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The 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year odds race is hitting the stretch run, and, well, it's that much of a race right now.
No. 1-overall pick Cooper Flagg remains the clear odds-on favorite, sitting at -700 (an implied probability of 87.5%), with Charlotte's Kon Knueppel — his teammate at Duke last season — the only other player within striking distance.
NBA Rookie of the Year odds
| Player | |
|---|---|
 Cooper Flagg | -700 |
 Kon Knueppel | +450 |
 V.J. Edgecombe | +6000 |
 Derik Queen | +40000 |
 Cedric Coward | +50000 |
Latest NBA Rookie of the Year betting splits
Highest ticket percentage
• V.J. Edgecombe 21.2%
• Kon Knueppel 13.5%
• Cooper Flagg 11.2%
Highest handle percentage
• V.J. Edgecombe 26.4%
• Kon Knueppel 21.6%
• Cooper Flagg 18.1%
Biggest liability
• V.J. Edgecombe
Data courtesy of BetMGM.
Covers NBA betting tools
NBA Rookie of the Year opening odds
- Cooper Flagg -225
- Ace Bailey +900
- V.J. Edgecombe +1100
- Tre Johnson +1100
- Dylan Harper +1300
- Kon Knueppel +2000
- Hansen Yang +5000
- Walter Clayton Jr. +5000
- Jeremiah Fears +6600
- Nique Clifford +6600
- Cedric Coward +8000
- Derik Queen +15000
Odds courtesy of Sports Odds History.
NBA ROY betting trends
Here are some trends to keep in mind when betting on NBA Rookie of the Year:
- The No. 1 pick has won Rookie of the Year four times in the past 10 seasons.
- Bigs (PF/C) haven't had much success in ROY recently, with just four wins in the last 20 seasons.
- Only one ROY winner this century (Malcolm Brogdon, 36th, 2016) was drafted outside of the lottery.
- The Rookie of the Year has been drafted in the Top 5 in 16 of the past 20 seasons.
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NBA Rookie of the Year history
| Year | NBA ROY Winner | Opening Odds | Pick No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Stephon Castle | +1200 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | Victor Wembanyama | -145 | 1 |
| 2022-23 | Paolo Banchero | +200 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | Scottie Barnes | +1100 | 4 |
| 2020-21 | LaMelo Ball | +400 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | Ja Morant | +250 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | Luka Doncic | +250 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | Ben Simmons | +225 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | Malcolm Brogdon | N/A | 36 |
| 2015-16 | Karl-Anthony Towns | +450 | 1 |
| 2014-15 | Andrew Wiggins | +400 | 1 |
| 2013-14 | Michael Carter-Williams | +1200 | 11 |
| 2012-13 | Damian Lillard | +500 | 6 |
| 2011-12 | Kyrie Irving | +500 | 1 |
| 2010-11 | Blake Griffin | +200 | 1 |
| 2009-10 | Tyreke Evans | +700 | 4 |
| 2008-09 | Derrick Rose | +350 | 1 |
| 2007-08 | Kevin Durant | -200 | 2 |
| 2006-07 | Brandon Roy | +300 | 6 |
| 2005-06 | Chris Paul | N/A | 4 |
| 2004-05 | Emeka Okafor | N/A | 2 |
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