NFL Rookie of the Year Odds & Prediction During Training Camp: Can Travis Hunter Win Two Awards?

NFL rookies are flocking to training camps with the preseason two weeks away, so there's no better time to explore the NFL Rookie of the Year odds market.

Two top-10 picks lead the way with the shortest odds, with running back Ashton Jeanty (+290) and edge-rusher Abdul Carter (+250) dealing as the respective favorites to win the offensive and defensive awards at our best sports betting sites.

My NFL Rookie of the Year predictions expect the No. 1 overall pick to be in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year, even at the helm of a Super Bowl odds long shot. Read on for my latest NFL picks and predictions.

📊 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds

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🏆 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year betting favorites

🏴‍☠️ Ashton Jeanty (+290)

📊 Best odds: +290 via Caesars ($10 to win $29)
🔢 Implied probability: 25.64%

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Pete Carroll is on a mission to rebuild Las Vegas' reputation, and his first moves were to bring some familiar faces to the Raiders. He added Geno Smith to provide some stability under center and drafted Jeanty to be a bruising back, similar to Marshawn Lynch.

Jeanty is expected to slot into the offense right away, getting a majority of carries from the jump. While he won't replicate the stats from his junior season at Boise State (2,601 yards, 29 touchdowns) in his NFL debut, he may immediately establish himself as the AFC West's best running back.

The former Heisman Trophy contender leads the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds race as preseason approaches. Jeanty's +290 odds at Caesars imply a 25.64% probability he takes home the award, with the other best sports betting apps pricing him closer to +250.

⚔️ Cam Ward (+350)

📊 Best odds: +350 via ESPN BET ($10 to win $35)
🔢 Implied probability: 22.22%

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The Tennessee Titans are a dumpster fire. However, everybody said the same thing about their division rivals, the Houston Texans, before CJ Stroud burst onto the scene. Brian Callahan will be hoping his Tennessee team struck similar gold with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.

While the Titans have one of the lowest NFL win totals for a third consecutive year, Ward could still be worth a flier in this market. Quarterbacks have been named Offensive Rookie of the Year at a better than 50% clip over the last 15 years. If Ward exceeds expectations and becomes the ninth signal-caller to win the award in the past 16 seasons, a $10 wager would return $35 in profits.

😴 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year long shot

🤘 Jayden Higgins (+6600)

📊 Best odds: +6600 via BetMGM ($10 to win $660)
🔢 Implied probability: 1.49%

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We're sticking in the AFC South with our sleeper pick, eyeing one of the three second-round picks to have put pen to paper on their rookie deals. Houston gave Higgins a fully guaranteed deal not only because they expect the first-year receiver to thrive, but also because he'll play a big role in Nick Caley's new-look offense.

Higgins will likely play third fiddle to veterans Nico Collins and Christian Kirk, with Tank Dell expected to miss much of the season. The Iowa State product has drawn many comparisons to Collins, who was named to the Pro Bowl last year en route to establishing himself as one of the league's top wideouts.

If Higgins can produce a fraction of Collins' numbers, he's the steal of the century at the line listed by the best sportsbooks. Sportsbooks like DraftKings and ESPN BET list the 22-year-old at +4000, so bettors should be running to the window to grab him at +6600 with BetMGM.

📊 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds

🏆 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year betting favorites

🗽 Abdul Carter (+250)

📊 Best odds: +250 via ESPN BET ($10 to win $25)
🔢 Implied probability: 38.57%

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The New York Giants didn't do many things well last season. However, they finished the 2024-25 campaign with 45 sacks, ninth in the NFL. They return three of their top four sack leaders - Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux - in addition to adding perhaps the NCAA's best pass rusher in Carter.

Carter racked up 12 sacks as a junior and led college football with 24 tackles for loss. He's now got another year under his belt at a position he's still learning, so it's easy to see why he's the favorite by the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds.

Given the fact that a $10 winning wager on Carter returns just $25 in profits, I'd recommend looking elsewhere in the market, especially with a plethora of excellent pass-rushing rookies.

🅰️ Jalon Walker (+1000)

📊 Best odds: +1000 via DraftKings ($10 to win $100)
🔢 Implied probability: 9.09%

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Whereas the Giants excelled in the sack department, the Atlanta Falcons fell short, to put it kindly. Jimmy Lake's unit ranked 31st in the NFL with an abysmal 31 sacks in 17 games. The arrivals of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and linebacker Jalon Walker will likely boost those numbers.

Even though Walker isn't known for solely being a pass rusher, don't discount the Georgia defender's ability to get to the quarterback. He racked up 6.5 sacks during his final year with the Bulldogs and projects to be a jack-of-all-trades linebacker in Atlanta.

Walker's +1000 odds as the top contender highlight Carter's expected dominance in this market.

😴 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year long shot

🐦‍⬛ Mike Green (+1500)

📊 Best odds: +1500 via BetRivers ($10 to win $150)
🔢 Implied probability: 6.25%

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The Baltimore defensive line was almost unplayable last season as it was contructed. However, after off-field concerns saw Marshall EDGE Mike Green slip into the second round, the Ravens added one of the most powerful defensive prospects in the draft.

Green led the NCAA in sacks last season with 17 in just 13 games. There were many questions about the level of competition he faced along the way, but after shining at Senior Bowl practices, those concerns have been cast aside. The 6-foot-4 edge rusher appears ready to dominate from day one.

If Green wins the award, backing him now would result in a sizable $150 profit on a $10 preseason wager.

🔮 NFL Rookie of the Year predictions

🐆 Travis Hunter (+1000)

To say the Jacksonville Jaguars are confident in Travis Hunter's ability would be an understatement. Liam Coen and Co. reshaped the Jags' receiving corps during the offseason, building it from the ground up around Brian Thomas and Hunter.

The team has also made it very clear that a majority of Hunter's snaps will be on offense to kick off his career. Jacksonville has a much higher ceiling than Las Vegas or Tennessee, and if Hunter plays an integral part in that year-to-year growth, he's set up nicely to win some silverware.

The reigning Heisman Trophy odds winner already has the necessary hype behind him, so I believe he's well worth the +1000 flier at DraftKings. A $10 winning wager on Hunter profits $100 at his preseason price.

While you cannot parlay Hunter to win both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards, many of the best sportsbook promos - such as DraftKings (+10000) - offer an award special with slightly shorter odds than a standard parlay.

🐦‍⬛ Mike Green (+1500)

Green may have been the steal of the draft from a pure talent perspective, so it's no surprise this pick was made by Eric DeCosta and Co. Baltimore's front office seemingly always stumbles into the next young superstar, and if his final collegiate season stats are anything to go by, Green is next up.

He's got a skillset similar to Carter with a better defense and overall team around him. If Green can put up similar statistics to the No. 3 overall selection, he has a great chance to compete for this award late into the campaign. Truth be told, I like this value a lot more than Carter's at +250.

❓ What happens if a rookie doesn't sign his contract?

At the time of publishing, only three second-round picks (Cleveland's Carson Schwesinger, Houston's Higgins, San Francisco's Alfred Collins) have been signed. Schwesinger and Higgins signed fully guaranteed deals, which have resulted in holdouts across the league as other players seek similar terms.

For players like Green - who feature prominently throughout this article - this raises an important question: what happens to a futures bet if a rookie does not sign, and therefore does not play?

While it's important to read the house rules for each of our best NFL betting sites before placing wagers, the general rule of thumb is that if a player does not appear in a game, the wager will be void. This is the case at FanDuel, as well as other popular sportsbooks. However, if the individual takes at least one snap, the bet will stand.

💵 Best NFL betting sites

Want to bet on the NFL Rookie of the Year? Check out our best NFL betting sites and the best sportsbook promos for the 2025-26 NFL season:

• FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
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• Hard Rock Bet Promo Code | Read our Hard Rock Bet Review

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