Jaren Jackson Jr. Jumps to Odds on Favorite to Win Defensive Player of the Year After Victor Wembanyama Injury

Oddsmakers have set Jaren Jackson Jr. as the favorite to win DPOY for the second time in his career.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. is now the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Over the last 24 hours, there has been a massive change in the odds to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in the NBA this season.

San Antonio Spurs All-Star big man Victor Wembanyama was viewed as a lock to win the award, but on Thursday he was ruled out for the season with a blood clot in his shoulder. This is a major concern for Wemby's future (although it;'s been reported that the Spurs expect him to make a full recovery).

In the betting market, the entire Defensive Player of the Year landscape has changed. On Thursday, oddsmakers set Cleveland Cavaliers forward Even Mobley and Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. as co-favorites to win this award.

However, those odds have changed since with Jackson (a former Defensive Player of the Year back in the 2022-23 season) taking the top spot as the odds on favorite.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds Following Victor Wembanyama Injury

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Jaren Jackson Jr.: -115
• Evan Mobley: +135
• Dyson Daniels: +1300
• Lu Dort: +1700
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: +3000
• Ivica Zubac: +3500
• Jalen Williams: +4500
• Amen Thompson: +4500
• Rudy Gobert: +6500
• Bam Adebayo: +7500

Based on these odds, Jackson has an implied probability of 57.45% to win the DPOY for the second time in his career. The Grizzlies are seventh in the NBA in defensive rating this season while Jackson is averaging 1.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.

Jackson's block numbers are way down from when he led the league and won the DPOY in the 2022-23 season (he averaged 3.0 blocks per game). However, he may be getting a boost here since Memphis is one of the 10-best units on the defensive end this season.

Another intriguing part of the odds is the movement for Dyson Daniels, who wasn't listed amongst the top-five candidates after the Wemby injury announcement but is now third in the odds.

Daniels is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, and he leads the league in steals per game (3.0) this season. Daniels is also eighth in the NBA in defensive box plus/minus, ahead of every player on this list except Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (who is third).

SGA has a curious case -- as do several Thunder players -- since OKC ranks No. 1 in defensive rating and opponent points per game. On top of that, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are No. 1 and No. 2 in the NBA in defensive win shares.

There is a lot that goes into the voting for the DPOY, and some voters may only look at surface stats such as steals and blocks. Since Jackson doesn't have extremely gaduy numbers in either category, this award may be more wide open than the odds suggest over the final two months of the regular season.

---

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

---

Are you new to DraftKings? Sign up today and place a $5 bet to earn a guaranteed $150 in bonus bets. Win or lose, DraftKings will issue six $25 bonus bets instantly.