The Brow’s NBA DPOY Odds Drop a Bit, but Still Leads the Defensive Player of the Year Odds
By: James Tillman
Another Monday is upon us NBA fans, which means that we’ll be resuming our discussion about the players who are positioned to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Coming into the season, Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz was the odds-on favorite. And that trend continued for the first few months of the season. Since then, Anthony Davis has supplanted Gobert for the No. 1 spot.
Does this mean that Gobert’s reign as the league’s top defensive player is coming to an end or will he make a late push before the season is over? Here’s an updated look at how the top contenders rank in the race for the DPOY award based on their individual performances over the past week (Jan. 27 through Feb. 2).
Bet online on UNIBET ——–> Bet Now
The Third-Best NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+650 – no Change from Last Week
Giannis Antetokounmpo could do very little to improve his stock with the Bucks having just two games on their weekly slate. In a home outing against the Denver Nuggets, Giannis finished with a stat line of 31 points (on 11-for-27 shooting), 16 rebounds and nine assists. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Bucks from seeing their nine-game winning streak come to an abrupt halt.
The reigning MVP followed up that outing with another stat-stuffing performance against the Phoenix Suns. In that contest, Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, hauled in 19 rebounds and handed out nine assists. During the two-game stretch, he also averaged 1.5 blocks and one steal per contest.
Defensive Player Of The Year Odds
[table id=514 /]
The Second-Best NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds: Rudy Gobert (+310 – No Change from Last Week)
The Utah Jazz had a memorable week but for all the wrong reasons. For starters, the Jazz recorded losses in each of their four outings. Secondly, Gobert’s scoring production dipped somewhat from what we had seen coming into the new calendar year. In fact, in two of the four games, he produced a total of just 18 points (12 points against the Houston Rockets and six points against the Portland Trail Blazers). During the four-game stretch, Gobert complied averages of 14 points and 13.8 rebounds per contest.
From a defensive standpoint, Gobert was solid, as he blocked at least two shots in three of the four games, giving him an average of two blocks per outing over the past week. The ongoing question is will there be enough time for him to reclaim the top spot on our list.
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds Favorite: Anthony Davis (-290 – Last Week’s Odds: -230)
Once again, Anthony Davis continues to be the front-runner for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Over the past week, AD suited up two times. In a home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, David erupted for 37 points (on 14-for-22 shooting), 15 rebounds and six assists. However, thanks in part to an outstanding performance from Damian Lillard (48 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds), the Trail Blazers came away with a 127-119 victory.
In the next outing against the Sacramento Kings, Davis finished with 21 points, six assists and four rebounds in 30 minutes of action. From a defensive standpoint, Davis continues to get the job done as he averaged three blocks and 1.5 steals per contest over the past week. If Davis remains healthy and continues to excel at that end of the floor, winning the award is all but a foregone conclusion.
