2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award Odds and Predictions

Defense wins championships, and it won’t be long before we find out who the next NBA Defensive Player of the Year will be. Oddly enough, there hasn’t been much correlation between the actual NBA Championship and the player that wins this award in recent years, but perhaps that can change this season.

Whether you think it will or not, the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds have been updated, and Draymond Green is the favorite to claim the hardware. It’s an award he’s won before, which means it really won’t be shocking if he takes it home again.

Should Draymond Green be favored, and should he actually win? Those are two questions I will broach as I look over the most recent NBA DPOY odds and go over my favorite NBA picks for this particular betting market.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds

Check out the latest NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds, courtesy of the best sports betting sites:

I must say, I am a bit surprised that an aging Draymond Green is still held in such high regard as a defender in the NBA. His NBA odds for this betting market suggest he’s a lock, but it’s fair to say I don’t see him as a slam dunk bet. He’s definitely still a plus defender, but is he really so good that he’s better than the entire field in this one facet of the game?

The debate rages on, to be sure, but there’s a strong argument that you could be getting elite betting value with anyone not named Draymond Green. A -350 price for a favorite is obviously not bad, but starting even with Evan Mobley at +350, you’re looking at some awfully appealing prices.

I’d go far further than that, of course, as there’s one particular player who is oddly enough up for the NBA Most Improved Player award as well.

But we’ll get to that. The point is that Draymond Green is the clear frontrunner by price, but I think this is one NBA award race that could lead to an upset winner.

You can roll with my final prediction below, or check out the best handicappers available online to get an additional edge when placing bets on NBA betting markets such as this.

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NBA Defensive Player of the Year Contenders

Let’s break down each coach left competing for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award:

Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)

It’s a bit wild to think the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year could hail from a team in the NBA Play-In Tournament, but here we are. 

The 35-year old Green has never been an offensive stalwart, but his defensive presence continued to be felt this season. His Golden State Warriors weren’t able to win the competitive Pacific Division, but they still enjoyed a solid 48-34 season and have a shot to make the playoffs.

Green’s impact has always been felt on the defensive end of the floor, with his tenacity and versatility earning him this very award once already in his career. It’s been a bit since he last won (2016-17), but many would argue he should have nabbed his second DPOY trophy by now.

It’d be fitting for his second award to come this year, as Green is still a nasty defensive player, (1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game), and was a key cog in a Dubs defense that ranked 7th in defensive efficiency.

Green is favored to get the win, but it’s worth noting that his competition had better numbers, while he also failed to crack the top-20 in individual defensive net rating. 

Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Evan Mobley has enjoyed such a magical 2024-25 campaign that he’s also in the running for the NBA Most Improved Player award. He isn’t exactly a great bet to win that one, so he may have his sights set on claiming his first DPOY trophy.

It’s not a completely unrealistic goal, seeing as Mobley currently has the second best NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds, just behind the favored Green. He may be a bit overshadowed by other stars on his loaded Cleveland Cavaliers team, but you can’t question his individual presence on a deadly Cavs defense.

Is playing for one of the best NBA teams in the league a negative? Only when your name is Evan Mobley, it appears.

As a whole, Cleveland owns the 8th most efficient defense in the league, but Mobley has been individually impressive, ranking 6th in defensive net rating. He’s even racked up 0.9 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. All of those numbers are either on par with Green, or far better.

The kicker? Cleveland dominated the Central Division, managed the best record in the Eastern Conference, and own the #1 seed going into the NBA playoffs. And while Mobley may get honored for his defensive bite, he’s been just as good on offense with 18.5 points per game on 55.7% shooting.

Mobley has also excelled on the boards, racking up 9.3 rebounds per game. All told, he has been a two-way dynamo and has way better team success to back him. One could certainly suggest Mobley’s supporting cast made life easier on him, but the production and Cleveland’s standing speak for themselves.

Luguentz Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Someone quite a bit less likely to earn this award is Lu Dort, who does not have near the offensive production as someone like Evan Mobley, and is just not as versatile as someone like Draymond Green.

That said, when you look up 3-and-D players in the dictionary, there’s a picture of Dort smiling back at you. He is a classic shutdown defender, regularly being tasked with covering the opposing team’s best offensive player, and consistently rising to the occasion.

Despite always running into explosive superstar scorers, Dort more than holds his own on defense. He doesn’t blow you away with his defensive stats, but he did average 1.1 steals per game on the year, and was inside the top-20 in defensive net rating.

Dort’s defensive aptitude as an individual is beyond evident, but his impact is perhaps more impressive when you look at his Oklahoma City Thunder defense as a whole. OKC is the best team in the league for a reason, with Dort playing a big part of the most efficient defensive squad in The Association.

He isn’t the only important piece in the NBA’s best defense, and he’s not going to wow you on offense, but he’s absolutely in the running for this award. His +850 odds just suggest the other two guys ahead of him are safer bets.

Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)

Much like Evan Mobley, Dyson Daniels is another guy up for more than one award this year. If he doesn’t claim the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, it could be because he’s the heavy favorite to be the Most Improved Player for this season.

I’m not sure it’s fair to write him off for this one, though. It’s true that the Atlanta Hawks are terrible as an overall defense, but Daniels’ elite on-ball defense is the only reason they are not significantly worse. It’s really not his fault that the Hawks couldn’t even win the weak Southeast Division; their ineptitude wasn’t due to his play in any regard.

Much like Lu Dort, Daniels takes on the opposition’s toughest offensive assignments and routinely gives them hell all night long. Statistically, he’s made major noise, producing 5.9 rebounds per game and snagging an insane 3.0 steals per contest. He even gets busy inside, pouring in 0.7 blocks per game.

The wild part? Despite the production, energy, and efficiency on the defensive end, Daniels saw massive spikes as a focal point of Atlanta’s offense. He put up 14.1 points per game, dished out 4.4 assists per game, and shot 34% from long range – all while losing nothing on the defensive end of the floor.

Daniels’ team certainly holds him back when it’s all said and done, but his 20th ranked defensive net rating and the stats he’s put up tell you all you need to know. If anyone is seriously arguing for someone like Lu Dort to win this award, Dyson Daniels better be in the conversation, too.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)

The Memphis Grizzlies are an enigma. They looked good all year long, they pushed the pace, and they had defensive swagger. They were on the brink of securing a top seed in the NBA Playoffs and nearly won the Southwest Division, only to can respected head coach Taylor Jenkins a week before postseason play began.

They’ve delivered head-scratching moments this year (I’m not even bringing up Ja Morant’s proclivity for weapon celebrations), but they also created a stage for Jaren Jackson Jr. to thrive on defense.

Memphis played so fast that people didn’t seem to realize that they actually had a great defense. The Grizz ended the year ranked 10th in defensive efficiency, while JJJ himself was a big part of their success, racking up 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

The fact that Jackson doubled as a problem for opposing defenses (22.2 points per game) only makes his defensive stats all the more impressive, while he was also a force (21st in individual defensive net rating) on his own.

JJJ won this award two years ago due to 3.0 blocks per game, though. He is a candidate for sure, but his swat numbers have declined. Considering how loaded the race is for DPOY this season, he isn’t the guy I’d put my money on.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Any NBA Defensive Player of the Year award debate that starts with highlighting a player’s offensive impact has to start with SGA.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been insane all year, putting up 32.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting, and dishing out 6.4 dimes per contest. His elite offensive display helped his Oklahoma City Thunder win the Northwest Division by a whopping 18 games, claim the #1 overall seed, and generate the league’s most dynamic offense.

The crazy part? He was just as good defensively. Nobody should be that good on offense and still have the energy to be a force on defense, but SGA was. SGA averaged an improbable 1.0 blocks per game and also snagged 1.7 steals per contest. In addition, he owns the 2nd best individual defensive net rating in the entire league.

SGA probably isn’t winning this award, but it’s more than likely simply because he’s a really good bet in win the NBA MVP. That said, at +15000, he might be the best value bet of all time if people actually look at the numbers and his overall impact.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Predictions

If context mattered at all, the DPOY award would go to SGA. He should be the league MVP this year, and when you factor in all the stats, nobody has a better case to win this award, either.

Unfortunately, the pricing highlights Draymond Green as the likely winner. It makes sense from a narrative perspective. Green’s main contribution is on the defensive end, and if he wasn’t his gritty self, the Warriors probably wouldn’t be in the playoff mix right now.

The wild part is you can make a case for almost all of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidates. Evan Mobley is a legit challenger, and if I had my way, SGA would be winning multiple awards this year.

Dyston Daniels and Lua Dort have solid cases simply based on stats and on-ball defensive ability. However, NBA awards are often narrative driven. This is undeniably Green’s last real shot at winning this award, and it’s one he arguably could or should have won for a second time by now.

My guess is he finally gets that elusive second DPOY, regardless of whether or not there’s someone else that’s a bit more deserving.

Bet: Draymond Green (-350)

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Winners

Check out the most recent NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners: