2025 NBA Coach of the Year Odds: Udoka and Rockets Seek to Soar

Ime Udoka's still got plenty of work ahead of him in Houston, but the preseason Coach of the Year odds suggest we'll see serious progress from the Rockets.

AJ Salah - Publishing Editor/Writer at Covers.com
AJ Salah • Publishing Editor
Sep 12, 2024 • 13:37 ET • 4 min read
Ime Udoka NBA Coach of the Year odds
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

Last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat out a loaded Western Conference, becoming the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history. Thus, preseason Coach of the Year odds favorite Mark Daigneault took home COY honors for guiding the precocious roster.

The NBA odds have reset for 2025, with a brand new crop of bench bosses ready to take their teams to the next level. With Daigneault's prospects likely cooked this season (no coach has ever won the award in back-to-back years), who will rise to the occasion?

Let's check out the preseason odds to win NBA Coach of the Year in 2025.

Odds to win NBA Coach of the Year  

Player DraftKings FanDuel bet365
Rockets Ime Udoka +900 +850 +900
Celtics Joe Mazzulla +1,000 +1,600 +1,200
MagicJamahl Mosley +1,000 +1,500 +900
76ers Nick Nurse +1,200 +1,200 +1,100
Knicks Tom Thibodeau +1,300 +850 +900
Thunder Mark Daigneault +1,300 +1,400 +1,200
Grizzlies Taylor Jenkins +1,400 +900 +900
Heat Erik Spoelstra +1,600 +2,000 +1,600
Timberwolves Chris Finch +1,400 +1,400 +1,400
Nuggets Michale Malone +1,800 +3,000 +2,000

Odds as of 9-11-2024.

Latest NBA Coach of the Year award odds update

9/11/2024: Ime Udoka tops the COY odds board across the industry; a proven winner who already engineered a 19-W improvement in his first season with the Houston Rockets. Given that the Rockets are nowhere near their ceiling, another leap into the playoffs is entirely possible this season.

Orlando's Jamahl Mosley is in similar territory, having presided over much growth last season with a talented Magic squad that seems destined for further ascent. But Mosley's already gotten his team into the playoffs, so while the proof of concept is there, so are the expectations.

Taylor Jenkins is another favorite, looking to steer the Grizzlies back to their contender course after every imaginable kind of player absence completely derailed their 2023-24 season. They have Rookie of the Year odds favorite Zach Edey now in tow, and Jenkins has generally maximized returns throughout his tenure. 

Tom Thibodeau and Nick Nurse will also likely have a say in this year's Coach of the Year race, helming East contenders (the Knicks and 76ers, respectively) that made serious upgrades this offseason, and could challenge for the conference's best record with good health. 

Understanding NBA Coach of the Year odds 

Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. We'll use 2022-23's Coach of the Year race as an example: 

As the season progressed, with Mike Brown having been a huge favorite, his odds had a minus (-) sign ahead of the number: 

  • Mike Brown -500

This means that a bettor needs to wager $500 to win $100. Other candidates with worse odds would have a plus (+) sign ahead of the number. Early in the season, before any clear favorite is established, betting options will be listed as such: 

  • Nick Nurse +650

Here, a bettor stands to profit $650 for every $100 wagered. 

If American odds aren't your thing, simply use our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.

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NBA Coach of the Year trends

  • Mike Brown's 2023 victory was the first time in 10 years (excluding COVID-altered schedules  — 2019-20, 2020-21) that the Coach of the Year's team hadn't won 55+ games.

  • Four coaches (Mike Budenholzer, Gregg Popovich, Tom Thibodeau, Mike Brown) have won COY multiple times since 2009.

  • No rookie head coach has won Coach of the Year since Doc Rivers (2000).

  • Dating back to the award's inception in 1963, no coach has ever won COY in back-to-back seasons.

NBA Coach of the Year history

Year NBA Coach of the Year Winner Team
2023-24 Mark Daigneault Oklahoma City Thunder
2022-23 Mike Brown Sacramento Kings
2021-22 Monty Williams  Phoenix Suns
2020-21 Tom Thibodeau  New York Knicks
2019-20 Nick Nurse  Toronto Raptors
2018-19 Mike Budenholzer Milwaukee Bucks
2017-18 Dwane Casey Toronto Raptors
2016-17 Mike D'Antoni  Houston Rockets
2015-16 Steve Kerr  Golden State Warriors
2014-15 Mike Budenholzer  Atlanta Hawks
2013-14 Gregg Popovich  San Antonio Spurs
2012-13 George Karl  Denver Nuggets
2011-12 Gregg Popovich  San Antonio Spurs
2010-11 Tom Thibodeau  Chicago Bulls
2009-10 Scott Brooks  Oklahoma City Thunder
2008-09 Mike Brown  Cleveland Cavaliers
2007-08 Byron Scott  New Orleans Hornets
2006-07 Sam Mitchell  Toronto Raptors
2005-06 Avery Johnson  Dallas Mavericks
2004-05 Mike D'Antoni  Phoenix Suns

NBA Coach of the Year Odds FAQ

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AJ Salah covers.com publishing editor
Publishing Editor

AJ brings years of gambling experience to the Covers editorial team. A champion tournament poker player, he began writing about the NBA in 2009 and parlayed the popularity of his blog into gigs with several websites including HotNewHipHop.com and Fansided. He’s since appeared on BetMGM’s The Daily Tip, and has delivered steady profits for Covers readers for nearly a half-decade.

AJ’s sportsbook of choice is bet365, and he urges all sports bettors to educate themselves about trends: “Instead of blindly betting a team that is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games, look at WHY that happened. Is that trend sustainable, or did that team benefit from opponent injuries, scheduling quirks, or garbage-time noise?"

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