With the NBA regular season wrapping up in early April, the award race for Defensive Player of the Year is still too close to call between Bucks center Brook Lopez and Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr.
When we looked at the DPOY race before the NBA All-Star break, Jackson Jr. was the favourite, and Nic Claxton had the second-best odds.
Lopez was one of the sleepers for the award, but he's played excellent during the second half of the season to help anchor the Bucks' interior defense with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jackson Jr. is currently the favourite ($1.65) with five games to go in the season, but Lopez Jr. is right there.
Below, we'll look at the latest odds from TAB before breaking down the potential paths for Lopez and Jackson Jr. to potentially win the coveted award.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds 2023
All odds courtesy of TAB
| Player | Odds |
| Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies | $1.65 |
| Brook Lopez, Bucks | $2.15 |
| Bam Adebayo, Heat | $41 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks | $41 |
| Evan Mobley, Cavaliers | $51 |
| Anthony Davis, Lakers | $67 |
| Joel Embiid, 76ers | $101 |
| Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers | $101 |
| Nic Claxton, Nets | $101 |
NBA Defensive Player of the Year 2023 Odds: Favourites
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies ($1.65). Jackson Jr. is leading the league in blocks per game (3.0) and ranked second in overall blocks (181) behind Lopez. The Grizzlies were leaning on JJJ more on the offensive end as Ja Morant served his suspension earlier this month. However, the former Michigan State star still produced on the defensive end this month, posting 2.5 blocks per game and having six games with three or more blocks.
Additionally, Jackson Jr. has a 104.6 defensive rating (best in the NBA) and is ranked seventh in the NBA with a 2.3 defensive box plus/minus. Even though there aren't a lot of games left on the schedule, JJJ still has some time to make up ground on Lopez. The 23-year-old forward will see the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Bucks over the next week, all of which will provide great opportunities for JJJ to make a last-minute push and give voters something else to think about.
Brook Lopez, Bucks ($2.15). The veteran center is right behind Jackson Jr. in the odds to win the DPOY with the regular season coming to a close. Lopez currently leads the league in total blocks (187) and is second in blocks per game behind Jackson Jr. (3.0).
The 34-year-old big man also has a defensive win share of 3.8 (fourth in the NBA), a 108.4 defensive rating (seventh), and 1.4 defensive box plus/minus. Lopez sometimes gets overlooked because the Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday, who are all good defenders in their own right. However, the vet plays a noticeable role inside the paint, as the Bucks have only allowed 49.0 points per game this season (11th in the NBA). Lopez could close the gap on JJJ as the Bucks will face Philly, Washington, Chicago, Memphis, and Toronto to wrap up the season. All those teams have good great frontcourt players that will test Lopez.
2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Betting Advice
Last year, we saw Marcus Smart win the Defensive Player of the Year award by a large margin. However, there won't be a runaway winner this season, as Lopez and Jackson Jr. have been excellent at anchoring their teams' defences.
If you place a bet on this race, the best option is JJJ. His defensive metrics stack up nicely against Lopez and Jackson Jr. also doesn't have the benefit of playing next to multiple good defenders, which Lopez does. Do not be surprised if this race isn't settled until these two teams play each other on Saturday, April 8 on NBA League Pass.
