NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds & Predictions 2026-27: Can Holmgren Win DPOY?

The NBA season tips off Oct. 20, so I'm analyzing the 2026-27 NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds to find value in the market.

Victor Wembanyama is the betting favorite at -330, but since we're tying up our capital for an entire season, we don't want to bet on such a heavy favorite unless there's a huge mathematical edge. With Wembanyama no longer an option, let's break down the best players to bet on to win DPOY.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds 2026-27

See all of our experts' NBA picks based on the latest NBA odds.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year best bet

Chet Holmgren (+1200 via Caesars)

Chet Holmgren struggled against Wembanyama in the Western Conference Finals last season, meaning he'll have even more motivation this year to prove he can compete with the Spurs forward.

Wembanyama won this award last season, but he barely reached the 65-game threshold, playing in 64 regular-season games plus the NBA Cup final. Had Wembanyama not reached the threshold, Holmgren would've been the betting favorite to win the award.

There's no guarantee Wembanyama reaches the threshold again this season, especially coming off an NBA Finals run, and we're getting +1200 odds on the most likely winner if Wembanyama doesn't qualify.

Holmgren ranked third in Dunks & Threes' estimated defensive plus-minus (+3.8) last season, behind Wembanyama and Ausar Thompson. However, if Holmgren can maintain his 6.4% block rate, compared with Thompson's 3.6%, that will likely give him an advantage in DPOY voting over the Pistons guard.

Holmgren to win Defensive Player of the Year (+1200 via Caesars) is the best line available among the top NBA betting sites.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year dark horse

Scottie Barnes (+5000 via DraftKings)

The Raptors ranked fifth in defensive rating (112.1) last season, and that was before they traded for two-time DPOY Kawhi Leonard.

It's not unreasonable to expect the Raptors' defense to improve with Leonard in the mix, and I expect Toronto to compete with Detroit for the best defense in the East. While Leonard is the cherry on top, Scottie Barnes has been the face of this Raptors defense.

He ranked sixth in the East with a 110 defensive rating last season (min. 65 games played), and the 25-year-old is likely entering his defensive prime. The median age among the last 10 DPOY winners is 25.5 years old, so it's no surprise that Barnes has the sixth-shortest odds in this market.

Barnes to win Defensive Player of the Year (+5000 via DraftKings) is the best line available among the top sports betting sites.

Live NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds

Follow all of our NBA analysis and expert predictions this season.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year opening odds

Odds via DraftKings as of July 16.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year recent winners