2023 Wooden Award: Zach Edey A Massive Favorite

As we move closer and closer to March, now is the time to look ahead on the schedule and figure out which players might be valuable to get in on. The key is getting the best number possible before it goes away, and you can do that right now by picking your spots in the market and making the most informed bet possible. Purdue has come out on fire, and star Zach Edey looks to win this award for the second straight season with his dominant performance to begin the year.

As always, BetQL will have you covered with every single game throughout the rest of the college basketball season, and we'll have articles just like these to try and find you the best value as the NCAA Tournament arrives before you know it.

Zach Edey To Win Wooden Award +130 (DraftKings)

This honestly doesn't require an article to convince you to take this bet, but at the same time, I can inform you why he's a massive favorite right now to win the award back-to-back seasons. Purdue is one of the most talented teams in the country, and while there are reasons to doubt them to win the national title, there is almost no question that they have the most dominant player in college basketball on their side.

Zach Edey, also last year's Wooden Award winner, is the big +130 favorite to win it again, and it isn't hard to see why. His 7'4 frame makes him almost unguardable for most defenders, and he is a force in the paint due to his size. He isn't the bulkiest of human beings, but with him being so tall, he doesn't need to be.

So far, Purdue is ranked No. 4 in the country and was ranked No. 1 before a surprising loss to Northwestern. The Wildcats have played them well over the previous few seasons, and once again, handed Purdue their first loss of the season. The Boilermakers are still 8-1 on the season, and I expect them to win a lot of games again in 2023-24.

Edey will be the biggest reason why, and he's averaging 23.7 points per game in the early going. That's by far the most of any Power-five conference team, which matters a great deal due to the competition level. Southern Illinois guard Xavier Johnson is scoring the most in D1, averaging 24.2 points per game, but he won't garner attention due to the opponents he faces in the Missouri Valley. The closest player to him who plays in a power-five conference is USC's Boogie Ellis, but his team isn't even ranked, which hurts his case for the award. Edey is also averaging 11.2 rebounds per game, so he is a double-double machine in college, which is a very tough task to accomplish.

To this point, it would be really hard to argue for anyone other than Edey or Kansas center Hunter Dickinson, who sits at +300. Still, Edey's slightly better ability to score will probably push him over the edge again for this one. You are still getting plus money here, and at the end of last season, he was -1200 to win. So, grab a piece of it now.