At the beginning of the 2023-24 NBA season, it seemed like there would be a changing of the guard in the Defensive Player of the Year race. The previous mainstays were being replaced by up-and-coming talents, setting up for a new era of defensive stars. However, that turned out not to be the case. Here are the latest odds to win Defensive Player of the Year courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds
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Rookies Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have thrust their way into the award picture but they are well behind the leader Rudy Gobert. Jarrett Allen was not the Cavaliers big man many expected to be in this conversation at this point but Evan Mobley’s injury pushed Allen to the forefront. Regular contenders Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo have been listed for the sake of being listed but it’s clear who is winning this award.
Best bet: Rudy Gobert (-650)
After two seasons out of the limelight, Gobert has bounced back defensively in a big way for the Timberwolves. Minnesota is the league’s best defensive team and the big man is the primary reason why. Gobert leads the league in individual defensive rating per nba.com/stats when filtering for minutes played. His rebounding percentages are near the top of the league as well when filtering for minutes played, which gives him the best overall case to win. The payout isn’t great for backing Gobert but this is a slam dunk. Voter fatigue won’t exist as much here, especially since the margin is so great between Gobert and other contenders.