2025 Wooden Award Opening Odds: College Basketball Longshot Worth Betting?

With the NBA draft behind us, DraftKings Sportsbook is the first among the best sports betting sites to release 2025 Wooden Award odds.

Two-time winner Zach Edey was selected ninth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, meaning this market will have a fresh-faced recipient in the ensuing campaign. Let’s assess the favorites and a potential longshot pick to consider. Click any Wooden Award futures betting odds below to place a wager. You’ll find players with +6000 odds or shorter.

2025 Wooden Award odds: the favorites

RJ Davis, PG, North Carolina (+800)

In Davis’ junior campaign, he transitioned from an above-average spot-up shooter into an elite one. He accrued 1.23 points per possession (PPP), ranking in the 94th percentile across D-I (via Synergy). Overall, he tallied 21.2 points per game. Nevertheless, his inconsistent jumper resurfaced against Alabama in the Sweet 16, going 0-for-9 from deep.

Bettors shouldn’t be surprised to see Davis’ name atop the 2025 Wooden Award odds. His scoring production helped him finish among the finalists in 2022-23. But can he outdo himself to a notable degree?

Remember that Edey scored nearly three points per game more as a senior, becoming a more efficient scorer from the left block. His assist rate also rose 1.2 percentage points. Purdue’s improved 3-point shooting played a significant role in that department.

Moreover, the Boilermakers landed a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament each time Edey won the John R. Wooden Award. I wouldn’t bet on the Tar Heels accomplishing the same feat after losing Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram, and Cormac Ryan.

Cooper Flagg (+1200), Duke’s heralded five-star freshman, isn’t far behind his soon-to-be arch-rival.

• Related: North Carolina Sports Betting Promos

Hunter Dickinson, C, Kansas (+800)

Unlike UNC, the Jayhawks’ talent around Dickinson has reached another level by adding AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Rylan Griffen (Alabama), and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State). You could conceivably make the case for any of them as the most impactful transfer on paper. In my first offseason futures piece, I gave the nod to Griffen, who could provide the highest level of shot gravity between the three transfers.

For reference, Kansas’ spot-up shooting was well below the D-I average last season, averaging just 0.90 PPP in these situations. This issue contributed to Bill Self’s team failing to place higher than a No. 3 seed in the Big Dance.

Dickinson already ranked in the 93rd percentile of post-up efficiency but could improve in pick-and-roll sets and as a cutter. Given his adept passing, rebounding prowess, and an upgraded roster, his numbers should spike.

As expected, the Jayhawks are neck-and-neck with UConn atop March Madness betting odds, insinuating they are projected to earn a high seed. Their best odds are .

bet on these longshot odds?

According to the betting market, Alabama and Arkansas are projected to finish ahead of Auburn. Granted, we’re ways away from the start of the 2024-25 season, but I have a hunch the Tigers will find themselves ahead of both SEC rivals in my college basketball power rankings.

The Crimson Tide are filled with talent and boast an upper-echelon schemer in Nate Oats. However, their Final Four run has made them a bit overvalued. Alabama point guard Mark Sears is as good as they come at his position, and I wouldn’t attach the same notion to his price.

But that doesn’t mean Sears’ Wooden Award odds are undervalued.

As successful as incoming head coach John Calipari is at player development, Johnell Davis (30-1), the FAU transfer-turned-Arkansas lead guard, showcases slightly exaggerated odds. Davis has thrived against high-major opponents, highlighted by the Owls’ 2023 Final Four run, but these Razorbacks lack chemistry beyond those who followed Cal from Kentucky.

With that in mind, Auburn big man Johni Broome (50-1) is the most valuable bet on the board.

Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) shoots over Alabama forward Nick Pringle (23) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

The Case For Broome

A consensus third-team All-American, the 6-foot-10, two-way presence has room for growth. He ranked near the 50th percentile in post-up and pick-and-roll efficiency. Broome’s impending development and the Tigers’ improved guard play will aid those categories.

Last year, the Tigers were among three top-20 teams (per Haslametrics’ ratings) without a lead guard who generated at least 10 points per game or a top-300 assist rate. Aden Holloway (Alabama), Tre Donaldson (Michigan), and KD Johnson (George Mason) have departed. They were replaced with veteran JP Pegues (Furman) and Miles Kelly (Georgia Tech).

Pegues’ 18.4 points per contest and top-150 assist rate speak volumes. Meanwhile, Kelly’s sophomore season was clouded by inefficient shooting. As a freshman, his spot-up game slotted into the 87th percentile, with current St. John’s point guard Deivon Smith by his side.

Expect Kelly to reverse course with a more talented core surrounding him. Already an elite playmaker in the post, the southpaw Broome will only profit from another set of playmakers.

Like Kansas, Auburn is also built to outperform last season’s upsetting finish, boosting Broome’s resume. The SEC tournament champions claimed a No. 4 seed in March Madness before falling victim to No. 13 Yale in the first round.

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