Two returning stars in the state of Indiana are shaping up as liabilities for sportsbooks when it comes to college basketball's most outstanding men's player.
Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis and Purdue's Jaden Ivey are the top liabilities to win the Wooden Award, which goes to the nation's top player, according to data released by BetMGM on Tuesday.
Both players are near the top of the oddsboard but aren't considered betting favorites. Jackson-Davis is +2000 with Ivey close behind at +2500.
Jackson-Davis returns for his third year after flirting with the NBA Draft following the dismissal of former Indiana head coach Archie Miller. However, new head coach Mike Woodson convinced Jackson-Davis to return, and bettors are hoping the preseason All-American can take another leap.
The forward scored 19 points with 9 rebounds a season ago.
Ivey returns for his sophomore season on a team with national championship expectations in No. 7 Purdue. The guard is coming off an all-conference freshman year where he averaged 11 points per game.
Out of all the bets made to win the Wooden Award, 14.6% are on Ivey and 12.2% are on Jackson-Davis. Almost half of the total money wagered is on Jackson-Davis.
A player closer to the top of the oddsboard bettors like is UCLA's Johnny Juzang, who has taken more than 10% of bets.
Gonzaga big man Drew Timme is the betting favorite at +600, ahead of Duke freshman Paolo Banchero (+700) and Michigan's Hunter Dickinson (+800).
Remy Martin (+800), Chet Holmgren (+900) and Kofi Cockburn (+1000) round out the players with 10-1 odds or lower.
There's one longshot getting enough action that makes him worth watching. Tennessee junior Santiago Vescovi is 200-1 but is third in terms of liability behind Jackson-Davis and Ivey.
