Even with the recent news that Zion Williamson will miss the beginning of the regular season with a knee issue, it feels like a foregone conclusion that the New Orleans Pelicans star-in-the-making is the shoe-in for the 2018-19 Rookie of the Year award.
But that doesn’t mean you should bet on that happening.
According to BetMGM, the odds on Williamson are just -150, which means you’ll have to risk $100 to make $150. So just like we did with our NBA championship betting picks, we’re providing the names we think provide the best bang for your buck, especially if Williamson somehow doesn’t win.
Here are our For The Win picks (all odds courtesy of BetMGM):
Jarrett Culver (+2200)
The former Texas Tech star has looked impressive in the preseason, and with the Timberwolves not expected to be very competitive in the West, the team will have plenty of incentive to keep their young guard on the floor to allow him to develop. Culver could reportedly transition into a point guard role with the Wolves, where he should be able to rack up assists to Karl-Anthony Towns. — Nick Schwartz
Darius Garland (+1500)
Zion Williamson is the obvious bet, but there’s talent in New Orleans and he’s going to have to share the ball. That’s why Ja Morant and Darius Garland are so interesting to me for this award … and Garland has better odds, so I’m going to recommend him. He’s an off-the-dribble shooter who’s drawn comparisons to Damian Lillard, and he’s playing on a crappy Cavaliers team. If Cleveland decides to hand him the keys and build the entire offense around him, and he starts gunning, why not? — Nate Scott
DeAndre Hunter (+2200)
Assuming Zion Williamson stays healthy, he’ll be tough to beat in the Rookie of the Year race, but I’m trying to make y’all money with my unimpeachable basketball insights here. So let’s not bet on Zion.
At +2200, De’Andre Hunter is an excellent darkhorse bet that could bring home a major payday. The former Virginia star is going to benefit from Trae Young’s playmaking skills, and he finds himself in a Hawks lineup that has its fair share of talent already (John Collins, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish — the Hawks are fun). The early returns in preseason have been solid with Hunter, and he could realistically be good for 15 points every night in Atlanta. That’ll put him right in the ROY conversation. My non-Zion money is on Hunter. — Andrew Joseph
Tyler Herro (+2200)
Love the odds, love the player, love the fit in Miami. The rotation needs a scorer and shooter, and although Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow will demand time alongside Jimmy Butler, I could see him breaking out after his preseason:
Plus, it seemed like Butler liked what he saw after Herro was t’d up for getting into it against the Magic. And that’s huge:
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