The anticipation surrounding the coveted Wooden Player of the Year award in men’s college basketball is intensifying.
Purdue center and reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey is the front-runner to secure the prestigious honor again.
Edey was held to a season-low 10 points in the 83-78 win over No. 9 Illinois on Jan. 5, but his odds shortened to -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total) from -240.
Edey’s odds were +210 in early December.
Edey averages a double-double at 22.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
Let’s dive into the list of the top contenders.
2023-24 JOHN WOODEN AWARD ODDS: *
Zach Edey, Purdue: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
RJ Davis, North Carolina: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Kevin McCullar, Kansas: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Kyle Filipowski, Duke: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Tyson Walker, Michigan State: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)
Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)
Tristen Newton, UConn: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)
Tyler Kolek, Marquette: +9500 (bet $10 to win $960 total)
odds as of 1/9/2024
There’s an interesting wager available for Edey’s chances to win the Wooden Award — betting Edey against every other player in the country.
Zach Edey wins Wooden Award
Yes: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
No: +240 (bet $10 to win $34 total)
The next player on the board is Kansas’ Dickinson. At the end of December, his odds lengthened from +370 to +1200. But now those odds have shortened again to +800 from +1000.
Dickinson is coming off a 30-point, 11-rebound double-double in the 83-81 win over TCU on Jan. 6. Dickinson sank a pair of free throws with 57 seconds remaining to tie the game. Then, after the teams traded baskets, made the winning layup with three seconds to go.
Like Edey, Dickinson is averaging a double-double at 19.4 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. Both players anchor top-five teams in the country, with Purdue at No. 1 and Kansas at No. 3.
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