Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
Author: Anthony Vlahovic
Last Updated: 11 August, 2025
2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year Odds
The sheer amount of talent in the NBA is off the charts, but only a select few coaches can get all that talent to work together and buy into a system. Heading into the 2024-25 season, CLE Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson took over a roster that hadn't met its potential in years prior, and by getting them to the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, he earned himself the Coach of the Year Award.
The Coach of the Year Award is not just handed to the coach whose team had the best record. Several factors could be considered, including whether a team exceeded expectations or achieved success despite numerous injuries. As we've seen over the years, coaches in their first year with a team can have a slight edge in this award, and this year, new Nuggets coach Dave Adelman has opened as the favorite. Down below, we'll break down the best prices for all the Head Coaches in the league across the top sportsbook.
2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year - Best Odds
Coach | Opening odds | Current Best Odds |
|---|---|---|
Jamahl Mosley | +750 | +550 (DraftKings) |
Quin Snyder | +650 | +800 (DraftKings) |
Ime Udoka | +700 | +900 (BetMGM) |
Dave Adelman | +500 | +900 (BetMGM) |
Mitchell Johnson | +1000 | +1400 (DraftKings) |
JB Bickerstaff | +1200 | +1500 (FanDuel) |
Mike Brown | +1800 | +2500 (Bet365*) |
Darko Rajakovic | +5000 | +2500 (DraftKings) |
Chris Finch | +2000 | +2500 (FanDuel*) |
Tyronn Lue | +2000 | +3000 (DraftKings*) |
JJ Redick | +1200 | +3000 (BetMGM*) |
Nick Nurse | +2000 | +4000 (FanDuel) |
Tuomas Iisalo | +5000 | +4000 (DraftKings*) |
Erik Spoelstra | +2000 | +4000 (DraftKings) |
Mark Daigneault | +3300 | +4000 (FanDuel*) |
Chauncey Billups | +8000 | +5000 (FanDuel) |
Rick Carlisle | +2500 | +5000 (Bet365*) |
Joe Mazzulla | +1400 | +5000 (BetMGM) |
Charles Lee | +2500 | +5000 (DraftKings) |
Willie Green | +3300 | +5000 (BetMGM*) |
Jason Kidd | +2000 | +7500 (FanDuel) |
Doc Rivers | +5000 | +10000 (FanDuel*) |
Kenny Atkinson | +2000 | +10000 (FanDuel) |
Steve Kerr | +5000 | +10000 (FanDuel) |
Jordi Fernandez | +10000 | +15000 (FanDuel*) |
Will Hardy | +10000 | +15000 (BetMGM) |
Billy Donovan | +20000 | +15000 (FanDuel) |
Doug Christie | +5000 | +15000 (FanDuel*) |
Brian Keefe | +20000 | +20000 (FanDuel) |
Jordan Ott | +5000 | +20000 (FanDuel*) |
Odds as of August 11, 2025
Opening Odds from Bet365
* = The same odds are offered by multiple sportsbooks
2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year- Top10 Contenders
Coach | BetMGM | FanDuel | DraftKings |
|---|---|---|---|
Jamahl Mosley | +400 | +400 | +550 |
Quin Snyder | +500 | +500 | +800 |
Ime Udoka | +900 | +850 | +550 |
Dave Adelman | +900 | +800 | +600 |
Mitchell Johnson | +1000 | +1000 | +1400 |
JB Bickerstaff | +1000 | +1500 | +1400 |
Mike Brown | +2500 | +2000 | +2500 |
Darko Rajakovic | +1400 | +1500 | +2500 |
Chris Finch | +2500 | +2500 | +2200 |
Tyronn Lue | +3000 | +2500 | +3000 |
Odds of August 11, 2025
Current Favorites
Dave Adelman (Denver Nuggets): First-year head coaches tend to get a lot of love in this market, and Dave Adelman is walking into a favorable spot with the Nuggets. Right before the playoffs last season, the Nuggets decided to move on from Michael Malone, which led to Adelman being named the interim and then the full-time Head Coach. Adelman is not only taking over a playoff team, but he's taking over a playoff team that has made multiple moves this offseason that could help them get back to the promised land.
Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks): Many NBA analysts agree that the Atlanta Hawks have drastically improved this offseason and could be a sleeper contender in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta finished 40-42 last season while dealing with some tough injuries, but the future looks bright in ATL. Not only did they add Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, and Asa Newell this offseason, but they will be getting a healthy Jalen Johnson back as well.
Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets): They have been building a strong team over the past few seasons under Ime Udoka, but entering the 2025-26 season, the Houston Rockets look like NBA Finals contenders. Houston boasts a strong mix of youth talent, including Amen Thompson, and following a recent trade, they have added Kevin Durant. Behind Udoka's defensive-minded system, we could see Houston follow the Cavs' footsteps from this past season and dominate the regular season.
2024-25 Coach of the Year Winner
Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland Cavaliers): In his first season as the Cavs' head coach, Atkinson guided his team to a 64-18 regular season record, which was good enough to earn Cleveland the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs were a solid team last season, but under Atkinson's system, they ranked first in points per 100 possessions in non-garbage time (122.5), per Cleaning the Glass. Cleveland also produced the second-best point differential in the league during the regular season and became only the second team in NBA history to have three separate winning streaks of at least 12 games.
NBA Coach of the Year 2024-25 Voting
Rank - Coach | Total points | 1st place votes |
|---|---|---|
1. Kenny Atkinson | 401 | 59 |
2. J.B. Bickerstaff | 305 | 31 |
3. Ime Udoka | 113 | 7 |
4. Mark Daigneault | 41 | 2 |
5. Tyronn Lue | 35 | 1 |
6. JJ Redick | 5 | 0 |
Past Coach of the Year Winners
Season | Coach | Team | Opening odds |
|---|---|---|---|
2024-25 | Kenny Atkinson | Cleveland Cavaliers | +1800 |
2023-24 | Mark Daigneault | Oklahoma City Thunder | +700 |
2022-23 | Mike Brown | Sacramento Kings | +8000 |
2021-22 | Monty Williams | Phoenix Suns | +2000 |
2020-21 | Tom Thibodeau | New York Knicks | +8000 |
2019-20 | Nick Nurse | Toronto Raptors | +2000 |
2018-19 | Mike Budenholzer | Milwaukee Bucks | +1100 |
2017-18 | Dwane Casey | Toronto Raptors | +3000 |
2016-17 | Mike D'Antoni | Houston Rockets | +3000 |
2015-16 | Steve Kerr | Golden State Warriors | +575 |
2014-15 | Mike Budenholzer | Atlanta Hawks | +25000 |
Coach of the Year Trends: When Excellence Isn’t Enough
Voter fatigue is a commonly used phrase for the NBA award season, and it most certainly applies to Coach of the Year voting. A coach may lead their team to the best record in the NBA one season, and that could earn them the award. However, if they do the same thing the following year, it may not be enough to win the award again.
Does this phenomenon make sense? No. But is it something to remember when placing futures on the award? Absolutely. If you look back at some of the great dynasties in the NBA, a casual fan may think the coach of that team would win Coach of the Year, but that has proven not to be the case.
Most recently, the Golden State Warriors reached the NBA Finals every year from 2015 to 2019, winning the title in three of those seasons. Even with all that success, though, Steve Kerr has only won Coach of the Year once in his coaching career, and it came when Golden State won 73 games in 2016.
Voter fatigue can teach bettors a valuable lesson: there is no exact formula for winning this award. First-year coaches or coaches who turn around a struggling franchise always seem to get an advantage in markets such as this one, while experienced coaches who have sustained success may be overlooked when the votes come in.
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