The race to succeed former Purdue Boilermakers frontcourt star Zach Edey as the Wooden Player of the Year appears to be a two-horse race. It has come down to Duke men’s basketball star forward Cooper Flagg and Auburn Tigers senior Johni Broome.
Of the two, Flagg has averaged more points per game (19.4 vs. 18.6), while Broome has the edge on the glass, with 10.8 rebounds per game to Flagg’s 7.6. But Flagg, the freshman out of Newport, Maine, has played in more games than his SEC counterpart (31 to 29).
BetCarolina.com – your source for top North Carolina sports betting promos – broke down the chances for which men’s hoops player will take home the Wooden Award this season, with Flagg listed as a resounding favorite on our hypothetical odds board.
Naismith Player of the Year 2025 Odds
Player | Percentage Chance | Odds |
Cooper Flagg, Duke | 58.3% | -140 |
Johni Broome, Auburn | 47.6% | +110 |
Both players have led their teams to excellent seasons, as Auburn and Duke are on track for No. 1 regional seeds on Selection Sunday on March 16, when the 68-team bracket for the NCAA Basketball Tournament is revealed. In the latest Associated Press media poll, released on Monday, the Tigers were the unanimous No. 1 team in the country with the Blue Devils second.
The team at DraftKings Sportsbook North Carolina lists Flagg at -140 odds to win the award as the nation’s top player. Broome is the only other player mentioned, with +110 odds of knocking off the Duke star freshman to win the honor in 2025.
Can Anyone Catch Flagg?
It doesn’t seem likely. The Duke star is listed at -140 to win the Wooden Award on our board, compared with Broome’s odds of +110 to become the first SEC player to win the honor since Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky in 2022.
Flagg has steadily been a force all season as Duke – which has +375 odds to win the national title at BetMGM North Carolina Sportsbook – continues to make a case for itself as the best team in college basketball.
Broome has led Auburn into the tournament with the hopes of helping the Tigers secure their first national championship ever. Oddsmakers currently have them at +380 to complete the task.
Auburn and Duke met this season on Dec. 4, when the Blue Devils prevailed 84-78 to hand the Tigers one of their four losses this season. Flagg had 22 points and 11 rebounds in that game; Broome scored 20 and pulled down 12 rebounds.
The team at bet365 Sportsbook North Carolina sees Duke as the favorite if they were to meet again. It likely is a similar scenario for their top stars, as both attempt to chase after one of the most prestigious awards in college basketball.
Our guide to North Carolina college basketball betting at BetCarolina.com will give you knowledge on how to place wagers for the upcoming conference tournaments and March Madness.
USA Today Network photo by Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch
Author
Christopher Boan is a lead writer at BetCarolina.com specializing in covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
