Two men’s college basketball players in Indiana have emerged as favorites to win the prestigious John R. Wooden Award. The award celebrates the most “outstanding collegiate basketball player of the year.”

The frontrunner to win the Wooden this year is Purdue University center Zach Edey. Meanwhile, Indiana University’s Trayce Jackson-Davis has the second-best Indiana sports betting odds to become the Wooden Award recipient.

Two college players in the same state are rarely favorites to be chosen as the best basketball player in the nation, much less two players on rival teams. 

DraftKings Sportsbook Indiana Wooden Award odds

The Wooden Award is given to the best college basketball players in men’s and women’s college basketball. The award was named after arguably the greatest coach in men’s college basketball history.

John Wooden won 10 national championships during his historic career. Wooden was also named coach of the year six times and put together a remarkable lifetime record of 664-162.

This season, a pair of Indiana standouts sit atop the odds list to win the Wooden Award. DraftKings Sportsbook Indiana has Edey as the runaway favorite:

• Zach Edey: -10,000
• Trayce Jackson-Davis: +4,000
• Jalen Wilson: +4,000
• Brandon Miller: +10,000
• Oscar Tshiebwe: +15,000

The DraftKings odds differ slightly compared with other sportsbooks around the state that have Wilson sneaking above Jackson-Davis. Here’s a look at the current live odds for the Wooden Award:

Edey is the runaway favorite for Wooden Award

At this point, it seems improbable that Purdue’s Edey does not win the Wooden Award. The Boilermakers’ 7-foot, 4-inch center is in his junior year. The 285-pound behemoth has helped Purdue to a 24-5 record, including a 13-game winning streak to start the season. 

Edey is averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.4 blocks per game, while playing an average of 31.6 minutes per game. He is shooting a scalding 61.2% from the field and has made 74.2% of his 194 free throw attempts.

Simply put, Edey is the engine that drives the Boilermakers. That’s great news for Hoosiers who plan to bet on Purdue basketball during the upcoming March Madness tournament.

Edey has dominated all season long, which is why he has such ridiculous odds to win the Wooden this year. He is currently -10,000 to win according to DraftKings. No one else comes anywhere near those odds right now. 

For perspective, if someone bet $140 on Edey to win the Wooden Award, the bettor would win only 10 cents if that bet hits. If someone bet $10 on Wilson to win and Wilson somehow overcame his +4,000 odds, the bettor would win $400. That is an ocean of difference when it comes to odds.

Trayce Jackson-Davis leading IU

Edey is more than likely going to win this year’s Wooden Award, but that doesn’t diminish the incredible season that Trayce Jackson-Davis has put together.

The Hoosiers have gotten a monster season from their senior power forward. Jackson-Davis has been playing at a high level all season on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he is in the running for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. He has already been named to the Defensive Player of the Year watch list.

On top of his defensive acumen, Jackson-Davis is also averaging 20.3 points per game on 57.4% shooting from the floor despite not taking a shot from beyond the three-point line. Jackson-Davis also averages 11.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.8 blocks.

Fans who bet on IU basketball know that when the 6-foot, 9-inch, 245-pound Jackson-Davis is in the game, the Hoosiers succeed. When Jackson-Davis is on the court, the Hoosiers give up only 93.6 points per 100 possessions while scoring 119.8 points per 100 possessions. That means, over 100 possessions, the Hoosiers outscore their opponents by 26.2 points.

Jackson-Davis currently enjoys +4,000 odds to win the Wooden according to DraftKings. Even if he doesn’t win the Wooden, Jackson-Davis has put together a solid senior season and should be in line for a jump to the pros in the next NBA draft.

All things considered, it’s been a season for Hoosier hoops fans to be proud of. Regardless of which side of the IU-Purdue rivalry you’re on, both Edey and Jackson-Davis are keeping Indiana college basketball in the national spotlight.