1 pick to the Panthers for a king’s ransom. Chicago is going to be a vastly improved team in 2023.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
Mike McDaniel is a charismatic point-scoring mad scientist. If Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy this season, the Dolphins look like an 11-12 win team on paper. This team could legitimately field a top-ten offense and defense. If all of this comes to fruition, Miami will be in the hunt for the AFC East crown in the season’s final weeks. McDaniel can take home the hardware if they can beat out the Jets and Bills for the title.
-Derek Brown
Typically, this award is a trap this early, so I stay away from it, but an early look at the Falcons turning things around in a weak division and making the playoffs would be an intriguing early speculation.
-Joe Pisapia
2023-2024 Regular Season Awards Popular Parlays
| ANALYST | PROPS | ODDS | Sportsbook |
| Erickson | Joe Burrow to win MVP & Ja’Marr Chase to win Offensive Player of the | 5000 | FD |
| Fitz | Either Ahmad Gardner or Quinnen Williams to win Defensive Player of the Year | 800 | FD |
| DBro | Justin Fields to Win MVP or Offensive Player of the Year | 1100 | FD |
| Joe | Parsons DPOY, Hurts MVP, Chase APPOY | 135100 | FD |
Already hit on why I love Chase for OPOY. And if he does indeed lead the NFL in receiving yards and TDs, hard to imagine Joe Burrow not having an elite season alongside him.
-Andrew Erickson
The Jets are going to be a high-profile team this year, and their defense should continue to shine under head coach Robert Saleh. Gardner is my preferred choice to win DPOY, and Williams has a reasonable chance of winning it as well.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
The Chicago Bears roster will be much improved entering the 2023 season. Justin Fields showed dynamic playmaking ability last season that can be the tide to raise all ships in Chicago. While the Lions look formidable, the rest of the NFC North is a question mark. If the Bears somehow pull off a playoff push and secure the North crown, Fields could be in the discussion for either award.
-Derek Brown
Just round up the usual suspects here, and it’s quite a crazy return!
-Joe Pisapia
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