The Brow Knows the Best NBA DPOY Odds
Before the start of the 2019 NBA season, the three players who were favored to legitimately compete for the Defensive Player of the Year award included Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) and of course Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz) – who has won the award in each of the last two seasons.
Rudy Gobert was at the top of the list during the early portion of the season but was recently overtaken by Anthony Davis. Did Gobert do enough over the past week (December 9 – December 15) to reclaim the top spot on the list? Let’s take a look at the updated odds for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Defensive Player Of The Year Odds
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NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds No. 3 Spot: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+500—No Change)
Giannis helped lead the Bucks to the best record in the league last season. But if you thought his numbers were more of an aberration than reality, you would have been sadly mistaken. The Greek Freak is at it again, posting averages of 31.0 points, 12.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per contest on 56.3 percent shooting. And over the past week, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a perfect 3-0 record, with averages of 32.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest.
Make no mistake, Giannis is probably the best all-around player on the list, and he may even go on to win the MVP a second time. However, until his defensive impact matches what he does from an offensive standpoint, it wouldn’t be wise to bet on him as the favorite to win the award.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds No. 2 Spot: Rudy Gobert (+300). Last Week’s Odds (+250)
For the second straight week, Mr. Gobert has put together a solid string of outings from an offensive standpoint. He put up a double-double (19 points and 10 rebounds) in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 9. He followed that up with a 20-point, 16-rebound effort against the Minnesota Timberwolves and a 15-point, 15-rebound effort against the injury-depleted Golden State Warriors.
Unfortunately, the reigning champion didn’t do all that much from a defensive standpoint, as he averaged just 1.3 blocks per contest over the recent three-game stretch. Word to the wise, unless Gobert regains his previous form from over the past two seasons, don’t continue to put your money on this guy.
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NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds on Favorie: Anthony Davis (-177). Last Week’s Odds (-152)
When the season first began Anthony Davis was the No. 2 player on this list but has continued to surge, allowing him to claim the top spot for the second straight week. The Lakers managed to win all three of their games over the past week. Davis began his weekly slate with a somewhat modest performance of 16 points and 12 rebounds in a 96-87 win against the Orlando Magic. He followed that up with a 33-point, 10-rebound effort against the Miami Heat and concluded his three-game slate with a 27-point, 13-rebound outing against the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 15.
On the other end of the floor, Davis averaged 2.3 blocks and one steal per contest during that stretch. As impressive as Davis has been as of late, it is too early to label him as the runaway winner just yet. If he continues to excel at that end of the floor, though, AD will become the top defensive player in the NBA – a goal he set for himself at the beginning of the season.
