2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year Odds: Ime Udoka, Tom Thibodeau, Joe Mazzulla Highlight Leaderboard

Breaking down the opening odds for the NBA Coach of the Year award in the 2024-25 season.

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka. / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The NBA’s Coach of the Year market features just one coach with shorter than 10/1 odds — Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka — ahead of the start of the regular season. 

In recent years, the Coach of the Year has been going to coaches that have improved non-playoff teams (Tom Thibodeau in 2021, Mike Brown in 2023 and Mark Daigneault in 2024), and Udoka could fit that bill.

However, the 2022 winner was Monty Williams, who led the Phoenix Suns to 64 wins. Does that open the door for Joe Mazzulla, Daigbeault, Michael Malone or other coaches on teams already viewed as contenders? 

This is a tough market to bet since some teams will come out of nowhere — OKC did to become the No. 1 seed last season — but there are some familiar names at the top of the odds board. 

NBA Coach of the Year Odds for 2024-25 Season

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Ime Udoka: +800
• Tom Thibodeau: +1000
• Joe Mazzulla: +1000
• Jamahl Mosley: +1200
• Mark Daigneault: +1300
• Taylor Jenkins: +1400
• Erik Spoelstra: +1400
• Nick Nurse: +1500
• Chris Finch: +1500
• Michael Malone: +1800
• JJ Redick: +1800
• Gregg Popovich: +1800
• Mike Budenholzer: +2200
• Willie Green: +2500
• Rick Carlisle: +2500
• Jason Kidd: +2500
• Kenny Atkinson: +2500
• Doc Rivers: +3000
• Stever Kerr: +3000
• Mike Brown: +3500
• Tyronn Lue: +4000
• Charles Lee: +4500
• Quin Syder: +4500
• J.B. Bickerstaff: +6000
• Darko Radjakovic: +6000
• Will Hardy: +7000
• Chauncey Billups: +15000
• Jordi Fernandez: +20000
• Brian Keefe: +20000
• Billy Donovan: +2000

How to Bet NBA Coach of the Year Market

I don’t usually bet on the league’s Coach of the Year ahead of the season, but there are a few candidates that I think are worth a look…

Joe Mazzulla: Can Boston win 60+ games again? Mazzulla may have gotten overlooked for a Coach of the Year last year, and he now has to navigate the start of the season without Kristaps Porzingis. 

Ime Udoka: Houston’s young core nearly made the play-in last season. If the Rockets sneak into the playoffs, Udoka deserves a ton of credit for changing this franchise around. 

Rick Carlisle: I’m shocked to see Carlisle this far down the odds board after Indiana made the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Pacers make a push for a top-four seed, he could be in the mix for COTY. 

Steve Kerr: Call me crazy, but you could build a case for Kerr if the Warriors get back in the playoffs despite losing Klay Thompson…

Michael Malone: Everyone seems to expect that Denver will take a step back after losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. If the Nuggets are just right back in the No. 1 spot, Malone deserves some love with several young players likely in the rotation.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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