2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Betting Preview

If you can get yourself a Rookie of the Year, you might’ve just struck gold in the NBA. As this is one of the most decisive and exciting awards in the league, we’ll cover the early favorites in this article. From the favorite to least favorite, this is our betting preview for the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year.

It’s no secret that the winners of this award are usually the top draft picks. The majority of these winners were also guards and we’ll explain why. To win the award it’s important to average a lot of minutes and points, most of all. If you’re a guard, you tend to control the ball more so favoritism is somewhat understandable. We’ll break down everything for you in our betting preview.

Additional Factors to Consider for the Rookie of the Year

After pre-season ROTY favorite Chet Holmgren went down with a season-ending injury, the odds have shifted. Most of the time, the voting will be affected by scoring above efficiency, as we mentioned. Furthermore, while it’s not ideal, the NBA Rookie of the Year betting previews usually favor players on losing teams but 2023 could be an exception. However, we could see another exception this year. Browse our list and stay updated on the odds with the help of online gambling sites in the US.

Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin is Looking Like a Strong 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Candidate

The league better watch out for the Indiana Pacers. After 15 games, they’re 5th in the East with a 9-6 record. This is especially impressive when you consider they don’t have any superstars. When you have names like Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Myles Turner, or Bennedict Mathurin on your team, you’re got to let your work talk.

Hats off to the 2022-2023 Pacers because betting previews indicate that they might have both the potential Rookie of the Year and the Most Improved Player on their roster.

Mathurin, currently 1st on the latest KIA Rookie ladder, has been balling. The 20-year-old is averaging 19.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.0 APG off the bench. He’s currently the second in scoring and is the best sniper on the team with a 42.7% 3-point average.

Furthermore, Mathurin’s averages also improved in recent games. If both he and the Pacers keep up this work rate, more betting previews will favor him as the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year. His odds for the award are +350 on Bovada.

Can Paolo Banchero Reignite Orlando’s Magic? – 2023 NBA ROTY Betting Preview

Banchero has been the most impressive rookie so far. In just 11 games he’s already become the Magic’s best player. And if he can stay healthy, things might stay this way. He started in all of the games that he played and averaged 23.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 3.6 APG. Banchero’s currently the team leader in points and is second in rebounds and blocks. No wonder online gambling sites in the US favor him so much.

The 20-year-old is expected to return toward the end of November from his ankle injury. What’s more worrying is that the Magic are 13th in the East after 17 games with a 5-12 record. It doesn’t matter how good Banchero is, Orlando needs to get close to playoff contention after the All-Star break. The 1st draft pick’s odds for the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year award are currently -1000 but we’ll see more of him in future betting previews.

It’s Time to Shine for Detroit’s Jaden Ivey

The Pistons picked up another gem at the draft to aid Cunningham’s campaign. Jaden Ivey is a top 3 favorite for the 2023 Rookie of the Year award, as per November betting previews. Detroit also drafted Jalen Duren, signed Kevin Knox and Bogdanovic, resigned Bagley III, and released Kemba Walker. This might be a lot to take in at once so let’s focus on Ivey for now.

The 20-year-old improved his ROTY chances in recent games; this comes at the fact that the Pistons are currently the worst team in the league. In 17 games as a starter, Ivey is averaging 16.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.1 APG. Among the Pistons, he’s 3rd in points, 2nd in assists, and 1st in steals.

Now with the questionable future of Cunningham, expect Ivey to have an even bigger role. His odds for the award are +1600 on Bovada but if the Pistons continue to play this way, the ROTY is gone.

The Kings are Good again, Which Might Hurt Murray’s ROTY Hopes

While his impact isn’t as obvious as the previous three ROTY candidates’, Murray is still an efficient role player on the Kings. Sacramento might have just started their best season in years and online sportsbook news in the US is already talking about potential playoff contention.

The Kings haven’t played in the playoffs since 2006 so this would be a huge accomplishment. Now, let’s see why Keegan Murray is a top 5 Rookie of the Year candidate.

The Kings are building something great. As people keep counting Sacramento out, Fox and Sabonis are playing like All-Stars already. Murray played in 13 games as of November 21 and he started in 11 of those. His averages are a decent 12.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.1 APG.

He’s also 3rd in steals and 1st in blocks. Sacramento has a very well-balanced team right now. While things might seem impossible now with +4000 odds, Murray could move further up on the KIA Rookie ladder later in the season.

Jabari Smith Jr. can Improve but will the Rockets Do the Same?

Houston’s guard-dominated playstyle might not be the best fit for the 3rd pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. Jabari Smith Jr. has shown glimpses of greatness but the Rockets sit at the bottom of the West with a 3-14 record. The 19-year-old is averaging 10.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 0.8 APG in the 16 games that he also started. What’s hurting Smith Jr. the most is his 33.3% shooting average, which was worse a few games ago.

While he sometimes cracks the top 5 for the 2023 Rookie of the Year favorites, winning the award would be an extremely long shot. Not to mention the odds of +20000 on Bovada. The Rockets are the Pistons of the West in the way that they’re unable to accomplish anything with multiple recent top draft picks. Will Jabari win the Rookie of the Year? Probably not but we’re excited to see what the future holds for him.

MarJon Beauchamp is Our Wild Card for the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year

The Bucks are still experiencing with rookie Beauchamp. 22-year-old MarJon played in 12 games and started in 6. The latter is due to the injuries of Matthews and Middleton, especially. Milwaukee is 3-3 with Beauchamp in the starting lineup but the rookie forward has shown a lot of improvement lately. His averages doubled in the last week, pushing his numbers to 15.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 1.0 APG.

This is a wild card scenario. The Bucks are without a doubt the best team on this list but Beauchamp isn’t a cemented starter. But considering how he wasn’t even a candidate for the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year in betting previews a week ago, nothing is impossible. Keep an eye on online sportsbook news in the US because we have a feeling we’ll hear more from MarJon and the Bucks.

Click here to try the best odds at Bovada Sportsbook