Several contenders for the 2021 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award have fallen off due to injury, and this has become a two-man race. At the moment, Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert sits as the sizable favorite over the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons.

Rudy Gobert (-560)

Gobert is the anchor of a top-three defensive unit that also leads the league in net rating. He is a two-time winner of the award and is arguably having his best season on that end of the floor, averaging a career-high in blocks and 10 defensive rebounds per game. 

A 7-foot-1 center with a 7-9 wingspan, the “Stifle Tower” is a menace at altering shots at the rim. This season, Utah's defended field goal percentage inside is 61.1%, good for fifth in the NBA. 

With the Jazz in a tight race for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and an elite defense, it makes sense for Gobert to be the odds-on favorite and have a firm grip on the market with about 10 games to go. 

Don’t overlook the fact that Gobert has stayed healthy, playing in 67 of the Jazz’s 68 games this season. The team has put together a 45-17 record behind a strong defense that Gobert anchors. He is the worthy favorite for his third award. 

Ben Simmons (+250)

Simmons is the only other player with odds lower than 20-1. While he is a versatile defender who can guard all positions on the floor, Simmons will likely come up short this season. 

Yes, Philadelphia is slightly better than Utah in terms of defensive rating; the 76ers are second in the league in that metric, but Philadelphia also bolsters a who’s who of defensive stalwarts. 

Simmons may check the team’s best player, but he is also flanked by stud defender Matisse Thybulle and Danny Green on the wing. Not to mention, Joel Embiid is an elite rim protector and should be in the mix for an All-Defensive Second-Team spot himself.

On his own, Simmons is a great defender. But is this his best season on that end of the floor? Simmons is seventh in the league in steals with 1.6 per game, but his advanced metrics show that his numbers are down compared to last season. Both his defensive box plus-minus and defensive win shares are a step below the 2019-20 season. 

The former No. 1 pick is capable of guarding the opponent’s best ball handler, catch-and-shoot threat, or bulky big, but this year belongs to Gobert. Simmons will come up just short. 

The race for DPOY may be lacking some value this late in the season, but don’t worry because you can still bet on the Sixers on a night-to-night basis to win some cash. The Sixers have been one of the best picks against the spread throughout this season, and they are looking to end the season strong. Check out BetQL to find out which way their model is picking for every game to start building a bankroll for the playoffs.