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2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year Prop Bets & Odds: LaMelo Ball Predicted to Win

Author: americangambler | Last Updated: February 19, 2021

The blame lies solely with us for not boarding the LaMelo Ball hype train early enough, with the youngest NBA product of the Ball litter almost certain to be named Rookie of the Year in 2020-21.

After a slow start to his professional career, Ball is quickly proving why the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors were wrong to pass on his signature. Their loss has been the Charlotte Hornets’ gain, however, and barring any calamitous event, it seems assured Ball will be the one named Rookie of the Year come the end of the campaign.

That near-certainty is reflected in the 19-year-old’s -500 odds with Sugarhouse New Jersey, a far cry from the +400 price that hovered above his name heading into the season:

After his first 28 NBA appearances, Ball is averaging 14.6 points per game, along with 6.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists, the latter putting him 19th in the league overall. No-one else in his class is close to that same level of production, and his bid is helped even more so by the fact that the Hornets are 13-15 in the Southeast Division, with Ball an increasingly important chess piece:

But who else could challenge for the top rookie prize as the season progresses, and which players promise to benefit most if injury rules Ball out of the running?

Top NBA Rookie Betting Predictions

Few might have guessed the No. 1 pick in the Draft would be a +1200 value pick at this stage of his maiden professional season, but Anthony Edwards is nevertheless an underdog like every rookie without ‘Ball’ for a surname.

Dark Horse: Anthony Edwards (+1200)

That could be to the considerable gain of any willing to still lump on him, however, considering the guard has matched Ball’s 14.6 points-per-game average, albeit substantially off in the other two fields:

Edwards’ debut campaign hasn’t been aided by the absence of Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, who only recently returned from a month-long spell out with injury.

Minnesota have opened the season 7-22, but if they can gain some traction and the 19-year-old grows more comfortable in his surroundings, there’s enough promise there to suggest Edwards isn’t out of this race just yet.

Sleeper Pick: Jae’Sean Tate (+10000)

Two years on from what would have been his rookie season, Jae’Sean Tate is showing why experience matters as he impresses with the Houston Rockets this year. Injury meant he never played for the Milwaukee Bucks despite signing for the team having gone undrafted in 2018, but he’s back in promising fashion following two seasons playing in Belgium and Australia.

That trip around the block looks to be paying dividends as Tate doesn’t look a bit out of place in Houston, even gaining attention for shutting down fellow rookie Ball in a big way earlier in February:

At 25, Tate is far older than most of the other candidates from his class, but all the more reason to believe the forward’s +10000 odds could pay up if he continues to grow in the league.

2021 NBA MVP Predictions

  • Winner: LaMelo Ball (-500)
  • Dark Horse: Anthony Edwards (+1200)
  • Sleeper Pick: Jae’Sean Tate (+10000)

2021-22 NFL MVP: Odds Favorites

Player

Outright Win Odds

LaMelo Ball

-500

Tyrese Haliburton

+600

Anthony Edwards

+1200

James Wiseman

+1200

Immanuel Quickley

+2000

Tyrese Maxey

+10000

Payton Pritchard

+10000

Jae’Sean Tate

+10000

Cole Anthony

+15000

Deni Avdija

+15000

Desmond Bane

+15000

NBA 2021 Rookie Of The Year Bonus Bets & Odds via BetMGM Sign Up Bonus.