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Christopher Boan is a writer with BetTexas.com, covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds 2025: Wembanyama Tops The List
With the NBA regular season now in full swing, it’s worth wondering which glue guy on the defensive side of the court will take home the league’s top honor for defending the basket. One name to keep an eye on this year is second year superstar Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, who averaged 8.4 defensive rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game during his rookie campaign.
The 7’4 Frenchman took the NBA by storm during his first season in the league, giving basketball fans in the heart of Texas hope that this year will be the season where San Antonio returns to the postseason. If only there was Texas sports betting to follow the Spurs along this season.
With all that in mind, BetTexas.com broke down some hypothetical odds on which NBA player has the best odds of winning this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award, with Wembanyama leading the way through the first few weeks of the year.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds 2025
Player | Team | Odds |
Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs | -220 |
Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers | +900 |
Anthony Davis | Los Angeles Lakers | +1400 |
Bam Adebayo | Miami Heat | +1600 |
Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies | +3000 |
Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | +3000 |
Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves | +3500 |
OG Anunoby | New York Knicks | +4000 |
*Odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook on Nov. 12th, 2024
Wembanyama's odds to capture the honor have already significantly shortened 10 games into the 2024-25 season, as he's averaging 3.9 blocks per game.
Other frontrunners to take home the league’s top defensive honor include Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley (+900) and Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis (+1400). Last year’s winner, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, is now listed at +3500.
Longshots to unseat Gobert as DPOY include Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies (+3000) and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors (+3000).
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Winners
Year | Player | Team |
2024 | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves |
2023 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies |
2022 | Marcus Smart | Boston Celtics |
2021 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz |
2020 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
In the last five years, the NBA has seen defensive savants like Gobert, Jackson, Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics and Antetokounmpo win the league’s DPOY honor.
Gobert was the league’s DPOY winner a year ago, thanks to posting defensive win share total of 11.6 for the Timberwolves, which marked the third highest total of his nine-year NBA career behind his 2018-19 (14.4) and 2016-17 (14.3) campaigns.
Jackson had a defensive win share of 3.8 in his award winning season in 2023, while Smart posted a DWS figure of 5.6 for Boston in 2022 and Antetokounmpo finished up at 5.0 to win the award in 2020.
FAQ
Rudy Gobert won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024. This marked his fourth time winning the award, tying him with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most wins in the history of the award.
As of November 2024, San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama is the heavy favorite to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting is conducted by a panel of 100 media members. Each voter casts a ballot ranking the top 3 defensive players in the league, with the first-place vote earning 5 points, the second-place vote earning 3 points, and so on. The player with the most points at the end of the voting process is awarded the Defensive Player of the Year.
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year award is typically announced in April or May, following the conclusion of the regular season. The exact date can vary from year to year, depending on the league's schedule.
Cited by leading media organizations, such as:
