NBA DPOY Odds: Rudy Gobert Is the Current Frontrunner

The first two months of the 2023-2024 NBA campaign have now been completed. After getting a chance to watch teams around the league, we now have a better outlook on who could win certain end-of-season awards.

Let's have a look at the latest NBA DPOY odds on FanDuel Sportsbook early in the new year.

Here are the players with the 10 shortest odds to win the 2023-24 NBA DPOY and a breakdown of the realistic contenders.

Odds as of January 10th, 2024.

Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves (-140)

The Minnesota Timberwolves are leading the league in scheduled-adjusted defensive efficiency, per numberFire's metrics. Rudy Gobert is literally a large reason why the Timberwolves have been a stifling unit on the defensive end of the court.

The veteran big man has already won the NBA DPOY award three times in his first 11 seasons in the league. Blocking shots isn't a rare occurrence for Gobert, as he is recording the seventh-most blocks per game (2.1) this season.

Gobert is also recording the third-most rebounds per game (12) while leading the NBA in defensive rating (103.8) and defensive win shares (2.8). With Gobert being the defensive centerpiece for Minnesota, the Timberwolves are also allowing the sixth-fewest points in the paint per game.

If the Timberwolves can remain the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference or near the top, then Gobert could be on track to win his fourth DPOY award.

Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder (+800)

After missing the entire 2022-2023 season because of a foot injury, Chet Holmgren has stepped in and become a supreme defender at the center position for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are tied for the 10th-best defensive efficiency through the team's first 35 contests.

While Holmgren is grabbing only 7.3 rebounds per game, he is tied for the third-most blocks per game (2.6). Oklahoma City is also giving up the second-fewest points in the paint per game thus far.

What hurts Holmgren's DPOY case right now is the fact that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder in defensive rating (109.7) and defensive win shares (2.0). When watching the Thunder, though, it's clear that Holmgren is typically making a positive impact on the defensive end.

The Thunder are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and they'll need to maintain their success for Holmgren to have a chance to unseat Gobert.

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (+950)

Anthony Davis has always been a formidable rim-protector and defender, but he has yet to win an NBA DPOY trophy in his career. Injuries and his team's success have undoubtedly prevented Davis from deservedly winning the prestigious award.

Under the NBA's new collective-bargaining agreement (CBA), players must play in at least 65 games in a season to be eligible to win an end-of-season award. Davis has missed at least 26 games in every season since he played in 62 of the 71 possible games for the Los Angeles Lakers in the shortened 2019-2020 season.

The All-Star big man has missed only two games this season, and he's one of the sole reasons why the Lakers are ninth in schedule-adjusted defensive efficiency. Along with the second-most rebounds per game (12.2), Davis is tied for the third-most blocks per game (2.6), and he is tied for the most steals per game (1.2) among centers.

For Davis to assert himself into legitimate contention for the DPOY award, the Lakers will need to drastically improve their current 19-19 record.

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (+1800)

The new CBA for the NBA is worth bringing up for Joel Embiid, who has missed eight games for the Philadelphia 76ers already. Embiid has fallen to fourth in NBA MVP odds despite his stellar start to the season in his first year with Nick Nurse coaching the 76ers.

The reigning MVP is logging career-best marks in points per game (34.6), assists per game (6.0), free-throw percentage (88.2%), and usage rate (38.1%) on the offensive end. Meanwhile, he is blocking the most shots per game of his career since his rookie campaign in 2016-2017.

Embiid is trailing only Gobert in defensive rating (106.6), and he is 10th in defensive win shares (1.9). A combination of Nurse's coaching and Embiid's fantastic play has aided the 76ers in boasting the fifth-best defensive efficiency in the league.

At the moment, Embiid is dealing with a knee injury, and he can miss only a maximum of nine more games before he isn't eligible to win the NBA DPOY trophy. If Embiid can remain healthy for the majority of the rest of the season, and the 76ers remain a formidable team in the Eastern Conference, Embiid could be a decent value to win at these odds.

Do you think you know which NBA players will take home hardware this season? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA award odds market to bet any major season-long awards with America's Number One Sportsbook.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.