The award isn’t announced until early April — usually right after March Madness concludes. So keep that in mind because if you bet now, your money will be tied up for a few months. But hey, as the saying goes, the best things in life are worth waiting for. And in the case of Wooden Award betting, the best thing is a hefty payout!
Speaking of payouts, let’s take a gander at the current betting lines to win the 2022 Wooden honor. Lines are available at the best online sportsbooks for a multitude of players, but the ones featured below are currently favored the most to win:
| Player |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Oscar Tshiebwe | -150 | -150 |
| Kofi Cockburn | +400 | +400 |
| Keegan Murray | +600 | +600 |
| Johnny Davis | +600 | +600 |
| Ochai Agbaji | +1400 | +1400 |
2022 Wooden Award Betting Pick
The next several weeks will decide who and who doesn’t win the 2022 Wooden Award. That’s because award voters put special emphasis on player performance during crunch time — the conference tournament and of course, March Madness. We had to say that now because this influenced our own 2022 Wooden Award picks, as you’ll see below. Here are the players we're backing with a bet right now:
Oscar Tshiebwe (-150)
If the Wooden Award vote was today, there's zero — and we mean zero — question that Tshiebwe would have this award locked up. The junior out of Kentucky has been the model of consistency since the season began. He's currently averaging 16.4 points (on 59 percent shooting, no less) and an eye-popping 15.3 rebounds per game. The latter is on pace to be the best rebounding season of any individual since 1986!
The key to Tshiebwe's success is his size and sheer willpower. Despite being only 6-foot-9, his wingspan stretches out to 7-foot-4. Tshiebwe has a chiseled frame that allows him to play even bigger than his so-so height initially suggests. Near the hoop, no one seems to outwork Tshiebwe, which is why he's a double-double machine (22 this season, the most in the country).
But most of all, Tshiebwe's insane production is leading to wins for the Wildcats. They are 23-5 on the season and are ranked No. 6 in the top-25. If both Tshiebwe and Kentucky keep up this torrid pace, a Wooden Award win is his to lose. That's why we're vouching for a wager in his direction because we think the Wildcats can "run the table" from here on out in the SEC (they're currently in second place, behind Auburn only) and NCAA Tournament. Tshiebwe is a "no-brainer" bet as of right now.
Kofi Cockburn (+400)
Alongside your Tshiebwe bet, we believe Cockburn is worth an additional wager. And at his current +400 price, you don't need to risk much to earn a nice payout from an upset win. Cockburn will need to elevate his play over the next month to catapult himself over Tshiebwe in the voting, but that's completely doable for this junior out of Illinois.
Remember earlier this month when Cockburn went off for 37 points (and 12 boards) against Wisconsin? That herculean effort from Cockburn is what we call the "Wooden Award moment" — a performance that instantly becomes top of mind to voters. Cockburn is more than capable of pulling off similar heroics in the postseason, which will only strengthen his Wooden Award case if he does so.
Perhaps the biggest X-factor to Cockburn's chances at claiming the award is the Fighting Illini themselves. They're 19-7 at the moment and in third place in the Big Ten. That's not bad, but Illinois needs to win more if Cockburn is going to supersede Tshuebwe in the eyes of voters. Purdue and Iowa are arguably better teams right now inside the conference. If the Fighting Illini can topple either program (or both) — and Cockburn goes off in those games — then his Wooden Award aspirations become very real. A small bet on Cockburn is worth it given that plausibility.
How To Bet 2022 Wooden Award
Agree with our bets above? Heck, disagree? Welp, no matter what side you’re on, you can stake your bets at one of the online bookmakers below. They’ll have up-to-date odds for the 2022 Wooden Award bet for the next several weeks (when the award is really decided as mentioned before). If the Wooden Award isn't your jazz, you'll also find bets for March Madness and everyday games too.
But here's one last word of advice before we let you go: earn free play by leveraging a sportsbook bonus at the below bookies. Multiple bonuses are currently on the table at different sites and these deals pay big time — upwards of $2500 in free play at some bookmakers. Conceivably, you could use the free play to make Wooden Award bets using "house money" too. The table underneath has details on what bonuses are available to you at this very moment.
