The NBA Rookie of the Year award is one of the hottest topics in professional basketball, and it’s a popular discussion every single year as NBA fans dream about the next transcendent star. It’s also one of the most popular NBA futures bets with sportsbooks, and with more states legalizing online sports betting, more people are interested in how to bet on futures like the Rookie of the Year and other NBA postseason wagers.
One really important thing to remember when thinking about making a play on the NBA RoY odds is that futures bets are always locked in at the posted odds from the time of the wager. For example, if you bet $100 on a rookie to win with odds of +300 and their odds shift to +150 before the end of the season, you still get the payout at $300, plus the return of your original $100 bet for a total of $400.
Why NBA Rookie of the Year Odds Change So Much
NBA Rookie of the Year odds change regularly and frequently throughout the season. Some players can come up from behind and others can fall by the wayside, even just in a matter of a few games. Understanding how odds are calculated will make it easier for you to place the right wagers when it comes to betting on the RoY and other NBA awards.
RoY and MVP rankings are all based on positive odds, with the player that has the lowest odds being the favorite. For example, if four players are posted at +200, +450, +600, and +800, the player at +200 would be the favorite.
NBA Rookies: Which Rookies to Watch
While almost everyone thought the NBA Rookie of the Year race was going to be between RJ Barrett of the Knicks and Zion Williamson of the Pelicans, the 2019/20 season got off to a blazing start as both lottery picks and undrafted rookies made themselves heard. Now the list includes as many as six possible players who could win the award with possibly more to come:
- Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
- Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans (Yet to Debut)
- RJ Barrett, New York Knicks
- Kendrick Nunn, Miami Heat
- Eric Paschall, Golden State Warriors
- Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards
Of course, these standings could change at any minute. Just a month into the season there was an almost a 1400-point variance between Morant and Hachimura, and we all know how that is turning out.
