Steve Starr
- BetUS and Bovada have prop bets on how J.J. Watt will perform in his first season with the Cardinals
- Oddsmakers set the three-time Defensive Player of the Year’s over/under on 8.25 sacks
- Arizona’s Super Bowl odds shortened from +5000 to +3300 following Watt’s signing
Just over a week has passed since J.J. Watt surprised NFL insiders by signing a two-year $31-million pact with the Arizona Cardinals. Will the three-time AP NFL Defensive Player continue his dominant career in the desert or be buried by stiff competition in the NFC West?
Let’s review some of the prop bets you can make on the first-ballot Hall of Famer heading into the 2021 regular season. You can also check out more NFL football betting resources right here.
J.J. Watt Combined Sacks in 2021
| Total Combined Sacks |  |
| Over 8.25 | -115 |
| Under 8.25 | -125 |
Watt keeps getting unplugged
How hard could it be for a man with 101 career sacks to drag a quarterback down another eight-and-half times this year? For J.J Watt, it will almost certainly come down to injuries.
Watt was the league’s top defensive player in 2012, 2014, and 2015, but he was sidelined by back problems in 2016 and a broken leg in 2017, playing in only eight games between the two seasons. After a 16-sack return to form in 2018, he then missed half of 2019 with a torn pectoral muscle.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old stayed healthy for a moribund Houston Texans defense last season but only finished with five sacks in 16 contests. However, in Arizona, he’ll form a dynamic duo with Chandler Jones — the only man with more sacks than Watt since 2012 — making it impossible for teams to double-team him.
Well … That’s one way to recover from a tough workout 🥶
(via @JJWatt) pic.twitter.com/QXrVsHo2DI
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 4, 2021
J.J. Watt Total Tackles in 2021
| Combined Tackles |  |
| Over 58.5 | -130 |
| Under 58.5 | -110 |
Texans legend has been a full-time player
In his last two healthy years, Watt averaged 56.5 combined tackles so the 58.5 over/under is only a shade optimistic if you can get past the fact that the Texans legend only played in 48 of a possible 80 games during the last five regular seasons.
Watt has been a full-time player when not on the injury report, however, playing at least 90 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018 and 2020 so we should expect him to play on all three downs. Still, it’s hard to take the OVER when Watt’s only had more than 58.5 tackles once in the past five years.
J.J. Watt Wins 1st Super Bowl in 2021
|
|
| Yes | +3300 |
Will the Cardinals win the Super Bowl?
The Cardinals’ Super Bowl odds shortened from about +5000 to +3300 after adding Watt last week. And, interestingly enough, both DeMarcus Ware and the late Reggie White each won a championship with their second team after registering more than 100 sacks with their first, so there is a precedent with legendary pass rushers claiming late-career rings.
Arizona’s defense actually outperformed Kliff Kingsbury’s offense in 2020, but Watt is apparently a big believer in Kyler Murray, texting the young quarterback that he was a major reason why he chose the Cardinals.
“You can win a Super Bowl with Kyler Murray… There’s another dimension that’s probably 40% of his game that virtually nobody else in league history can provide.”
— @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/DoksUg83La
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 3, 2021
Playing in a division with the Seahawks, 49ers, and Rams, there’s a chance the Cardinals miss the postseason altogether. But if General Manager Steve Keim can add some pass-catching weapons in the draft or free agency to complement DeAndre Hopkins, Kyler could ascend into an MVP-type talent capable of winning a Super Bowl.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
