Nick Bosa named defensive player of the month, surging in DPOY odds

The San Francisco 49ers defense has been a dominant unit this season, and rookie pass rusher Nick Bosa has been a key cog. He was rewarded for his efforts on Thursday when he was named both Defensive Rookie of the Month and Defensive Player of the Month for October.

Bosa had a monster game last week against the Carolina Panthers, recording three sacks and an interception. He was the third rookie to do so since 1982, per Pro Football Talk. For the month of October, he recorded 16 tackles, six sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception.

Bosa is a heavy favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he is also now surging as a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He came into the season with big expectations, but for a rookie, not overall. Heading into Week 9, he now has the second best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, sitting at +600 behind only Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Myles Garrett (+1000) and Aaron Donald (+1100) are the next players after Bosa.

If Bosa keeps up his recent numbers, DPOY is a very real possibility. But even if he doesn’t, it makes sense for DraftKings to bring his odds down so low. The 49ers join the Patriots as the only undefeated teams in the NFL, which means they’ll remain particularly high profile. They will become a more popular wager the longer they remain undefeated, so sportsbooks will need to offset the big money that will come in.