NBA Rookie of the Year odds don’t suggest there’s much of a race to run. Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is priced as the runaway favorite, but there’s a lot of basketball to be played.
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2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds
Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Banchero is lapping the rookie class with odds as short as -1200 (DraftKings, Caesars). Those who venture to FanDuel or BetMGM can bet on him at -1000 – if they’re so inclined.
The Magic forward is favored for good reason. He’s serving as the team’s focal point – offensively at least. He leads the Magic with a 28.3% usage rate, 15.9 field goal attempts, and 21.2 points per game.
At this rate, it appears as if it would require an injury, an utter meltdown, or another contender to go ballistic down the stretch for Banchero to cede 2022-23 Rookie of the Year honors.
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Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
Mathurin is priced as the leading challenger to Banchero, but his shortest odds are +750, so we’re talking about a humongous gap separating the two.
Mathurin’s best path to closing the gap – short of an injury to Banchero – is if he goes nuclear down the stretch and helps the Pacers to a top-six finish in the Eastern Conference. Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton is out for a couple of weeks though, and that won’t help Mathurin’s case.
Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham’s season-ending injury opened the door for Ivey to take on a much larger load. He’s second on the Pistons in scoring and usage rate. He leaves something to be desired in the efficiency department, but that’s natural for rookies.
It’s difficult to envision Ivey elevating to the top of the rookie rankings when it comes time for the votes to be cast – his shortest odds are +2500. He’s second on the team in scoring to Bojan Bogdanovic and second in assists to Kylian Hayes. Not to mention, the Pistons own the NBA’s third worst record, so it doesn’t appear that Ivey will lead them to the playoffs.
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