NFL Sack Leader Odds: Donald Edges Garrett As Favorite
In 1982, the NFL finally included sacks as an official stat. Michael Strahan holds the single-season record with 22.5 sacks in 2001, though Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Coy Bacon is widely credited with having 26 back in 1976 before it was a recorded statistic.
Since 1982, sacks have become an integral stat in determining which player will win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Last year, Stephon Gilmore became the first cornerback to win the award in over 10 years. It’s usually won by players who attack the quarterback like defensive ends JJ Watt and Khalil Mack or defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
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Online sportsbook Bodog has Donald listed with the best odds to lead the NFL in sacks this season at +175, while sportsbooks have Myles Garrett trailing him at just +250.
If you’re looking for how to bet on who will be the NFL sack leader, check out our How To Bet NFL page to get up to speed.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Aaron Donald | +175 |
| Myles Garrett | +250 |
| Bud Dupree | +850 |
| Brandon Graham | +1000 |
| T.J. Watt | +1000 |
| Jason Pierre-Paul | +1200 |
| Stephon Tuitt | +1400 |
| Emmanuel Ogbah | +1600 |
| Yannick Ngakoue | +1600 |
| Joey Bosa | +1600 |
| Maxx Crosby | +1800 |
| Za’Darius Smith | +2000 |
| Khalil Mack | +2000 |
Odds as of October 22 at Bovada
Donald Looking For His Second Sack Crown
Aaron Donald has been among the best defensive players in the league for the last few years. In 2018, he came within two sacks of tying Michael Strahan for the most ever in one season. This year the big defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams is at it again. He currently owns the best odds to lead the NFL in sacks at +175.
Not only is he the favorite to win the sacks crown, but he is also the odds-on favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award as well. Through six weeks of the season, Donald leads the league with 7.5 sacks, with four of them coming in one game against Washington.
What makes Donald so special is his incredible quickness and strength. He can bulldoze through a guard or just beat a center right off the ball to get to the quarterback. He always plays a huge part in the opposing team’s game plan as someone they have to keep an eye out for.
According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Donald is tied with Garrett for second in quarterback pressures with 19. A quarterback pressure means the QB has to hurry to get the ball out or gets knocked down as he is throwing it. There is no question that Donald is a force to be reckoned with. The only question is can anyone stop this immovable force.
Best Bet: Garrett Has What It Takes To Win
Had it not been for an incident last season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, there is a very good chance Garrett could have won the sacks title in 2019. Moving on from that debacle, Garrett is now letting his play do all the talking, and boy is it ever. He is just a half-sack behind Donald and has been an explosive player off the line all season.
The 24-year-old from Arlington, Texas, has really taken another jump in his game with his array of moves to beat defenders combined with elite strength. At six-foot-four, he is a physical beast, capable of beating any offensive lineman off the ball.
He currently owns the second-best odds to lead the NFL in sacks at +250, which is a really good bet since he is right up there with Donald. While there is plenty of football left in the season, it should be these two men at the top of the sacks chart competing for the crown by the end.
Ngakoue’s NFL Sack Leader Odds Are Great
Yannick Ngakoue wanted out of Jacksonville and he was granted his wish with a trade to the Minnesota Vikings. However, with the Vikings off to a miserable 1-5 start, he has been traded again, this time to the Baltimore Ravens.
Vikings and Ravens finalizing a trade to send DE Yannick Ngakoue to Baltimore for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional fifth-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
Vikings initially sent 2021 second-round pick and 2022 conditional fifth-round pick to Jags. Now get most back.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2020
Ngakoue is not only joining a playoff-contending team but one of the best defenses in the league. With the move to Baltimore, he has a really good chance to jump up the ranks, and at +1600 his odds to lead the NFL in sacks are great. He sits just 2.5 sacks behind Donald for the lead and now has the ability to be a force on a team that loves to pressure the quarterback.
With his ability and his move to the Ravens, it is worth putting some money down on Ngakoue to steal the crown right out from under Donald and Garrett.
