NBA Rookie Of The Year Odds: Green Leads New Crop

The 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year odds race should be a hotly contested battle with several good prospects slated to see big opportunities with their new teams.

Oddsmakers are looking ahead to see which rookie has the best shot at the award, and Houston Rockets second overall pick Jalen Green has surpassed Detroit Pistons first overall pick Cade Cunningham to become the favorite according to our best basketball betting sites. 

Bovada has Green listed at +250 to win NBA Rookie of the Year, followed closely by Cunningham (+325), Orlando’s Jalen Suggs (+800) and then a four-way tie at +1200.

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Who Will Win NBA Rookie Of The Year In 2021-22?

Odds as of October 18 at Bovada

NBA Rookie Of The Year Odds: Top Contenders

Jalen Green (+250)

What separates Jalen Green from some of the other players on this list is his shorter learning curve. Green shouldn’t have much trouble adjusting to the NBA after playing a bunch of games in the G League last season and should be able to step into a Houston lineup completely lacking in scoring talent.

A versatile player who can play multiple positions, Green should be afforded plenty of playing time and scoring opportunity in Houston. If he can indeed adjust quickly to the NBA game, he should be one of the favorites in Rookie of the Year odds as the season moves along.

Cade Cunningham (+325)

The first overall pick is always a pretty good bet in NBA Rookie of the Year odds. Four of the last 10 winners were the first overall pick that season (Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins). 

But interestingly, each of the last three winners of the award was either the second or third player chosen in their respective drafts. 

Unlike other drafts, though, Cunningham was the consensus No. 1 overall pick and isn’t really a “project” or developmental prospect chosen based solely on upside. Cunningham should step into the NBA right away and play a sizable role for a Pistons team that figures to be bad once again. 

Cunningham’s versatility and size should allow him to play multiple positions and be deployed in a way that takes advantage of his playmaking and scoring ability. 

There are other players with better value in NBA Rookie of the Year odds, but he could be the slam-dunk favorite by midseason.

Evan Mobley (+1200)

Mobley enters the league as a fairly polished player already with lots of upside to his game. His size and varied skill set should get him on the floor early, but Cleveland does have a couple of players in Jarrett Allen and the newly acquired Lauri Markkanen who could limit his minutes – at least to start the season. 

He’s more of a long shot, but Mobley has the skills to dominate from Day 1 and change these odds in a hurry.

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NBA Rookie Of The Year Best Bet: Jalen Suggs (+800)

A lot of people were surprised when the Toronto Raptors passed on Jalen Suggs to select Scottie Barnes with the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft. 

But in terms of winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award, landing in Orlando might have been the best thing for Suggs. 

In Toronto, he would have had Fred VanVleet to share the backcourt with as well as players like Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby expected to carry much of the load offensively. Suggs would have likely taken a back seat to those players as he transitioned to the league.

But in Orlando, he has a far more open depth chart to climb. Cole Anthony, Michael Carter-Williams, Markelle Fultz, and R.J. Hampton are all on the roster, but there’s no reason Suggs can’t play big minutes over some of those guys right away and put up big numbers.

Suggs does have to work on his shot at the next level, but he has the dynamism and flashy playmaking ability that could win over voters right away. At +800, he’s a great early bet in NBA Rookie of the Year odds. 

Understanding NBA Rookie Of The Year Odds

When you go to any basketball sportsbook, you’ll see prop odds displayed like this:

You’ll see that Green is the front-runner because he has the lowest number beside his name. In this scenario, he is considered to be the slight favorite over Cunningham, who is listed at +325.

If you think Suggs will win Rookie of the Year, and you bet $100 on him, you’d get a payout of $900 – your original money is returned coupled with your winnings of $800. To find out what you’d get based on the odds and betting amount, check out our Odds Calculator.

What Is A Prop Bet On NBA Rookies?

Any bet that is made on the occurrence or non-occurrence of a certain player or team milestones that don’t necessarily correlate to the result of a particular game is a prop. In this case, you’re betting on a player’s chances of winning Rookie of the Year.

The oddsmakers will move the lines as the season progresses. As more games are played and different players show their skills on the court, the odds will shift. If you see odds you like, it’s best to take them early so you can get the most value should you win your bet.