2021 NBA Rookie of the Year Betting Odds: Alperen Şengün, Jalen Suggs Get Post-Summer League Push

2021-22 NBA Rookie Of the Year Odds

Odds as of August 19 via BetMGM

The 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year race is going to be an interesting one, with several high-upside prospects having a legitimate shot to beat out the heavy favorite, No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons.

Post-NBA Summer League Update:

The NBA Summer League wrapped up with the Sacramento kings grabbing the summer league title with a 100-67 blowout win over the Boston Celtics. Kings No. 9 overall pick Davion Mitchell was named the co-MVP of the summer league along with Nets No. 27 overall pick Cam Thomas. 

Mitchell averaged 10 points and just under 6 assists for Sacramento but his Rookie of the Year odds didn't change much, in fact, his odds lengthened from +1600 to +1800.

The biggest changes in the ROY odds so far have been Magic guard Jalen Suggs (+750) jumping over Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley (+800) into the No. 3 spot, and Rockets big Alperen Sengun jumping from ninth to sixth in the odds.

Suggs averaged 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game for the Magic. Houston's Sengun averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks per game while displaying some impressive footwork for a 19-year old.

NBA training camps kick off on September 28 and the first NBA preseason game is on October 3, 2021.

Opening Odds Update:

Cunningham opened as the favorite right out of the gate and still sits as the favorite at +250, while No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green comes in right behind him at +400 (odds via BetMGM).

While Cunningham is more of a playmaker than a scorer, his (likely) high usage rate in Year 1 in Detroit gives him the possibility of putting up big point totals. The only players on the 2021 Pistons to take more than 12 shots per game were Derrick Rose (now on the Knicks) and Jerami Grant. Cunningham's counting stats project to be more than enough to explain his status as the early favorite.

Jalen Green was known as the scorer of the 2021 NBA Draft class. His incredible athleticism and smooth jump shot are his top skills, and they give him a chance to capture the most attention of anyone in the rookie class.

Green's highlight-reel finishes and occasional scoring outburst make him a real threat when you consider the history of the award. But with Houston still having John Wall, Kevin Porter Jr., and Christian Wood, there is an obvious cap on just how much Green will be allowed to shoot.

Cleveland's No. 3 pick Evan Mobley comes in at +550, with Scottie Barnes (Raptors) and Jalen Suggs (Magic) coming in at +800. Mobley has nice value as a do-it-all big playing next to another solid defender in Jarrett Allen. Barnes and Suggs have high-upside but may struggle to get enough playing time with significant pieces at their respective positions in Toronto and Orlando respectively.