A defensive player has been named Super Bowl MVP in just seven previous big games so the odds are long that one will get the honor for Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVI between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants in Indianapolis. The last player on that side of the ball to win MVP was Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Dexter Jackson, who had two interceptions in the Bucs’ SB XXXVIII win over the Oakland Raiders.
 
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The defensive player this time with the shortest odds on Bovada’s Super Bowl props is Giants end Jason Pierre-Paul at 25/1. In just his second season out of the University of South Florida, Pierre-Paul played like an NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The 23-year-old finished fourth in the NFL during the regular season with 16.5 sacks. He also had 86 tackles and two forced fumbles. In the meeting with New England back on Nov. 6, Pierre-Paul had three tackles and a sack in the Giants’ 24-20 upset win. He has just a half-sack in three playoff games.
 
The next defensive players with the shortest odds are Giants safety Antrel Rolle and ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora as well as Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, all at 75/1. 
 
Rolle had 96 tackles and two interceptions during the regular season. He had six tackles in the first meeting with New England and has 21 tackles and a rumble recovery in these playoffs. Tuck missed several games during the season with injuries and finished with five sacks. He was held to three tackles in the first meeting with the Pats. Tuck had 1.5 sacks in the NFC title win over San Francisco. Umenyiora, who also missed some games due to injury this season, had nine sacks during the year. But a healthy Umenyiora has come on in the playoffs with 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
 
Wilfork generally doesn’t up big stats because he commands double teams, but he’s arguably the premiere nose tackle in football. But he has 2.5 sacks in two playoff games and was virtually unblockable in the AFC title game win over Baltimore with six tackles, including three for a loss.

 
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