Coming off of winning the award last season, leading the pack is Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. He tied Kawhi Leonard, Dwight Howard, and Alvin Robertson as the youngest player to win this award, with all being only 23. We have you covered with our NBA awards odds series with a Defensive Player of the Year prediction and pick.

Catapulting his way into the second-best odds for Defensive Player of the Year is third-year forward Evan Mobley. The Cavaliers have some pretty lofty expectations this season, and Mobley's defensive play is a big reason for that.

A surprise to some, the player in the third for the favorite to win is Anthony Davis. However, he was the team's anchor in their playoff run last season, and with this momentum on his side, he is a top-three candidate for this award for a reason.

Finishing off the list is the two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks' big man had an off-year defensively last season but will likely turn it around this year. 

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

NBA Odds: 2023-24 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds

Jaren Jackson Jr.: +500

Evan Mobley: +700

Anthony Davis: +850

Giannis Antetokounmpo: +850

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Why Jaren Jackson Jr. Will Win The Defensive Player of the Year

A season ago, Jackson Jr. showed incredible development defensively. His defensive rebounds per game jumped from 4.3 to 5.0, steals per game went from 0.9 to 1.0, but most notably, his blocks per game leaped from 2.3 to 3.0. The league leader in blocks per game last season was a menace around the rim. Of everyone in the league who played in more than 23 games, Jackson Jr. allowed the lowest field goal percentage to opponents when defending at the rim at 46.9%. Additionally, on 608 shot attempts faced from the paint (excluding the restricted area), Jackson Jr. limited his opponents to shooting only 39.5%. No one in the league was more dominant in the paint last season than Jackson Jr., and with no signs of slowing down, he is ready to up the ante for this new season.

Nine players have won this award in consecutive seasons; Jaren Jackson Jr. appears to be a pretty safe bet to join this company at the end of the season.

Why Evan Mobley Will Win The Defensive Player of the Year

Racing up the favorites list for this award is 22-year-old Evan Mobley. Although he did not have the flashiest season, his defensive abilities were a key reason for Cleveland's success. He placed sixth in the league in defensive win shares with 0.140, the highest of anyone on this list. Leading to this was that on 34.4 minutes per game, he allowed an average of only 8.5 second-chance points per game. His ability to close out and assert himself inside and outside the paint makes him a real threat to win this year.

In the two years Evan Mobley has played in the league, he has yet to not start a game he has played in. Consistency and availability are critical if a player wants to win this award. By all means, Mobley has the tools to win this year; it is just a matter of whether or not he learned from the Knicks playoff series that he has to be stronger and more physical on defenders in the paint to succeed.

Why Anthony Davis Will Win The Defensive Player of the Year

Having failed to play in more than 56 games in each of the past three seasons, Davis seems ready to put this limited availability behind him. Although he has not been on the floor as much as he wants to, he makes the most of it when he is out there. Davis has averaged at least 2.0 blocks and 1.1 steals per game in three of his four seasons in Los Angeles. Additionally, he showed everyone how great on defense he still is during last season's playoff run. Inside and out, Davis had it covered. In 16 games, he defended 117 corner three attempts but limited his opponents to 35.0% shooting from this area. Additionally, he averaged 11.7 defensive rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game, leading all players who played in the playoffs.

Head coach Darvin Ham and teammate LeBron James have made it clear to the media that Anthony Davis is the key to the Lakers' success. Validating this assertion was his hard-nosed defensive play at the end of last season, which has this team beyond excited for this upcoming season.

Why Giannis Antetokounmpo Will Win The Defensive Player of the Year

By far, the most accomplished player on this list has already been the talk of the league with the preseason block he had on Lakers big man Christian Wood. His dominance inside the paint year after year is incredible. He led the league in defensive rebounds per game last season with 9.7 and added 0.8 blocks per game. Unlike a lot of players in the league, he is capable of defending everywhere on the floor. He faced the most shots per game from mid-range a season ago yet limited his opponents to the second-lowest shooting percentage (39.8%) of the top 27 players who faced the most shots per game from this area.

Entering a career-defining year with the addition of Damian Lillard, Antetekounmpo faces immense pressure to perform defensively every single game. If anyone in the league can answer that call, it is him.

Final 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year Winner Prediction & Pick

All signs indicate this being an Anthony Davis bounce-back year, so I will go with him to win the award. Going off of everything that Lakers personnel has said about his involvement in the game plan this season shows how heavily they want him used. Showing he is still a true threat to shooters on the perimeter and interior during the playoffs, I will be going with him.

Final 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year Winner Prediction & Pick: Anthony Davis (+850)