Zach Edey Poised To Repeat Wooden Award Triumph

Chris Wassel
By , Updated on: Apr 9, 2024 08:00 PM
Zach Edey Poised To Repeat Wooden Award Triumph

December brings us deeper into the college basketball season! Teams finally begin to grind through the meat of their toughest games. Guess what this week brings us? That's right. Let's head to the state of Indiana. At Online Sports Betting, we look at a player who rules the roost among big men in the college ranks. So, first, we look at the Wooden Award Men's Bets featuring Zach Edey of the Purdue Boilermakers. Can anyone keep the big man from repeating last year's feat?

  • WHAT: Men's Wooden Award Prop Outlook
  • WHEN: From now until the end of the college basketball regular season
  • WHERE: College campuses nationwide
  • WHY: Some players to keep an eye on along with the Boilermaker

Bettors enjoy the early part of the season because even the best players usually have more favorable odds. The Wooden Award shines on the best college player in the nation. Similar to betting on the NCAA College Men's basketball futures, awards can be just as challenging. After all, when the clubhouse leader has won this before, this feels like a surprise. Here is a quick table for this prestigious award, courtesy of Bovada Online Sportsbook.

Men's Wooden Award UpdateBovadaBetOnlineMyBookie
Zach Edey+160+175+150
Hunter Dickinson+300+260+250
Kyle Filipowski+800+700+750
Armando Bacot+1600+1400+1200
Donovan Clingan+1800+900+1600
Tyson Walker+2500+2500+2500
Tyler Kolek+2500+2500+2500

Wooden Award Men's Bets Still Like Edey

Wooden Award Men's Bets still like Zach Edey of Purdue. So, what happened with Purdue in the last week? Honestly, Purdue lost at Northwestern on Friday night in overtime. However, the Boilermaker Center did everything he could and then some. He piled on 35 points and 14 rebounds in 38 minutes. Unfortunately, that was not enough in the four-point loss. Overall, Edey leads the college ranks in points. Few should be surprise there.

Despite that, there will always be the question of whether Purdue can win the big game. Last year, Edey and the Boilermakers were stunned by Fairleigh Dickinson in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. One of the big impacts the 7-foot 4 Center is having is at the foul line. Edey, so far, has raised his free-throw attempts to 12 per contest. Every season that has gone upward in his time at Purdue.

One of the big things we were asked is how does Edey do against the top competition. Honestly, he thrives. Although, Edey got in a bit of foul trouble versus Northwestern, he did his best to lift his team in every way. Defensively, Edey is one of the best and was named Big Ten All First Team for defense. Then, there was the AP Award, Naismith Award, and a whole host of accolades. Most figured Edey might be in negative territory to repeat. Yes, we were wrong.

Expecting a -150 to even -175 number and getting the opposite was a pleasant surprise. Most take that and run. Honestly, at Online Sports Betting, we will too.

Zach Edey To win the Wooden Award again
+175
BetOnline

Then There Is Hunter Dickinson...

Wooden Award Men's Bets do get enamored with Hunter Dickinson. It is easy to see why. Though Dickinson struggled a bit against Connecticut, he still managed 15 points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots. The dynamic with the Center that is fun is this. The 7-foot-1 big man can shoot from the perimeter. He knocked down three triples on Friday in the win. Overall, Dickinson is averaging 20.9 points per game and 12.3 rebounds a contest.

KJ Adams stole the show on Friday but the focus of Kansas will be on Dickinson. It is nice that Kansas has three players who can hurt defenses on a regular basis. Dickinson stretches out those defenses because of his range. He nails 25-foot jumpers regularly in warmups. At Kansas, Dickinson fits right in and even dishes out a few assists a night too.

There are several reasons why Dickinson can contend for the Wooden Award. For one, playing at Kansas gives him an instant spotlight. Also, now that Houston plays in the Big 12, that might help Dickinson's cause even more. Quality opponents only enhance a resume.

Again, that Kansas triumvirate helps the Center. He is a worthy second choice here.

Hunter Dickinson To win the Wooden Award
+300
Bovada

Wooden Men's Award Bets Get Clingy With Clingan?

So, Wooden Men's Award Bets get clingy with Donovan Clingan. Why? The idea is Clingan burst onto the scene last year as Connecticut won the National Title in style (all six tournament wins by 10+ points). Some places are a little too high on the Center, but he was seeing +1800 on Bovada. That +900 on BetOnline seems like an outlier compared to several other sites.

Clingan will be allowed to grow and mature in his Sophomore season. He had a rough night against Kansas with only eight points.  Some are hoping his numbers will improve during conference play and they should. The lessons learned now should pay off later. Now, is this year a little too early for college basketball player of the year? That answer is probably yes.

The recommendation is to probably temper your expectations here but maybe place a flier now.

Donovan Clingan To win the Men's Wooden Award
+1800
Bovada

What About Other Possibilities?

Okay, what about other possibilities? Wooden Award Men's Bets ponders a few more contending choices. The problem is some players we know almost too well. There is the known and the known is too much so. Armando Bacot can be so dominating but he breaks down unfortunately. Bacot has been about the same the past three years and even as a fifth-year Senior, that may not be enough again.

Kyle Filipowski is expanding his repertoire, but the Sophomore may have over-asserted himself against Arkansas this week. It will be interesting to see when he learns that tender balance as a big man. Attempting five three-pointers was probably four too many. The Duke 7-footer will get better with this in time. It may not be his year yet but that time could come. Filipowski may be more dynamic here.

Kyle Filipowski To take home the Wooden Award
+800
Bovada

Online Sportsbook Reviews Spread December Numbers

So, online sportsbook reviews spread even more December numbers.

Meet the author

Chris Wassel

Chris Wassel is a veteran sports writer with over 20 years of experience publishing thoughtful analysis and insightful perspectives on everything from hockey to basketball, football, and more. As a seasoned journalist, Chris has established himself as a leading voice o...

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