On Monday, we passed along the updated odds from Bovada of every team possibly winning Super Bowl XLVIII and today the sports betting website has released some individual player prop over/unders in addition, with one Pittsburgh Steelers rookie really having an eye popping number.
According to the website, Steelers first-round draft pick, linebacker Jarvis Jones, has an over/under number of 8.5 total sacks for his rookie season.
Considering that a Steelers defensive rookie hasn\’t opened the season as starter since linebacker Kendrell Bell did it in 2001, that is a pretty high over/under number for Jones, in my opinion. Bell, by the way, finished his rookie season with nine sacks, and not only did he win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, he was also selected to the Pro Bowl.
Jones wouldn\’t have to necessarily be the Week 1 starter at right outside linebacker in order to hit 8.5 sacks, but one would figure that he would have to overtake fourth-year linebacker Jason Worilds, who is currently expected to start the season outside now that his predecessor James Harrison has been jettisoned, fairly quickly in order to have a shot at nine sacks.
Let\’s put it this way. I am all for Jones hitting that number, but sitting here just a few days removed from the 2013 NFL draft, I would be inclined to bet the under right now.
For comparison purposes, Cleveland Browns first-round draft pick, outside linebacker, Barkevious Mingo and Detroit Lions first-round draft pick, defensive end Ziggy Ansah, both have sack over/under props of 3 and 4.5 respectively.
It will be worth checking on how all of these numbers move throughout the offseason, but I found this worthy of passing on to you.
So, which way would you bet right now?
