John R. Wooden Award Odds: Top College Basketball Players For 2025-26

Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) dribbles around Alabama forward Aiden Sherrell (22) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Auburn, Ala.
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Another college basketball season is here, and an avalanche of exciting NCAA basketball odds markets comes with it.

That doesnโ€™t just include single-game spreads and totals, but college basketball futures as well. And for those who arenโ€™t satisfied betting just the college basketball national championship odds, the BetMGM online sportsbook also has a market for one of the top awards in college basketball.

With the 2025-26 season getting underway, here are the basketball betting odds for which college hoops player will win the John R. Wooden Award โ€“ one of the major national Player of the Year Awards given out at the end of every season.

Wooden Award Odds

PlayerOddsTeam
Cameron Boozer+800Duke
AJ Dybansta+1000BYU
Darryn Peterson+1000Kansas
Braden Smith+1100Purdue
JT Toppin+700Texas Tech
Yaxel Lendenborg+1600Michigan
Donovan Dent+3000UCLA
Otega Oweh+3300Kentucky
Nate Ament+3500Tennessee
Trey Kaufman-Renn+1400Purdue
Darrion Williams+4000NC State
Bennett Stirtz+4000Iowa
PJ Haggerty+5000Kansas State
Tahaad Pettiford+8000Auburn

College Basketball Player of the Year Awards

The John R. Wooden Award is given out annually to the most outstanding player in college basketball. It is awarded by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Since 2004, the Award has honored both a menโ€™s and womenโ€™s player, though the award does date back to 1977. Zach Edey and Caitlin Clark were the winners last season.ย 

The Wooden Award is one of six major Player of the Year awards in menโ€™s college basketball. The others are:

  • The Naismith College Player of the Year
  • AP Player of the Year
  • The Oscar Robertson Trophy
  • National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year
  • Sporting News College Player of the Year

Most years, all six awards are given to the same player, as was the case last year with Edey. However, some seasons do not produce a consensus award winner, with different players earning different honors. This most recently happened at the end of the 2019-20 season, when Daytonโ€™s Obi Toppin won five of the six major awards, but Iowaโ€™s Luka Garza was the Sporting News honoree.

College Basketball Parlays at BetMGM

From early-season tournaments through the national championship, you can bet on college basketball parlays at the best online sportsbook.

With daily basketball odds, tournament betting, and more, the best parlay betting experience is at BetMGM.

Sign in to your account today โ€” or, if you don’t have an account, sign up today with a sportsbook welcome bonus โ€” to start betting. And donโ€™t forget to check updated sportsbook bonuses and promos each day of the year.

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About the Author Read More @chaseakiddy

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.