Victor Wembanyama, who was selected first overall by the San Antonio Spurs in this year’s NBA Draft, is the NBA Rookie of the Year favorite for 2024. Wembanyama has -160 NBA Rookie of the Year odds. Scoot Henderson (+400) and Chet Holmgren (+700) are also at the top of most NBA ROY odds boards.
View NBA ROY odds for the top first-year players below.
NBA Rookie of the Year odds
NBA Rookie of the Year odds for the 2023-2024 season are available to bet on below. Click on the price(s) you like to bet now.
NBA ROY betting
Here are contenders for the NBA ROY along with their NBA Rookie of the Year odds to win the award.
Victor Wembanyama (-160)
Not only is the 7-foot-4 super prospect the prohibitive favorite to win Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama is so hyped that there are markets to take the entire field at +185 odds against the No. 1 overall pick. The Frenchman should dominate defensively right out of the gates and his versatile offensive game could thrive under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.
Scoot Henderson (+400)
In two seasons against G-League competition, Henderson proved that he can score at all three levels and provide some impressive highlights with a sizable wingspan to complement his compact and strong frame. He shot a low percentage from 3-point range last year, but could improve on that stroke in the NBA.
Chet Holmgren (+700)
The second overall pick in 2022 missed all of last season due to a foot injury. Holmgren could be considered as a smaller version of Wemby with a skinny 7-foot-1 frame and a versatile skill set that includes good range on offense and impressive shot-blocking ability on defense.
Brandon Miller (+1300)
The 6-foot-9 wing was SEC Player of the Year and flashed massive potential with a 40-point outburst for Alabama last winter. Miller said he’s modeled his game after Paul George and he brings a similar skill set to the table with a combination of shooting, ball-handling, and defensive prowess.
Amen Thompson (+1400)
If the Rockets take Amen Thompson fourth overall and are unable to bring in James Harden in free agency, the 19-year-old athlete could see a significant workload as the point guard alongside Jalen Green. Thompson is an explosive leaper with good court vision.
Cam Whitmore (+2000)
While at Villanova, Whitmore missed his first seven games due to a thumb injury, but he flashed enough potential after that to be considered as a virtual lock in the top 10 of the draft.
Ausar Thompson (+2200)
Ausar is likely to be drafted after his twin brother despite twice winning Finals MVP in the OTE League. His jump shooting needs work, but he’s an elite defender who can help a team on both ends immediately.
Jarace Walker (+2500)
The Houston product is an extremely strong wing with great defensive potential and a relatively polished offensive game.
Anthony Black (+3000)
Black is a bouncy 6-foot-8 point guard with an array of skills and good court sense, which should translate well to the NBA if he’s asked to run a ton of pick-and-rolls as a rookie.
Taylor Hendricks (+3500)
Hendricks has worked his way into the top 10 of the draft by showcasing great defensive ability to go along with a reliable 3-point shot, something that many prospects in the 2023 draft lack.
Bilal Coulibaly (+5000)
Webanyama’s teammate on the Metropolitans 92 team drew some attention with his unique body type and ability to finish in transition. The skinny French kid could remind some GMs of a young Giannis, who also could finish effortlessly in transition and blossomed into a dominant player.
Nick Smith Jr. (+7500)
The fact that Smith Jr. was limited by consistent knee issues during his freshman year at Arkansas has raised some red flags for teams picking in the lottery. If he can get healthy, the 6-foot-5 wing could make an immediate impact for a team picking in the middle of the first round.
How NBA ROY odds are changing
Here we will focus on how NBA Roy odds change throughout the course of the 2023 – 2024 pro basketball season. Initial futures prices are from June 2, 2023 – less than two weeks before the NBA Draft.
| Player | NBA Rookie of the Year odds June 2 |
|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | -225 |
| Scoot Henderson | +350 |
| Chet Holmgren | +450 |
| Brandon Miller | +950 |
| Amen Thompson | +1400 |
| Cam Whitmore | +2000 |
| Ausar Thompson | +2200 |
| Jarace Walker | +2500 |
| Anthony Black | +3000 |
| Taylor Hendricks | +3500 |
| Gradey Dick | +3500 |
| Cason Wallace | +4000 |
| Bilal Coulibaly | +5000 |
| Nick Smith Jr. | +7500 |
| Marcus Sasser | +7500 |
| Jordan Hawkins | +7500 |
| Dariq Whitehead | +7500 |
| Leonard Miller | +7500 |
| Keyonte George | +7500 |
| Gregory Jackson | +7500 |
| Rayan Rupert | +10000 |
| Maxwell Lewis | +10000 |
| Kris Murray | +10000 |
| Colby Jones | +10000 |
| Brice Sensabaugh | +10000 |
| Kobe Bufkin | +10000 |
| Jett Howard | +10000 |
| Brandin Podziemski | +10000 |
| Jalen Hood-Schifino | +10000 |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | +10000 |
What happened in past years?
Paolo Banchero, who was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic, won NBA Rookie of the Year for 2023. Banchero had +180 NBA Rookie of the Year odds at DraftKings Sportsbook to open the season and was -1200 halfway through January. The Magic star garnered 98 out of 100 first place votes.
The 2021-2022 regular season’s NBA Rookie of the Year race was one of the tightest in league history as Raptors forward Scottie Barnes barely squeaked by Cavs forward Evan Mobley. Barnes garnered 48 first place votes while Mobley had 43 first place votes.
The previous campaign wrapped with LaMelo Ball earning Rookie of the Year honors.
NBA Rookie of the Year odds are up at key sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel. As of June 2, FanDuel had two options available – Wembanyama at -205 or “The Field” at +158.
The NBA ROY award is voted upon by a panel of 100 media members who are not affiliated with any NBA franchises. That panel will vote for a ROY based on their regular season performance.
Each member of the panel casts a vote for first to third-place selections. Each vote counts incrementally towards a player’s total and the player with the highest total wins the award.
There is plenty of precedent where a player misses too many games and members of the panel decide they shouldn’t be eligible. Chet Holmgren is the latest example. Despite getting drafted in 2022, he never suited up for OKC. Holmgren is one of the top contenders to win it next season.
Two years ago, Ball played in 51 of 72 games, missing 21 with a broken wrist. In 2019, Zion Williamson played 24 games and finished third in ROY voting with only one first-place vote. In 2017, Joel Embiid finished third behind Malcolm Brogdon and Dario Saric after playing in 31 of 82 possible games, but he got 23 first-place votes.
How to bet on NBA Rookie of the Year
Betting on the ROY winner is one of the more popular options for outright bets known as “Futures,” which are usually wagers on a season-long outcome such as the NBA champion, NBA division winner, or individual award winners. It’s also possible to bet over or under on team win totals, i.e. the number of games a team is expected to win during the regular season.
Odds for futures bets are set during the preseason, but can change throughout the season based on news and results.
There are a variety of ways to bet on the NBA. The most popular is wagering on each day’s games during the regular season. Check out NBA odds for today here.
Can you bet on Rookie of the Year odds?
Sports betting is currently legal at a regulated sportsbook in the following states.
| State | Online Sports Betting? | Retail Sports Betting? | Best Online Sportsbooks Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, FanDuel |
| Delaware | No | Yes | N/A |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars |
| Kansas | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Maryland | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Mississippi | No | Yes | N/A |
| Montana | No | Yes | N/A |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | DraftKings |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| New Mexico | No | Yes | N/A |
| New York | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Ohio | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Oregon | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| South Dakota | No | Yes | N/A |
| Tennessee | Yes | No | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Washington, D.C. | Yes | Yes | BetMGM, Caesars |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes | DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel |
| Wisconsin | No | Yes | N/A |
| Wyoming | Yes | No | DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel |
Legislation is on the table in a number of states with more states sure to legalize sports betting in the upcoming years.
NBA ROY trends and history
Twenty-one winners were drafted first overall. Sixteen winners have also won the MVP award in their careers; Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld earning both honors the same season. Nineteen of the 42 winners have been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Three seasons had joint winners — Dave Cowens and Geoff Petrie in 1970-71; Grant Hill and Jason Kidd in 1994-95, and Elton Brand and Steve Francis in 1999-2000.
As mentioned above, stats matter most. So when choosing a player to wager on, minutes played if often a good place to start … the thought being that the more minutes a player plays, the more he can stuff that stat sheet.