View and bet on NBA Rookie of the Year odds in the futures comparison table below. Paolo Banchero, who was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic, and Keegan Murray, who was drafted fourth overall by the Sacramento Kings, were the favorites on Aug. 26. Banchero had +200 NBA ROY odds at DraftKings Sportsbook while Murray was +450.
NBA Rookie of the Year odds
Here are NBA Rookie of the Year odds from top US sportsbooks. Click on the price(s) you like to bet now.
Here are contenders for the NBA ROY along with their odds to win the award from June 24, the day after the Draft.
Paolo Banchero (+300): Orlando tried to cast doubt on which stud forward they were going to take first overall, and eventually went with the polished prospect out of Duke. Banchero is a walking mismatch at 6-foot-10, 260 pounds, and he’s going to see a high usage role out of the gates on a rebuilding team.
Jabari Smith Jr. (+350): The Rockets were able to snag Smith Jr. with the third overall pick and he should also see heavy usage for a team that finished with a league-worst 20-62 record last season. Houston played at the second-fastest pace in the NBA and Smith can score in transition or in the halfcourt.
Jaden Ivey (+500): The Pistons might have tried to trade up to the fourth pick to ensure they could get Ivey, but the Kings did them a favor by taking Keegan Murray instead. Ivey is the consensus top guard in this draft and he’s a perfect fit alongside Cade Cunningham as a slasher and plus defender.
Keegan Murray (+800): Murray came out of nowhere last year for Iowa, jumping from 7.2 PPG to 23.5 PPG while showcasing an improved 3-point shot. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward will be a plus defender for a Kings team that has lacked a consistent presence on the wing.
Shaedon Sharpe (+1200): After sitting out the entire year following his transfer to Kentucky last year, Sharpe saw his draft stock drop a bit. The Trail Blazers were more than willing to take a gamble on the big, athletic Canadian guard since he’s a perfect complement to their otherwise undersized backcourt.
Bennedict Mathurin (+1200): There is talk that the Pacers could trade Malcolm Brogdon this offseason to allow Tyrese Haliburton to completely control their offense during a rebuild. Mathurin could join Buddy Hield as a valuable wing who can run alongside Haliburton, and boost Indiana’s dreadful defense.
Dyson Daniels (+1500): Like LaMelo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga, and Jalen Green, Daniels skipped a shot to play in the NCAA to hone his skills against professionals. The 6-foot-8 Australian guard is going to be a great defender and the Pelicans did a wonderful job integrating Herb Jones as a rookie last year.
Johnny Davis (+2000): Washington seemed thrilled to take Johnny Davis with the 10th overall pick. While he might have some growing pains as a potential starting PG, Davis could put up great numbers in his first season alongside Bradley Beal.
Ochai Agbaji (+2000): The four-year Kansas product is an excellent defender, who posted an individual 93.4 defensive rating as a sophomore. The Cavs already took a swing on a similar player by taking Isaac Okoro two years ago.
Ousmane Dieng (+2500): The Knicks drafted this tantalizing French prospect at No. 11 then traded Dieng to the Thunder, where his role is uncertain. Dieng could become part of an unconventional core of uber-sized wings for OKC within a couple years.
Mark Williams (+2500): Charlotte looked to address its shoddy paint defense by taking the 7-footer out of Duke, who will have to work on his pick-and-roll defense if he wants to stay on the floor in the NBA.
Jalen Duren (+3000): The Grizzlies drafted Duren and traded him to Detroit, where he will have far less competition for minutes. The 7-footer out of Memphis has drawn comparisons to Bam Adebayo and he could be an impact defender right away.
Jeremy Sochan (+3500): This is a typical Spurs pick considering the fact that Sochan has played Euro ball with the Polish National team. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Baylor could fit right into a rebuilding team and thrive in Gregg Popovich’s system.
TyTy Washington (+6000): Another Kentucky guard with a ton of potential, Washington could get ample opportunities in Houston if the Rockets decide to move off Kevin Porter Jr. as their primary point guard.
What happened in past years?
This past 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 2020-21 NBA season wrapped with LaMelo Ball earning Rookie of the Year honors and NBA Rookie of the Year odds are up at key sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel.
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.
Last year, 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. For example, while Mobley has become the clear favorite for this award, he opened with a price outside the top two, co-favorites Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham.
For the purposes of ROY betting, players will be listed in order of the favorites.
These odds refer to the potential payout if the bet is successful. So, a $100 bet on Cunningham to be named ROY would profit $500 if you get the best price as of March 17.
Best NBA betting sites
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 today here.
Where you can bet legally
Sports betting is currently legal at a regulated sportsbook in the following states:
Arkansas
Colorado sports betting
Delaware
Indiana sports betting
Iowa sports betting
Michigan sports betting
Mississippi
New Jersey sports betting
New Mexico
New York sports betting
Nevada
Oregon
Pennsylvania sports betting
Rhode Island
Tennessee sports betting
West Virginia online sports betting
Virginia sports betting
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.