As the New England Patriots officially hit the halfway point of the 2022-23 season, there's still a lot that is unknown. Are they serious contenders in the AFC? Is Mac Jones worthy of being their franchise quarterback? How can they overcome their persistent offensive struggles? No one truly knows the answer to all of those questions.
One thing we all know, however. Matthew Judon has played himself into serious consideration for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award.
That much was known entering Sunday's matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, as DraftKings Sportsbook had him among the favorites to take home the award on Nov. 1:
NFL DPOY Odds (Nov. 1)
Micah Parsons -225
Nick Bosa +600
Myles Garrett +850
Von Miller +2000
Aaron Donald +2200
Maxx Crosby +2200
Matthew Judon +3000
Khalil Mack +4000
Rashan Gary +4000
Quinnen Williams +4000
Za'Darius Smith +4000
Those numbers are certain to change following Judon's monstrous performance Sunday. The 30-year-old finished the Patriots' win over the Indianapolis Colts with 3.0 sacks, three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits on second-year signal-caller Sam Ehlinger, extending his NFL lead in sacks to 11.5 through nine games. He also leads the NFL in QB pressures (32).
So with the numbers growing shorter every week, and Parsons still looking like the odds-on favorite, it may be too late to lay a wager on the man in the red sleeves.
BetMGM, who has Judon listed at a much more desirable +5000 to win the award, has only received 2.3% of their bets and 2.6% of the handle on the Patriots pass rusher. Parsons, who is listed at -130, has dominated the market and received 22.3% of the bets and 28.2% of the handle on DPOY, per BetMGM data analyst Drew O'Dell.
By the time sportsbooks do their magic and get numbers back up, Judon's odds will decrease and bet counts will increase. That's just the nature of futures betting. The only thing that is for certain is you'd better get in now if you like him before the numbers get ugly.
