Before the 2024-25 regular season even got underway, oddsmakers were making it appear that Victor Wembanyama getting crowned NBA Defensive Player of the Year for his sophomore campaign was a foregone conclusion. He was the only player to open at minus money for any end-of-season hardware, and in the case of his direct competition, no other player possessed greater than 8-to-1 odds.
Now, with just a little over a week's worth of games having taken place, Wembanyama's lead in this race has not only disappeared, but the 7-foot-4 Frenchman finds himself staring up at someone else, and it just so happens to be perhaps the only player who Wembanyama refuses to say his name out loud.
Following the Oklahoma City Thunder's 12-point victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, center Chet Holmgren has taken over the top spot with the shortest odds at BetMGM to win the Hakeem Olajuwon trophy in what looks to be a two-player race early on.
NBA Defensive Player of the year betting odds
| Player | Team | Current Odds | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | +200 | +2200 |
| Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs | +225 | -225 |
| Anthony Davis | Los Angeles Lakers | +1000 | +1800 |
| Bam Adebayo | Miami Heat | +1200 | +1500 |
| Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers | +1300 | +2000 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies | +3000 | +1800 |
| O.G. Anunoby | New York Knicks | +3000 | +2500 |
| Alex Caruso | Oklahoma City Thunder | +3000 | +5000 |
Odds as of October 31, 2024 at BetMGM
Why Is Chet Holmgren The New Betting Favorite For Defensive Player Of The Year?
Betting odds for all futures, regardless of the sport, will nauseate you with how often they fluctuate. A hot stretch or cold spurt greatly impacts the ebb and flow of the numbers, and as we're witnessing here with Defensive Player of the Year, all it's took is four games to eviscerate a once gargantuan lead.
Oklahoma City's win over San Antonio made Holmgren's case for the honor far more compelling. It was a completely one-sided battle on both ends of the floor, with Wembanyama being made to look like an afterthought when he's obviously anything but. He registered just five shot attempts in 27 minutes of action, finishing with just six points for the lowest scoring output of his young career.
Holmgren, meanwhile, registered 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two rejections in 28 minutes while connecting on all three of his attempts from behind the arc. It didn't take the 22-year-old giant 20 seconds to establish his presence defensively around the basket either. On the opening possession, he intercepted a lob attempt from Jeremy Sochan to Wembanyama with an emphatic denial, and then proceeded to stuff Sochan's follow up to kickstart a Thunder fast break.
🙅♂️ pic.twitter.com/UYBNzqrPuU
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 31, 2024
Holmgren leads all players in total rejections with 14, which is two more than Wembanyama. He also has six more total steals than his rival, who has failed to snag even a single one through his initial four appearances for the 1-3 Spurs.
It also helps Holmgren's cause that the Thunder are the No. 1-defensive team in all of basketball, allowing a minuscule 91.3 points per 100 possessions. To put that number in perspective, the Golden State Warriors currently rank second in defense with a defensive rating of 98.4, which is 7.1 more points per 100 possessions than what Oklahoma City is giving up to opponents.
Since 2000, only the 2003-04 Spurs have gone a season allowing fewer than 95 points per 100 possessions. The Thunder still have a long way to go to maintain their record pace, mind you, as they finished fourth last season at 111 points allowed per 100 possessions. They've also only faced one team thus far that participated in the 2024 playoffs, but that did result in a 15-point win over the Denver Nuggets in the Mile High City with the home team only scoring 87 points.
How Are Bettors Wagering On NBA Defensive Player Of The Year?
(Related) NBA Betting Handles: Tatum Generating Traction For Most Valuable Player
As of October 30, Wembanyama owned the second-highest ticket percentage of all players vying for Defensive Player of the Year at 12.9 percent, which means he was receiving the second-most total bets with his name. He trailed reigning winner Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves who led all players with 14 percent.
For handle percentage, which refers to the total amount of money wagered, Wembanyama was leaps and bounds ahead of the pack at 26.4 percent, with Thunder guard Alex Caruso (19.4 percent) and Holmgren (15.4 percent) being the only other players above 10 percent in the money.
