2022 NBA Defensive Player Of The Year Betting Picks

2022 NBA Defensive Player Of The Year Betting Picks

About four players are serious contenders to lock up the award in the final one-fourth of the year. At the moment, here’s who the top-used online sportsbooks are favoring most in the DPOY race:

PlayerBetUSBovada
Rudy Gobert+120+120
Draymond Green+250+250
Giannis Antetokounmpo+425+425
Jaren Jackson Jr.+700+700

Best Bets To Win 2022 NBA DPOY

For most of the season, Draymond Green was running away with this award. However, an injury has all but derailed Green’s chances at winning. He’s missed more than 20 games already and is still expected out for a few more weeks. We don’t want to completely count out Draymond, but it’s not looking good for his award chances (and his bettors). Whether you want to pivot your bets or make one for the first time, these two players should be atop your betting list to win the 2022 NBA DPOY:

Rudy Gobert 

Green’s on-court absence has vaulted the reigning DPOY Gobert to becoming the new award favorite at popular NBA betting sites. Gobert also missed significant playing time as of late, being shelved for nine games between January and February. However, he’s since returned to Utah’s lineup and made his presence known, perhaps to the chagrin of Green — who, at All-Star, quipped, "you keep mentioning me in the same sentence with (Gobert) but we’re not alike." 

Green is not wrong with his statement. Gobert is obviously the more imposing of the two with his freakish 7-foot-9 wingspan (one of the longest in league history). At the rim, there’s simply no better protector than Gobert. Green, however, is more versatile and can seemingly guard anyone thrown his way, even on the perimeter, which is where Gobert struggles and has been exposed in the playoffs. But we can’t help to see the jealousy in Green’s words. He, after all, has been named DPOY only once, while Gobert has three of those awards.

Enough about Green because it’s tough to win DPOY when you’re sidelined over one-fourth of the season. Gobert should get a bet from you — he is, after all, one of the best defensive players in league history and it’s never a bad idea to align yourself with that. If Gobert wins the award in 2022, he would tie Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo for most all-time. And what separates Gobert from those two Hall of Famers is his gaudy defensive production is coming amid a boom in offense league-wide, which in our book, counts for something.

Rudy Gobert to win NBA 2022 Defensive Player of the Year
BetOnline
+120

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Alongside your Gobert bet, you might also want to consider getting action on Jackson — who’s riding fast in the DPOY odds. About a month ago, the Grizzlies big man was hardly on the award’s radar. Today? His line has shortened so much that he’s the fourth-favored betting choice. At the rate he’s ascending, it will be worth throwing a wager Jackson's direction. At his current +700 odds, you don’t need to risk much to score a big reward either.

Jackson is right behind Gobert among league leaders in blocks. Gobert is first with swats with 2.3 per game while Jackson’s 2.2 average is second. Moreover, Jackson is also a ball-hawk when it comes to steals. He is currently on pace to amass 150 blocks and 75 steals in a season. To put that do-everything-on-defense output into perspective, since 2000, this feat has been done only 35 different times (by the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, among others).

But here’s what Jackson has going for him that Gobert does not — a fresh story. Voter fatigue is a serious threat to Gobert’s chances at repeating. Fair or not, the truth is media members that vote on this award are motivated by narratives. And Gobert is “old news” in that respect. But Jackson, who is anchoring a Grizzlies team that has the third-most wins so far, is definitely the more buzzworthy story. This situation makes Jackson a tantalizing secondary bet that you should seriously consider.

Jaren Jackson Jr. to win NBA 2022 Defensive Player of the Year
BetOnline
+700

How To Bet On NBA Player Awards?

Only 20 games or so are left on the regular season for most NBA teams. So if you’re going to bet on this award — or any of the others — it’s almost now or never. To do just that, you need to visit one of the betting sites below. You’ll find up-to-date betting lines on all the NBA player awards bets at these bookies.

What’s more, you’ll also find big-money sportsbook bonuses at the below sites. What do we mean by big money? As much as $2500 in free play at one site, that’s what we mean! That free play can be spent as you wish on NBA player awards bets or “regular” wagers like spreads, over/unders, etc. To cash in on these bonuses, just hit one of the “play now” buttons underneath!