The Cleveland Cavaliers finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference and, in turn, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson (-250) is at the top of NBA Coach of the Year odds boards. More NBA odds for COY show the Pistons' JB Bickerstaff (+210) and the Thunders' Mark Daigneault (+1600) in the mix as well.
NBA Coach of the Year odds
Here is a look at updated NBA Coach of the Year odds. Kenny Atkinson is the betting favorite to win the award at -250.
Kenny Atkinson
JB Bickerstaff
Mark Daigneault
JJ RedickOdds as of 4-18.
NBA Coach of the Year opening odds
Below is a look at opening NBA Coach of the Year odds. Kenny Atkinson (+140) was the initial betting favorite to win the award and he has more than lived up to the billing.
- Kenny Atkinson (+140)
- Joe Mazzulla (+800)
- Mike Budenholzer (+800)
- Steve Kerr (+900)
- JJ Redick (+2200)
- Jamahl Mosley (+3000)
- Mark Daigneault (+3000)
- Ime Udoka (+3000)
- Charles Lee (+3000)
- Chris Finch (+3500)
- Tom Thibodeau (+3500)
- Taylor Jenkins (+3500)
- Tyronn Lue (+4000)
Latest NBA Coach of the Year award odds update
4/4/2025: Kenny Atkinson had been looking like a lock to win the NBA Coach of the Year award, but the Cavs suffered four-straight losses in the month of March. This allowed the Pistons' JB Bickerstaff (+210) to climb up the COY odds boards.
3/5/2025: Kenny Atkinson remains the favorite and is now -850 to win the NBA Coach of the Year award. Lakers head coach JJ Redick is slowly climbing NBA COY odds boards, however, as he now has the third lowest price to win.
2/26/2025: Kenny Atkinson's NBA Coach of the Year odds have jumped from -450 to -700 since late January. At the NBA All-Star break, the Cavs were tied with the Thunder for having the best record in the NBA.
1/21/2025: Barring a monumental collapse, it is seeming more and more likely that Kenny Atkinson will walk away with the hardware. He had -180 odds to win NBA Coach of the Year in early January and is now -450. His Cavs are currently 36-6.
1/3/2025: Kenny Atkinson and the Cavs have exceeded expectations and then some. The Cavs had a pre-season win total projection of 48.5 wins. Owning a 29-4 record on Jan. 3, 2025, they should eclipse that number easily. Atkinson is the favorite to win the NBA Coach of the Year award as he owns -180 odds.
11/30/2024: Coaches who lead teams that exceed expectations are typically at the top of NBA Coach of the Year odds boards, particularly early in the season. The Cavs' Kenny Atkinson (-115 NBA Coach of the Year odds), the Rockets' Ime Udoka (+700) and Orlando's Jamahl Mosley (+1000) certainly fit that bill as all of their teams have gotten off to hot starts.
New York's Tom Thibodeau had been at or near the top of COY odds boards to start the season but is now +6000 to win the award. The Knicks are playing decent ball with an 11-8 record but they have not exactly lived up to their pre-season hype to this point.
10/1/2024: While Ime Udoka still leads at multiple books, he's got company near the top of the odds board.
The big news across the NBA this week was the Knicks-Wolves trade, sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York, and Tom Thibodeau's Coach of the Year odds surging. Already a second choice for at least one major book, Thibodeau is now an industry consensus in the Top 3, and the only non-Udoka contender seeing his odds at or below 10:1 across the board.
The former two-time COY winner is about as no-nonsense as bench bosses come, and now seen to be leading a legitimate title contender, it's safe to assume he'll squeeze the very most be can out of its regular season.
Previous COY betting action
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.
Popular NBA futures markets
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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
Sacramento's Mike Brown won the 2023 COY award.
Don Nelson, Pat Riley, and Gregg Popovich are all tied as three-time winners.
No coach in the award's 61-year history has won in consecutive seasons.
