NBA Rookie of the Year Odds 2026: Top Favorites, Sleepers, and Predictions

A new wave of future NBA stars is set to begin their pro journeys after a 2026 NBA Draft that tied a record with the first eight players off the board being true freshmen. So it's no surprise that the opening NBA Rookie of the Year odds are dominated by players who aren't even a full year and a half removed from playing high school hoops.

Last year, we saw this crop of rookies set the tone by leading an historically dominant freshman class, and now we're set to see former five-star recruits like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer go toe to toe all season in the NBA Rookie of the Year odds race.

But who will take home the prestigious honor as the league's best rookie in the 2026-27 season?

📊 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds 2026

NBA Rookie of the Year odds via best sports betting sites.

👑 Biggest NBA Rookie of the Year favorites

Cameron Boozer, Grizzlies (+240)

• Rookie profile: 6'8 1/4" | 252 lbs | 7'1 1/2" wingspan | 18 years old (turning 19)
• 2025-26 college stats (Duke): 22.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 39.1% 3P%
• Pro comparison: Kevin Love

Despite being the third player off the board, Boozer opened as the favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year, and rightfully so. The No. 3 pick was the best player in college basketball last season, giving Duke a second straight Wooden Award winner, but will he once again follow in Cooper Flagg's footsteps by giving the Blue Devils a second straight NBA Rookie of the Year winner?

The case for Boozer is obvious; he's considered the highest floor rookie in the class with the most pro-ready skill set. Like his father, former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, he's a strong rebounder with the size to bully down low. However, he's also an efficient 3-point shooter with high-end passing skills for a forward.

Boozer also fits in well with this Memphis Grizzlies team. Sticking him beside a mammoth rim protector like Zach Edey is ideal for Boozer, and he should mesh well with last year's well-rounded lottery pick, Cedric Coward. Plus, if Ja Morant is traded, Boozer will have even more scoring opportunities.

AJ Dybantsa, Wizards (+400) 

• Rookie profile: 6'8 1/2" | 217 lbs | 7'0 1/2" wingspan | 19 years old
• 2025-26 college stats (BYU): 25.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, 33.1% 3P%
• Pro comparison: Tracy McGrady

For the last two months, it seemed the most realistic outcome would be Dybantsa going No. 1 after leading the country in scoring in his freshman season at BYU. With his size, athleticism, mentality, and finishing ability, Dybantsa has the makings of a multi-time All-Star.

The No. 1 recruit in last year's class, Dybantsa, did more than live up to his billing in Provo and helped carry a team that lost Richie Saunders during the season. That's really when Dybantsa proved to be a killer, too, with him shining the more he was leaned on - in the 10 games after Saunders tore his ACL, Dybantsa averaged 28.5 PPG.

He also joins a Wizards team that should be pushing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with Trae Young back in the fold after signing an extension, Anthony Davis returning from injury, and Alex Sarr entering his sophomore season.

The main concern will be opportunity and fit, with Young and Dybantsa both being ball-dominant players, and the rookie likely set to be the third scoring option for this team. Still, his ceiling is that of a top 10 player in the league. 

Darryn Peterson, Jazz (+400)

• Rookie profile: 6'4 1/2" | 198 lbs | 6'9 3/4" wingspan | 19 years old
• 2025-26 college stats (Kansas): 20.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, 38.2% 3P%
• Pro comparison: Devin Booker

After a tumultuous season at Kansas that was defined by missed time and minutes restrictions, Peterson still ended up the No. 2 pick in the draft. And while there have been murmurs that he didn't want to be drafted by the Utah Jazz, much like their lottery pick last year (Ace Bailey), he lands on a team where he can make an immediate impact on both ends.

Peterson has a chance to be one of the best shooters in this rookie class and has All-NBA upside with his three-level scoring ability. His flashy athleticism extends beyond his knack for getting to the rim, too, as his twitch and aggressive nature translate to the defensive end, where he can be a pest.

So while the Jazz are a struggling team, and he's set to share a backcourt with Keyonte George, Peterson's off-ball impact could help separate him as an NBA Rookie of the Year candidate.

Keeping him healthy and on the court will be key, though ... of the 24 games he played in during his strange season at Kansas, he logged 30-plus minutes just 13 times.

💤 NBA Rookie of the Year sleeper

Keaton Wagler, Clippers (+3500)

• Rookie profile: 6'5" | 188 lbs | 6'6 1/4" wingspan | 19 years old
• 2025-26 college stats (Illinois): 17.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 39.7% 3P%
• Pro comparison: Jamal Murray

The first four picks in the 2026 NBA Draft were not difficult to predict, which is why popular opinion was that the fun would really get started at No. 5 with five different guards considered in the next tier of prospects and in contention to go between picks No. 5 and No. 10.

Of course, the first one off the board was Keaton Wagler, whose meteoric rise from a lesser-known high school recruit in Kansas to All-American for an Illinois team that reached the Final Four was one of the best stories of the college basketball season.

And despite Wagler being selected ahead of fellow guards Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 6 to the Brooklyn Nets) and Darius Acuff Jr. (No. 7 to the Sacramento Kings), he has significantly longer odds to bring home the NBA Rookie of the Year.

While he doesn't possess the same explosive and polished scoring ability as Acuff or the big-play ability of Brown, his value as a sleeper to win rookie of the year is worth considering. Wagler is one of the smoothest rookies in the class with a dagger of a jump shot, a big-time basketball IQ, and he joins a Los Angeles Clippers team where he'll plug in as the two-guard next to Darius Garland.

🔍 Identifying the best NBA ROY bet based on recent history

Recent NBA history says that the players you'd expect to win rookie of the year usually do, which is why, when betting this market, there's no sense in trying to overthink it and nail a long shot. 

Only one NBA Rookie of the Year over the last 12 seasons was selected outside the top four picks, and it was an outlier year when it happened. Malcolm Brogdon, a second-round pick, won in 2016 due in large part to No. 1 pick Ben Simmons missing the year with an injury (Simmons ended up winning NBA ROY the next season).

In fact, six of the last eight NBA Rookie of the Year winners opened as the favorite or co-favorite to win the award. This is among the chalkiest awards in pro sports, which is why my prediction to win is the obvious one.

🔮 NBA Rookie of the Year prediction

Cameron Boozer, Grizzlies (+240)

Do I feel lame predicting that the favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year will win it? Yes, but the history of the award, on top of the fact that Boozer is the most pro-ready rookie, makes it hard to justify betting against him.

The All-American was born to play in the NBA, and all he has ever done is live up to the hype that began as a high school freshman in Florida, when he won his first of four straight state championships. Heck, at just 15 years old, Boozer won his first of two Gatorade National Player of the Year awards and is among the greatest high school players in recent memory.

His stardom continued at Duke, where he led the Blue Devils to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament while winning the Wooden Award as the only player in the country to average 20-plus PPG and 10-plus RPG.

If that weren't enough to believe in him as an NBA player, he also ended up in the best landing spot of the top picks. His fit beside Edey is perfect, and his playmaking ability should shine on this Memphis team. Don't be surprised if he's averaging around 18 PPG, 10 RPG, and 4 APG as a rookie. 

NBA Rookie of the Year power rankings

My top 10 NBA Rookie of the Year contenders.