2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds: Zion is the Odds-On Favorite

The 2019 NBA Draft has come and gone and the next batch of NBA players will be looking to make a statement for the 2019-20 season. Zion Williamson was taken with the No. 1 overall selection by the New Orleans Pelicans and oddsmakers have him as the odds-on favorite to make the biggest impact next season and win Rookie of the Year.

Online sportsbook Bovada has Williamson at -135 odds to take home the hardware and he is the most hyped rookie to come into the NBA since LeBron James. Following him on the oddsboard are Ja Morant (+300), RJ Barrett (+550), Darius Garland (+1600) and Coby White (+1800) to round out the top five candidates.

Bet on the 2020 NBA Rookie Of The Year here!

Why is Zion Williamson the Favorite?

Zion Williamson is expected to make an immediate impact on a New Orleans Pelicans squad that is devoid of high-end talent after trading away Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or have no access to social media, you know Zion has been a comet in the world of basketball. His unreal athleticism is unparalleled in the NBA, which is really saying something considering the league has the best run-and-jump athletes in the world.

Williamson will immediately slot into a starting role with the Pellies and I think his odds are set at a great price at -135 because if he is even 80 percent of what he showed at Duke University this past collegiate season, he will take the world by storm. I personally wouldn’t bet him at those odds because of the injury risk factor but I can understand why bettors would jump on it.

My Two Picks to Win Rookie of the Year

Based on the odds below, my two favorite picks for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award are RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks (+550) and 2018 first-round pick Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets (+1800).

I really like the spot RJ Barrett has been put in with the Knicks because he will be relied on heavily to make a scoring impact. He led the ACC in scoring this past season with Duke and he will have plenty of opportunities to put up big stats at Madison Square Garden in front of a fan base desperate for stars.

Barrett was the No. 1 overall recruit going into last season with Duke and I think his game suits the NBA much more than college because of the spacing that will be made available to him in a more sophisticated offense.

As for Michael Porter Jr., the talent has always been there as he was the top prospect coming out of high school in 2017 but had a significant back injury that hampered him for his entire “rookie” season with the Denver Nuggets.

Seeing some of the footage of his rehab has got me really excited for his long-term prospects in the NBA. He has the type of perimeter game that would be excellent at the next level because he can knock down shots from behind the arc and can finish in traffic.

Part of why I like Porter is his odds are at +1800 and nobody else on the oddsboard presents that type of value with his upside other than maybe Coby White with the Chicago Bulls (+1800).

Who do you think will win the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year? Leave your picks in the comment section and tell us who is taking home the hardware.

Odds as of August 14 at Bovada