The biggest awards show on the sports calendar, the ESPYS are back with all their glitz and glamor ready to honor the year’s top athletes and sports highlights.
The show returns to its regular form after a 2020 show where, due to the pandemic, the awards were presented to honor extraordinary acts of activism and humanitarian efforts instead of presenting traditional awards for athletic achievement.
Bettors have an opportunity to wager on several of the top awards in ESPY Awards odds, including best athlete in men’s and women’s sports, best game, best team and best breakthrough athlete.
The 2021 ESPYS are set to air Saturday, July 10, at 8 p.m. on ABC in New York City, and oddsmakers at Sportsbook have released the latest ESPY Awards odds.
Let’s take a look at some of the best bets on the board in 2021 ESPY Awards odds:
ESPY Awards Odds - Best Male Athlete
| Option | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tom Brady | -600 |
| Nikola Jokic | +375 |
| Connor McDavid | +700 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +800 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
It was an incredible run for Tom Brady in the 2020 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady didn’t have the greatest statistical season, but he led his team to a Super Bowl victory, after winning three consecutive road games in the playoffs, at age 43, in his first season with the team, during a pandemic-riddled year in which teams were not able to practice as much as they usually would in an offseason. It was certainly one of the greatest feats of his legendary career and he is rightfully the heavy favorite in the best male athlete category.
Nikola Jokic (+450) and Connor McDavid (+750) DID have incredible statistical seasons and were the MVPs of their leagues, but their teams ultimately fell short in the playoffs and it’s tough to see the award going to a player who didn’t win the league championship.
ESPY Awards Odds - Best Female Athlete
| Option | Odds |
|---|---|
| Naomi Osaka | +105 |
| Simone Biles | +125 |
| Amanda Nunes | +325 |
| Breanna Stewart | +650 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
Naomi Osaka (+105) is the favorite after a run of success in 2020 that included a dominant showing at the U.S. Open where she picked up her third major tournament win. Osaka also gained a ton of fans in speaking out against the organizers of the women’s Grand Slam tournament regarding their stance on mental health, and subsequently bowing out of the French Open.
But Simone Biles seems like great value at +125 as the undisputed best gymnast in the world and recent Sportsbook at the U.S. national championships. Biles may be the victim of timing as the ESPYS take place right before the Olympics, but it isn’t a difficult argument to make that she is the best female athlete in ESPY Awards odds.
ESPY Awards Odds - Best Male College Athlete
| Golfer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Trevor Lawrence | -130 |
| DeVonta Smith | +150 |
| Luka Garza | +350 |
| Gloire Amanda | +750 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
As good a season as Trevor Lawrence had for the Clemson Tigers in leading his team to a college football playoff and becoming the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, what Alabama (and now Philadelphia Eagles) receiver DeVonta Smith did in the 2020 college football season was on another planet statistically.
Smith caught 117 passes for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy, AP Player of the Year, the Biletnikoff Award (top receiver in college) and the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and setting the SEC record for most receiving touchdowns in a college career. Oh, and Smith earned offensive MVP as the Crimson Tide won the national championship game. Smith went on to be drafted 10th overall by the Eagles.
He is also a solid choice with the third-best odds (+300) for Best Record-Breaking Performance.
ESPY Awards Odds: Best Team
| Option | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -140 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +250 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +450 |
| Baylor Bears | +800 |
| Stanford Cardinal | +1000 |
| Oklahoma Sooners | +1200 |
| Seattle Storm | +1200 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
While the Bucs are favored after becoming the first team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl at home, their regular season wasn’t as impressive as the LA Dodgers, who sit second in the ESPY Awards odds for best team.
The Dodgers went 43-17 in the regular season, finishing with the best record in baseball, before winning the World Series in six games over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Dodgers were the undisputed best team in baseball all of last season, which makes them pretty good value at +250.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are also a solid bet at +450 after having an undefeated season en route to a 52-24 blowout of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the national championship game.
Other ESPY Awards Odds
| Boxer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Canelo Alvarez | -175 |
| Tyson Fury | +275 |
| Claressa Shields | +400 |
| Teofimo Lopez | +400 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| LaMelo Ball | -150 |
| Justin Herbert | +160 |
| Chase Young | +375 |
| Crystal Dangerfield | +800 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Odicci Alexander | +115 |
| Paige Bueckers | +130 |
| Jaelin Howell | +375 |
| Madison Lilley | +425 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
| Game | Odds |
|---|---|
| NCAA Men’s Final Four: Gonzaga vs UCLA | -400 |
| NFL Week 14: Baltimore vs Cleveland | +400 |
| NCAA Women’s Basketball Final: Stanford vs Arizona | +450 |
| NHL Playoffs: Winnipeg vs Edmonton Game 4 | +750 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
| Play | Odds |
|---|---|
| DK Metcalf chasing Budda Baker | +100 |
| Kyler Murray Hail Mary | +175 |
| Jamil Roberts goal | +350 |
| Simone Biles vault | +350 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
| Option | Odds |
|---|---|
| Phil Mickelson | -140 |
| Russell Westbrook | +275 |
| DeVonta Smith | +300 |
| Tara VanDerveer | +400 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
| Option | Odds |
|---|---|
| Francis Ngannou | +135 |
| Khabib Nurmagomedov | +155 |
| Amanda Nunes | +300 |
| Rose Namajunas | +325 |
Odds as of July 8 at Sportsbook
