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Victor Wembanyama Has Historic Odds to Win Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2024-25 Season
The opening odds to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2024-25 season have been released, and Victor Wembanyama is set as a massive favorite.
In fact, Wemby is the biggest preseason favorite to win the DPOY since 2003 at -250 odds. Based on that number, he has an implied probability of 71.43 percent to win his first DPOY.
Odds to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year at #BetMGM
— John Ewing (@johnewing) July 9, 2024
Wembanyama -250
Gobert +900
Adebayo +1600
Giannis +1600
Jaren Jackson Jr. +1800
AD +1800
Mobley +2000
Chet +2200
Embiid +2500
Wemby is the biggest preseason favorite for any NBA award since at least 2003 per @SOHistory pic.twitter.com/vbNGv5vnJH
Odds via BetMGM.
As a rookie, Wembanyama was a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award, but he ended up losing out to Rudy Gobert, who was the anchor of the Minnesota Timberwolves No. 1 defense. Still, Wemby's numbers in the 2023-24 season were insane.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft averaged 1.2 steals and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game while recording 4.4 defensive win shares and posting a +3.3 defensive box plus/minus.
Not only that, but the Spurs were a significantly better defensive team when he was on the floor versus when he was off. With Wembanyama on the court, the Spurs had a 117.2 defensive rating. Without him, that rating jumped up to 123.1.
In 22 games after the All-Star break last season, Wemby averaged 4.5 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game, potentially foreshadowing what he could do in a bigger role in the 2024-25 season.
Laying any price like this in an award market is a little hard to stomach -- especially since Wemby needs to meet the 65-game threshold to qualify for the award -- but it's clear that oddsmakers think he'll run away with it if he does.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.