2027 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds Tracker: ROY Favorites

• Who are the top contenders for the 2027 Rookie of the Year Award?
• The opening 2027 NBA ROY favorite depends on the sportsbook
• Track how the NBA ROY odds fluctuate throughout the 2026-27 NBA season

We’re tracking the odds to win the 2027 NBA Rookie of the Year award throughout the 2026-27 NBA season. Below, you’ll find a graph that charts the average odds for each contender as they change during the season and a table listing the current odds for the top-10 NBA ROY favorites.

2027 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds

2027 NBA Rookie of the Year Top Contenders

Odds as of October 20 at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

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NBA ROY Odds Movement Timeline

• July 11 – Unlike most seasons when the #1 pick opens as a heavy – or at least modest – favorite, #3 pick Cameron Boozer (+) and #2 pick Darryn Peterson (+) are the 2027 NBA ROY favorites, ahead of top pick AJ Dybantsa (+).

For those of you located in Ontario, online sports betting is live with a whole host of Ontario sportsbook apps now available for Canadians. BetMGM Ontario and Caesars Sportsbook Ontario are some of the major sportsbooks to be welcomed into Ontario first.

NBA Teams with the Most Rookie of the Year Winners

The Golden State Warriors haven’t always been the toast of the NBA. Long before they were winning back-to-back championships they were routinely finishing near the bottom of the standings.

Those poor finishes netted them first rate players like Chris Webber, Mitch Richmond, Jamaal Wilkes, Rick Barry, Wilt Chamberlain, and Wood Sauldsberry, all of whom won Rookie of the Year honors.

Looking for the latest NBA odds? – Get current spreads, totals, and moneyline odds for tonight’s games here.

Past 10 NBA Rookie of the Year Winners

Rookie of the Year Trends

The history of the NBA ROY award is riddled with significant betting trends

Rookie of the Year Trends Based off Draft Position

• Dominance of No. 1 Overall Picks: Since 1990, the NBA Rookie of the Year award has gone to the first overall draft pick 16 times: Derrick Coleman (1991), Larry Johnson (1992), Shaquille O’Neal (1993), Chris Webber (1994), Allen Iverson (1997), Tim Duncan (1998), Elton Brand (2000), LeBron James (2004), Derrick Rose (2009), Blake Griffin (2011), Kyrie Irving (2012), Andrew Wiggins (2015), Karl-Anthony Towns (2016), Ben Simmons (2018), Paolo Banchero (2023), and Victor Wembanyama (2024). Cooper Flagg added to this in 2026.
• Top-Four Stranglehold: 22 of the last 25 Rookie of the Year winners (88.0%) since the 2001-02 season were selected in the top four of their respective drafts, with 31 of the 38 winners since 1990 (81.6%) drafted in the top five.
• Second-Round Rarity: Since the NBA draft was reduced to two rounds in 1989, Malcolm Brogdon (36th overall in 2016) remains the only second-round pick to capture the award. In NBA history, only four players drafted outside the first round have ever won Rookie of the Year: Monk Meineke (1953), Woody Sauldsberry (1958), Willis Reed (1965), and Brogdon (2017).
• Undrafted Scarcity: No undrafted player has ever won NBA Rookie of the Year.

Rookie of the Year Trends Based off Position

• Shift Toward Primary Playmakers: Primary perimeter ball-handlers and point guards have won the award in 9 of the last 16 seasons: Tyreke Evans (2010), Kyrie Irving (2012), Damian Lillard (2013), Michael Carter-Williams (2014), Malcolm Brogdon (2017), Ben Simmons (2018), Luka Dončić (2019), Ja Morant (2020), and LaMelo Ball (2021).
• Resurgence of Frontcourt Stars: Frontcourt players (power forwards and centers) won five of the first six NBA Rookie of the Year awards in league history (1953-1958) and have experienced a modern resurgence, winning three of the last four awards: Paolo Banchero (2023), Victor Wembanyama (2024), and Cooper Flagg (2026).
• The 6’0″ and Under Ceiling: The Rookie of the Year award has been won just three times in league history by a player standing 6’0″ or shorter: Ernie DiGregorio (1974), Damon Stoudamire (1996), and Chris Paul (2006). Allen Iverson (6’0″ barefoot, listed at 6’0″ in database records) stands alongside Stoudamire and Paul as the only sub-6’1″ winners of the modern era.
• Size at the Guard Position: Seven of the last nine guards to win Rookie of the Year stood 6’5″ or taller (Tyreke Evans, Michael Carter-Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, Ben Simmons, Luka Dončić, LaMelo Ball, and Stephon Castle), illustrating the modern trend favoring oversized playmakers over traditional undersized point guards.

Who Will Win NBA Rookie of the Year in 2027?

The 2026-27 NBA Rookie of the Year race on Kalshi is headlined by an exceptionally productive crop of versatile forwards stepping into immediate high-usage roles. Here is a breakdown of the top four contenders leading the betting market:

Yaxel Lendeborg – Golden State Warriors, F (28¢)

Lendeborg leads the board as the betting favorite following an electric start in Golden State. Stepping into significant frontcourt minutes, Lendeborg has displayed immediate two-way poise, averaging 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while shooting 45.0% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc through his first four games. His ability to function as a secondary playmaker, stretch the floor, and anchor the glass in Steve Kerr’s motion offense gives him the league’s most balanced rookie statistical profile. As long as he maintains his high 30-plus minute workload, Lendeborg possesses the all-around production and media spotlight required to capture the award.

Caleb Wilson – Chicago Bulls, F (23¢)

Wilson sits right on Lendeborg’s heels thanks to an explosive scoring profile in Chicago. The dynamic forward has shouldered an immediate primary scoring burden for the Bulls, putting up 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game across his first four appearances. Wilson’s elite open-court athleticism and relentless rim attack allow him to generate high-volume point totals regardless of matchup. If he can improve his perimeter efficiency (17.9% 3PT early on) and keep the rebuilding Bulls competitive, his raw 20-point scoring punch will keep him firmly in the hunt for first-place ballots.

Cameron Boozer – Memphis Grizzlies, F (22¢)

Boozer holds the third-highest odds, making an immediate impact on the interior for a competitive Memphis squad. Boozer is already functioning as a nightly double-double threat, averaging 14.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game through four contests. While his shooting percentages have experienced typical early-season rookie volatility (28.3% FG), his polished passing out of the post and relentless work on the glass give him an exceptionally high floor. If Memphis makes a push toward the upper tier of the Western Conference standings, Boozer’s contributions to winning basketball will carry significant weight with voters.

AJ Dybantsa – Washington Wizards, F (12¢)

Dybantsa rounds out the top tier with the fourth-best odds at 12¢, entering the league with immense pedigree as a dynamic, three-level perimeter scorer. In Washington, Dybantsa operates in an ideal developmental ecosystem where he is granted the offensive freedom to handle the ball, run pick-and-rolls, and create his own shot from all three levels. While competing on a rebuilding roster can sometimes obscure early rookie efficiency, Dybantsa has the highest offensive ceiling in the class; any extended mid-season scoring surge could quickly catapult him to the front of the Rookie of the Year conversation.

How Is NBA Rookie of the Year Decided?

The NBA Rookie of the Year Award is decided at the conclusion of the regular season through a voting process conducted by an independent global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Each media voter submits an official ballot containing three ranked selections: a first-place vote (worth five points), a second-place vote (worth three points), and a third-place vote (worth one point).

Voters evaluate first-year players based on their individual production, consistency, efficiency, role within their team’s scheme, and overall on-court impact throughout the 82-game regular season schedule. The ballots are tabulated by an independent accounting firm, and the player who accumulates the highest total point score is named the recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy.

Importantly, unlike major individual accolades such as Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, or the All-NBA teams, the Rookie of the Year Award is exempt from the league’s strict 65-game participation threshold established under the collective bargaining agreement. This allows media voters full discretion to weigh per-game dominance against total games played when rookies miss time due to mid-season injuries.

While winning team records are traditionally secondary in rookie voting compared to the MVP race, voters place a premium on high counting stats – particularly points, rebounds, and assists – as well as the ability of a player to shoulder primary starter responsibilities from the opening month of the season.

NBA Rookie Records

Wilt Chamberlain was a rookie in name only when he entered the league in 1959. The Big Dipper led the Association in scoring, rebounding, and minutes played that season and became the first player in NBA history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season.

NBA Rookie of the Year FAQs

Archived NBA Rookie of the Year Odds:

• 2026
• 2025
• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019