College Basketball National Player of the Year Odds 2024: Should you bet Zach Edey to repeat?

We're less than a week away from the start of the 2023-24 college basketball season, and what better way to get some preseason prep in than by checking out the current National Player of the Year odds?

For a second consecutive season, the reigning NPOY winner has returned to school, as Purdue center Zach Edey looks to become the first player since Virginia's Ralph Sampson to win the award back-to-back seasons.

BetMGM expects another dominant season from the 7-4 Canadian, as Edey sits atop the NPOY odds board in the waning days leading up to the start of the regular season. Edey and the Boilermakers enter 2023 with even loftier expectations despite being the second-ever No. 1 seed to fall to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Will that result in Edey making more history to finish his career as a Boilermaker?

Although the odds suggest a significant gap between Edey and the rest of the field, we don't believe that's the case, as several sleepers and long-shot contenders have a realistic chance of climbing up the odds board.

How should bettors approach the current NPOY odds market? Let's look at BetMGM's current odds and break down some betting favorites, sleepers, and long shots to consider for those attempting to make a futures bet in this market.

2024 College Basketball National Player of the Year Odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM

CBB National Player of the Year Odds: Favorites

Zach Edey, Purdue (+175). While Edey's warranted as the odds-on favorite entering the season, we're not sure there should be this hefty of a gap between Edey and the rest of the field.

Yes, the 7-4 center is the focal point of his team and has a real shot to return as a consensus first-team All-American. However, similar to what we see with reigning Heisman winners, it's difficult to impress voters by one-upping your previous season now with sky-high expectations.

Purdue enters the season as a consensus top-five team that many bracketologists project to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but we think this Boilermaker team is a bit overvalued in the betting market.

Don't get us wrong -- this is one of Purdue's best chances of returning to the Final Four for the first time since 1980. However, we have some concerns about the Boilermakers' backcourt, mainly pertaining to their guard's ability to score off the bounce consistently.

While that's not a reflection of Edey's skill set, if Purdue doesn't have as successful of a regular season as many expect, Edey's chances of repeating take a significant hit. Therefore, we're not enticed by his current +175 price tag and would look elsewhere in this market. 

Kyle Filipowski, Duke (+700). For futures' bettors looking for an alternative to Edey, Filipowski fits the mold of a potential NPOY award winner this season. Filipowski would have been a sure-fire first-round NBA pick had he opted to forgo his college eligibility, but he wanted to continue developing under head coach John Scheyer, deciding to return for his sophomore season.

Filipowski had an impressive freshman campaign, averaging 15.1 points on 44-percent shooting, but we expect an even larger leap in his sophomore campaign. Filipowski was slowed down with hip injuries last season, but he underwent double hip surgery this offseason to hopefully improve his mobility.

With fellow big man Derek Lively leaving for the NBA, Filipowski is penciled in as Duke's go-to frontcourt piece and is expected to log plenty of minutes and get every opportunity to stuff the stat sheet this season.

Since he won’t be playing as much on the wing, we could see Filipowski’s block numbers go up after he averaged 0.7 blocks last season. While Duke has a plethora of guards capable of creating off the bounce in Jeremy Roach, Tyrese Proctor, Jared McCain, and Caleb Foster, there's still enough volume to go around for the 7-0 sophomore to make his impact on the offensive end.

Filipowski’s ability to score from all three levels likely results in the big man leading Duke in usage percentage. If Filipowski can help Duke earn a top seed in the NCAA tournament, we think he makes for a solid bet to win National Player of the Year honors at 7-1.

Hunter Dickinson, Kansas (+700). Fellow big man Hunter Dickinson, arguably the most storied player to enter the transfer portal, owns identical NPOY odds as Filipowski, and just like the Duke big man, Dickinson offers better value than Edey. Kansas probably has a higher ceiling than the Boilermakers despite this iteration of KU lacking depth.

It’s hard to doubt coach Bill Self, and as the season progresses, Kansas will likely be in the thick of the National Championship conversation. After all, KU is the current odds-on favorite to win the National Championship, and Dickinson is expected to play a prominent role in their success.

Dickinson may very well be one of the best three-point shooters on this Kansas team, and with little competition for playing time in the frontcourt, Dickinson will log plenty of minutes, barring foul trouble.

Self will find creative ways to get up to get Dickinson the basketball, and a potential career year is in store for the senior big man.

CBB National Player of the Year Odds: Sleepers

Tyler Kolek, Marquette (+1400). Kolek is one of Marquette's eight rotational players who returns to a team that won the Big East regular season and tournament title in 2022-23. The 6-3 senior guard is an elite floor general who finds a way to find open teammates while getting them the basketball in advantageous spots.

In his second year with Marquette, Kolek took a massive leap from an offensive standpoint, improving from 6.7 points per game in 2021-2022 to 12.9 points per game last season. Additionally, his field-goal percentage shot up from 32 to 47, and he canned nearly 40 percent of his triples.

While Kolek will likely have to average 15-plus points to become a legit candidate for NPOY, his strong assist numbers (7.5 assists per game in 2022) will probably result in the senior guard logging plenty of double-double performances.

Marquette will again be in the thick of the Big East race -- along with a top seed -- come Selection Sunday, meaning its lead guard could be one of the top contenders for this season's NPOY award.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton (+4000). Kalkbrenner has improved each season he's been in Omaha, and he's set up for a massive senior campaign. 

Although he won't have point guard Ryan Nembard, who has since transferred to Gonzaga, to help him in the two-man game, Creighton hopes to replace his production with Utah State transfer Stephen Ashworth. Ashworth and Kalkbreen figure to flourish together, which could lead to Kalkbrenner posting career-high scoring numbers.

Although Creighton has several perimeter threats who limit Kalkbreener's usage, Kalkbrenner has an outside chance to average close to 20 points per game on nearly 70-percent shooting. He's one of the best defensive big men in high-major college basketball, with the potential to grab close to 10 rebounds per game while swatting over three shots per game.

There's a reason he's 40-1, but a strong start to the season should result in Kalkbrenner rising up the odds board.

Other NPOY sleepers to consider: Justin Moore, Villanova (+5000); Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M (+8000)

CBB National Player of the Year Odds: Long shots

Norchad Omier, Miami (FL) (+15000). After transferring up to the high major level from Arkansas State, Omier was an integral piece in Miami’s first Final Four trip in school history last season.

The 6-7 Nicaraguan didn’t score at the same level that he did in his final season at Arkansas State, but much of that had to do with the Hurricanes having three ball-dominant guards (Isaiah Wong, Jordan Miller, and Nigel Pack). Pack is only the guard of that bunch back in 2022-23, which means there’s a good chance Omier has one of his best scoring seasons yet.

For those looking for a long-shot play, Omier fits the bill at 150-1.

Other NPOY long shots to consider: Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga (+10000); Cody Williams, Colorado (+20000)