- Get the latest betting odds on the top favorites for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award.
- Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is a -190 favorite to win his first award in 2024-25.
- Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert won his fourth DPOY trophy in 2023-24.
The NBAโs Defensive Player of the Year award selection process is straightforward. Voters tend to pick the best defensive player on one of the best defensive teams in the league.
That formula led to Rudy Gobert claiming his fourth DPOY award in 2023-24. He anchored a Minnesota Timberwolves team that ranked first in defensive rating and first in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Remarkably, 11 of the previous 12 winners have played on a team that ranked first or second in defensive rating. All 12 of those DPOY winners were on a team that ranked first or second in points allowed per 100 possessions, a testament to the consistency of this formula.
With that in mind, here is a look at the latest NBA betting odds and the best predictions for the DPOY race in 2024-25:
Odds to Win NBA Defensive Player of the Year 2024-25
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | Spurs | -190 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | Grizzlies | +1000 |
| Dyson Daniels | Hawks | +1000 |
| Evan Mobley | Cavaliers | +1200 |
| Anthony Davis | Lakers | +2000 |
| Bam Adebayo | Heat | +2200 |
| Draymond Green | Warriors | +2200 |
| Rudy Gobert | Timberwolves | +4000 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Bucks | +6600 |
| Jalen Suggs | Magic | +6600 |
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds: Wembanyama Still Favored
Wembanyama was initially installed as a -225 NBA odds favorite, and his value got to as high as -250. At the time, Wembanyama was the biggest preseason favorite for any NBA award since at least 2003.
I recommended avoiding his original price, which proved the correct decision. He was eventually trading at plus-money before an injury to Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren led to him going back to a -190 value. At his current price tag, the 7-foot-4 big man an implied probability of 65.52% to win the award.
Itโs important to note that Wembanyama must play 65 games to win this award, but Iโm more open to taking that risk as his value gets better. He averaged 3.6 blocks, 1.2 steals, and 8.4 defensive rebounds per game last year and is well on his way to winning several DPOY awards in his career.
Betting on Wemby in this market is still counting on the Spurs to improve as a team. They ranked 22nd in defensive rating and 21st in points allowed per 100 possessions.
They have been a top-12 defense early in the 2024-25 season.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Best Bets for 2024-25
Iโll update this page with my best bets throughout the season in the Defensive Player of the Year market.
At this time, I donโt have any bets for the DPOY race.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Betting Splits
Here are the latest betting insights for the Defensive Player of the Year market at the online sportsbook:
- Most tickets: Victor Wembanyama 16.8%
- Highest handle: Victor Wembanyama 32.7%
- Biggest liability: Chet Holmgren
- Odds leader: Victor Wembanyama
2023-24 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Voting
| Rank | Name | Team | Vote Pts | 1st Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rudy Gobert | MIN | 433 | 72 |
| 2 | Victor Wembanyama | SAS | 245 | 19 |
| 3 | Bam Adebayo | MIA | 91 | 3 |
| 4 | Anthony Davis | LAL | 83 | 4 |
| 5 | Herbert Jones | NOP | 14 | 0 |
| 6 | Jrue Holiday | BOS | 7 | 1 |
| 7 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | OKC | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | Derrick White | BOS | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 3 | 0 |
| T10 | Jarrett Allen | CLE | 1 | 0 |
| T10 | Alex Caruso | CHI | 1 | 0 |
| T10 | Domantas Sabonis | SAC | 1 | 0 |
| T10 | Jalen Suggs | ORL | 1 | 0 |
List of Defensive Player of the Year Winners
| Year | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Rudy Gobert | MIN |
| 2022-23 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | MEM |
| 2021-22 | Marcus Smart | BOS |
| 2020-21 | Rudy Gobert | UTA |
| 2019-20 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL |
| 2018-19 | Rudy Gobert | UTA |
| 2017-18 | Rudy Gobert | UTA |
| 2016-17 | Draymond Green | GSW |
| 2015-16 | Kawhi Leonard | SAS |
| 2014-15 | Kawhi Leonard | SAS |
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