Dayton’s Obi Toppin Now +190 Favorite to Win Naismith Player of the Year; Preseason Leader Cassius Winston +900

• Dayton forward Obi Toppin is the current favorite to win 2020 Naismith Player of the Year at +190; Iowa’s Luka Garza is second on the board at +275
• Michigan State’s Cassius Winston is now +900 after opening as the +140 favorite in November
• Can Toppin hold off the bluebloods to win the Naismith heading into march?

We are just a few weeks away from the most exciting time of the year as March Madness will not only include some of the best teams in the country, but also the most prolific players in college basketball.

The odds to win the Naismith award have gone in a complete 180 since the beginning of the season. Cassius Winston and Jordan Nwora have dropped considerably after seeing their names at the top of the list in November.

According to the Naismith Player of the Year odds, Dayton’s Obi Toppin is the man to beat at +190. Can Toppin continue his success with the likes of Winston, Luke Garza, and even Payton Pritchard nipping at his heels?

2020 Naismith Player of the Year Award Odds

Odds taken February 27th

The Drastic Movement

Obi Toppin has propelled himself all the way to the top of the board, averaging 19.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Toppin has been Dayton’s go-to guy this season and it has paid off for the Flyers. Let’s take a look at some of the stars in college basketball who have not had the season they hoped for.

Louisville’s Jordan Nwora had odds of +550 back in November, but now finds himself in no man’s land at +6600. Nwora has improved this season but not enough to make a splash, as the 6’7″ forward is averaging 17.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. His shooting percentage and rebounding averages have taken a small dip since last season.

Nwora’s biggest problem this season has been underperforming on the big stage. In Louisville’s six losses this year, he’s averaging just 12.0 points per game and is shooting 34.8 percent from the field.

Jordan Nwora during any game that means anything pic.twitter.com/DtuojkdBb9

— Dirty Dan (@Dtf617) February 25, 2020

Winston & Anthony See Major Slide

The opening favorite for the Naismith POY was Michigan State’s Cassius Winston, and now he sits in the middle of the pack at +900. Winston is averaging 18.4 points and 5.8 assists per game this season for the Spartans, but has seen a decline in points, assists, rebounds, and shooting percentage from his numbers last season.

North Carolina’s Cole Anthony was another top candidate at +550 at the beginning of the season. Anthony, unfortunately, missed a big chunk of the season due to injury and has now found himself off the board completely as the Tar Heels likely won’t be invited to any postseason tournament.

Best Bet & Dark Horse Pick

Toppin, Luke Garza, and even Malachi Flynn all look like appetizing choices at this point. However, do they possess enough value to take a risk on? In my mind, these guys can fall off just as easily as they came up.

One player who has the complete package with a great supporting cast is Payton Pritchard. The senior out of West Linn, Oregon is heating up at the perfect time. The Ducks are just a half game behind Arizona State for the Pac-12 regular season title and should be the team to beat in the conference tourney.

Pritchard is averaging 20.1 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He put on an absolute clinic in Oregon’s most recent overtime win against Arizona as the guard scored a career-high 38 points and added six rebounds and four assists. He also shot 43 percent from beyond the arc nailing six triples.

Pritchard and the Ducks had a solid tournament last season losing to Virginia in the Sweet 16. Oregon seems to have a lot of momentum rolling into the end of the year, which will only help Pritchard’s odds of winning the Naismith.  He will have no better value than right now, so hop on Pritchard with solid value while you still can.

Best Bet: Payton Pritchard +600