2017-18 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds
Last season, Draymond Green of the Warriors denied Kawhi Leonard of a three-peat by winning his first Defensive Player of the year. Green opened with 4/1 odds last year, but had fallen to 8/1 before the season began. He finished with a league best 2.03 steals per game and also finished 12th with 1.39 blocks per game.
Green received 73 out of 100 first place votes and essentially ran away with the award. Leonard finished a distant third, with Rudy Gobert taking second. Nobody else in the league made any type of noise in the voting.
This season, last year’s medalists are the clear frontrunners in oddsmakers’ eyes. I guess there’s no reason for them not to be.
| Player | 10/16 (PaddyPower) | 9/28 (PaddyPower) |
|---|---|---|
| Draymond Green | +150 | +150 |
| Kawhi Leonard | +300 | +300 |
| Rudy Gobert | +350 | +350 |
| Hassan Whiteside | +900 | +900 |
| Anthony Davis | +1200 | +1200 |
| LeBron James | +1600 | +1600 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +1600 | +5000 |
| Andre Roberson | +2000 | +2000 |
| Paul George | +2000 | +2000 |
| Avery Bradley | +2500 | +2500 |
| Patrick Beverley | +2500 | +2500 |
| DeAndre Jordan | +3000 | +3000 |
| Jae Crowder | +5000 | +5000 |
| Jimmy Butler | +5000 | +5000 |
| Serge Ibaka | +6600 | +6600 |
| John Wall | +8000 | +8000 |
| Marc Gasol | +8000 | +8000 |
| Klay Thompson | +8000 | +8000 |
With prop bets like this, I tend to shy away from players with close to an even payout. You can make money on a daily basis by betting on baseball teams with a +150 payout…why would you tie up money for an entire season for a player to win an award for such a measly payout? No offense to Draymond, but taking him at +150 is a no-no in my book.
If I was forced to bet on one of the three frontrunners, I would take Kawhi. Though he established himself as an elite offensive player last season, he still has the defensive chops to make him perhaps the best all-around player in the league. In fact, he is the current MVP favorite at Bovada.
A value play that sticks out in my mind is Avery Bradley at 25/1. Bradley made the all-defensive first team in 2015-16, but missed the cut last year. After being shipped to Detroit, Bradley may have a fire lit under his ass. I think he should play a more important role on the Pistons than he did with the Celtics and may be able to take a big step forward on an individual level. At 25/1, Bradley is worth throwing a few bucks on.
Any value plays you have your eye on? Let us know on Twitter @SportsInsights.
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