2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds: All Roads Lead To Zion

The most hyped NBA rookie since LeBron James, Zion Williamson was taken with the No. 1 overall selection by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 draft and oddsmakers have him as the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year.

Online sportsbook Bovada has Williamson, who has already dazzled in preseason games with the Pelicans, at -130 odds to take home the hardware.

Following him on the oddsboard are Ja Morant (+350), RJ Barrett (+550), Michael Porter Jr. (+1600), Coby White (+1800), Darius Garland (+1800), Jarrett Culver (+2500), De’Andre Hunter (+2500), Rui Hachimura (+2500) and Cameron Reddish (+2800) to round out the top 10 options.

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 the trade of 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 -130 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 Three Best Bets To Win Rookie of the Year

Based on the odds below, my three favorite picks for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award are RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks (+550), 2018 first-round pick Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets (+1600) and Miami Heat draftee Tyler Herro (+4000).

RJ Barrett +550

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 also 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.

Michael Porter Jr. +1600

The talent has always been there for Michael Porter Jr. 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 about 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. It also doesn’t hurt that he gets to play with the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic.

Tyler Herro +4000

Tyler Herro may be the dark-horse pick of the bunch but he has been shooting the lights out with the Heat in Summer League and preseason. Coming out from the Kentucky Wildcats, Herro will immediately be the Heat’s best perimeter shooter before he’s ever played a regular-season game.

The way the NBA game is played now with such an emphasis on three-point shooting, he could be in the thick of the Rookie of the Year conversation if he remains consistent, which is an issue for any rookie. 

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 October 9 at Bovada