NBA Coach of the Year Odds Update: Mark Daigneault Remains the Coach to Beat

With about two weeks to go until the NBA All-Star break, most teams are nearing 50 games into the season. The contenders for various NBA awards are becoming very clear. This could be the best time to take advantage of the current odds before contenders pull ahead as the clear favorites.

The Coach of the Year (COTY) award often goes overlooked when fans discuss NBA hardware, but there is still great value to be had here. For the most part, the lines have not shifted too much since our last check-in on COTY. Two coaches still remain the clear favorites while the rest of the pack is far behind. In fact, the top dogs have created an even bigger cushion at the top.

Let's break down which coach has the best chance of taking home the award. Plus, there are a few coaches to keep an eye on over the next month as their odds sharply dropped over the last two weeks of play. Here are the latest NBA Coach of the Year odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder (+140)

The Oklahoma City Thunder's Mark Daigneault remains the favorite to win COTY. It's easy to see why with the Thunder holding the third-best record in the NBA at 33-15 while carrying the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Oklahoma City finished 10th in the conference last season and failed to earn a postseason berth. So how have the Thunder made such huge strides? The defense has jumped from the 13th-best rating to the 4th-best rating this season.

The unit has improved in several categories, including the paint defense. They give up the 13th-fewest points in the paint per game compared to the 11th-most in the 2022-23 season. The addition of rookie center Chet Holmgren, who has the second-shortest odds to win Rookie of the Year at +200, has made a big impact with his 112.4 defensive rating and team-best 2.6 blocks per game.

The offense has also taken a big step, going from the 16th-best rating last season to the 6th-best rating. An increase in shooting efficiency has made a massive difference as the Thunder had the seventh-worst effective field goal percentage (eFG%) last season and now carry the third-best mark in eFG%.

Daigneault is well on track to winning COTY with Oklahoma City holding the eighth-easiest remaining schedule in the league.

Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves (+230)

You won't have to look far in the Western Conference to find Daigneault's best competition. The Minnesota Timberwolves's Chris Finch has also engineered an excellent season.

Minnesota seemed to be entering a key season after last year's disappointing 42-40 finish in the regular season while losing in the first round against the Denver Nuggets. This simply was not good enough after the Timberwolves gave up several pieces and four first-round pick for Rudy Gobert ahead of the 2022-23 season. Side note: I still cannot believe the Utah Jazz generated four first-rounders from moving Gobert.

The T-Wolves went all in on winning now, yet they couldn't even advance past the first round. Minnesota is showing major progress thus far with the second-best record in the NBA (34-14) while carrying the top seed in the West.

The defense is probably what the Wolves envisioned when trading for Gobert as the unit leads the league in defensive rating -- compared to the 10th-best mark last season. Karl-Anthony Towns' return to full health has also been a big help. Anthony Edwards (25.5 PPG) has taken another step in his development, and KAT is a quality running mate with 22.7 PPG.

One could argue Minnesota's improvement is just as impressive as Oklahoma City's exceptional season. Whoever finishes higher in the Western Conference standings could decide who wins COTY. Will it be Daigneault or Finch?

Tyronn Lue, Los Angeles Clippers (+1000)

This is where we have a big drop-off in odds. Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers has the third-shortest odds at +1000. While this is a large line, bettors should probably keep an eye on Lue. His odds went from +2100 to +1000 in under two weeks. If this continues, COTY could become a three-horse race.

The Clippers are shaping up to be a contender with the fourth-shortest odds to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy (+700), per FanDuel's NBA Finals odds. James Harden has actually fit into the core quite seamlessly with 17.2 PPG and 8.5 assists per game (APG) while shooting 41.3% from three.

Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Harden, and Norman Powell are all shooting above 40.0% from the three-point line. When your top four scorers are all shooting this well from deep, this typically leads to success. Los Angeles touts the 11th-best offensive rating compared to the 17th-best mark last season. We also know the Clips still have the defensive chops led by Kawhi and PG13.

Lue is once again showing his ability to manage rosters full of star power -- similar to his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Others

The Indiana Pacers' Rick Carlisle and the Boston Celtics' Joe Mazzulla both saw their odds rise over the last two weeks. Carlisle went from +750 to +1100, which is a bit surprising considering the Pacers are 3-1 over their last four games even with Tyrese Haliburton playing in only one of the games. The Celtics are still rolling with the league's top record at 37-11; Mazzulla's odds likely rose due to some surging counterparts.

The Cavaliers' J.B. Bickerstaff has been a huge mover over the last couple of weeks; his odds went from +13000 to +1400. That's not a typo; Cleveland has been that good. They now rank as numberFire's seventh-best team in the league and are 11-1 over their previous 12 games. The Cavaliers could continue their great play with Evan Mobley and Darius Garland recently returning from injuries. Along with Lue, Bickerstaff is another name that could continue to climb the ranks for COTY.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.