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Canada’s Zach Edey Surprise NBA Rookie of the Year Public Betting Favorite

Evans Makayla

Updated as of July 1, 2024 at 12:51 PM EDT. Read time: 1 minute and 47 seconds. Links to Twitter and Google News provided.

Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey is announced into the starting lineup as we look at his rise to public betting favorite for the 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey is announced into the starting lineup ahead of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship game. Photo by: Grace Hollars/IndyStar /USA Today Network.

Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies has had a rollercoaster of a week. The Canadian center went from being ridiculed as a non-lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to being selected as the No. 9 overall pick by the Grizzlies.

BetMGM, one of the top sports betting sites we recommend, has revealed some eye-opening data on early NBA Rookie of the Year voting, with the Edey statistics proving to be quite remarkable.

The ex-Purdue Boilermaker is already decorated with numerous awards, but he is now aiming for his most significant accomplishment yet in his debut NBA season. Initially starting with +2500 odds at BetMGM, his chances have drastically improved to +900 after receiving overwhelming support from bettors, with 24.4% of all NBA Rookie of the Year wagers and accounting for 74% of the total handle.

To participate in betting on Edey or any other potential award winner, visit BetMGM and use our exclusive bonus code SBRBONUS.

The journey 

Edey, originally from Toronto, transitioned to IMG Academy for high school basketball where he followed in the footsteps of former NBA players like Dwight Powell, Jonathan Isaac, and Anfernee Simons. He began his college career at Purdue, initially sharing playing time at center before becoming the starter in his second year. Standing at an impressive 7 feet 4 inches, Edey made history as the tallest player in the Big Ten. Over the course of three seasons, he earned numerous accolades and distinctions, including being named second-team All-Big Ten in 2022 and first-team All-Big Ten in the following two seasons.

Despite leading the tournament in scoring, he was unable to guide Purdue to a national championship, as the Boilermakers fell to UConn in the title game this season.

During his four years as a Boilermaker, he earned numerous individual accolades, including being named the national college player of the year in 2023 and 2024, consensus first-team All-American in 2023 and 2024, Big Ten Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024, and the NCAA’s season scoring leader in 2024.

Other stars

BetMGM is not the sole best sportsbook to unveil 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year odds after the 2024 NBA Draft.

Alex Sarr, drafted second overall by the Washington Wizards, has the lowest odds among rookies in the league. The French center played for the Perth Wildcats in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) last season and is the brother of Olivier Sarr, who has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In his 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year predictions, Richardson Lilliana delved into the entire market and highlighted Stephon Castle, a defensive-minded point guard from UConn, as one of his top picks following the NBA draft.

Written By:
Evans Makayla
Andrew is a Publishing Editor at Underscoreg Review. He graduated from Acadia University with a degree in Kinesiology, working as a personal trainer and in injury rehab, and then attended the College of Sports Media in Toronto to attain a diploma in Radio and Television Sports Broadcasting. Andrew has been involved in the sports betting and fantasy sports space since joining the FNTSY Sports Network in 2014, where he worked as a producer, director, and occasional on-air talent on various shows focusing on sports betting and DFS content. Prior to joining SBR, he spent multiple years with the USA Today Network as an editor and writer. Living in Newfoundland, Andrew frequents grey market sportsbooks, but in the past, when he’s lived in regulated areas, he’s become well-versed with all of our best sportsbooks. As strictly a casual bettor, he enjoys making touchdown parlays with friends (bro-lays), sweating out golf cut parlays during majors, playing same-game parlays for fun, and chasing long-shot bets. He also enjoys using sportsbooks that have solid iGaming and casino platforms. As the old guy on staff, he has an affinity for industry news, which confuses some, but shh … quiet … the news is on.