50 Days Till the NFL Kickoff: Best Longshots For Award Races

• Aaron Donald is a +700 favorite to win the 2020 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
• Dallas Cowboys defensive end Aldon Smith is listed at +1500 odds to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
• Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is listed at +2500 odds to win his first career NFL MVP award.

LOS ANGELES - The countdown to the start of the NFL regular season has hit another milestone as we are just 50 days away from the return of football.

Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and popular players voicing their safety concerns about the upcoming season using the #WeWantToPlay.

Once again in the interest of keeping everyone (players & fans) as informed as possible, here is an updated list of what we as players know and don’t know as the first group gets set to report to training camp tomorrow.#WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/xQcjs33zgM

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 19, 2020

While the NFL and NFLPA hammer out negotiations to resume play safely, it seems the NFL will host games without fans in attendance this season. Already having done away with the preseason due to the pandemic, the NFL season will likely have more adaptations on the way.

As we turn to the final stretch of the offseason the NFL MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of Year award races are heating up at sportsbooks.

The closer we get to the regular season the shorter these odds will become so now might be the best time to place a wager on possible longshots.

Longshot Pick: Deshaun Watson (+2500)

Deshaun Watson is the best longshot value bet on the NFL MVP odds board at +2500.

Despite the departure of DeAndre Hopkins, if Watson can elevate his play even more and lead the Texans to a division title and 11 wins, he’ll have a strong case for the MVP award.

Bettors should lean towards Watson’s odds because his division is weak, and he’ll be tasked with the biggest load to carry in the Texans offense. All of which create the perfect storm for Watson to climb the odds board with a couple of stellar performances like he did at the beginning of the 2019 season when he was considered an early-season MVP candidate.

Watson has his eyes set on receiving a big contract extension as his rookie deal is close to expiring one of the best ways to secure the extension is to win the MVP just like his draft classmate Patrick Mahomes did.

Longshot Pick: Myles Garrett (+1800)

Before his season was abruptly ended due to the on-field skirmish with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, defensive lineman Myles Garrett was easily having one of the best seasons of his young career.

The former No. 1 overall pick finished the 2019 season with 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 29 tackles in only 10 games played. If Garrett would’ve been able to play the last season out in its entirety, he would’ve likely been among the league leaders in sacks and was in the conversation for the DPOY award.

Although Garrett is still young, his +1800 odds to win the DPOY award should be taken with confidence especially after the Cleveland Browns just made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL this offseason.

Garrett will likely put-up double-digit sacks but if he can continue to force fumbles at an above-average rate, he can close the gap between him and Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald who has the shortest odds to win the award.

Longshot Pick: Aldon Smith (+1500)

The 2020 season will mark the return of a once-dominant pass rusher to the NFL as Aldon Smith ends his hiatus from the league to play on a prove-it contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

Smith has not played on an NFL team since 2015 but in the five years he played before his off-field struggles derailed his career, he was one of the best pass rushers in the NFL at a young age as he racked up 33.5 sacks in his first two seasons.

The +1500 odds on Smith to return are a great value bet despite his age. The Cowboys defensive line features Demarcus Lawrence on the opposite side of Smith as well as new arrivals Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe who should prevent teams from giving extra help on Smith’s side.

Furthermore, Smith is replacing Robert Quinn who revived his career with 11.5 sacks playing the same role on a weaker defensive line last year.

Smith will have a rare opportunity at playing time once the season begins and if he’s even half the player he was before stepping away from the game he’ll likely be leading the conversation for Comeback Player of the Year midway through the season.