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Latest Odds to Win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year – Fields on the Rise, Pitts Fading

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NFL Football

Updated Aug 22, 2021 · 5:00 AM PDT

Kyle Pitts holding facemask
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (8) warms up before a NFL preseason football game against the Miami Dolphins, Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
  • Bears QB Lance Fields improves OROY odds after Week 2
  • Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts’ odds have faded, though he’s yet to play in a game
  • Read below for odds, analysis and wagers you might consider targeting

Trevor Lawrence may be the can’t-miss prospect and the top pick in the NFL Draft, but he’s certainly not a runaway favorite in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds.

While Lawrence showcases Monday night, as the Jaguars battle the New Orleans Saints, other combatants for the award have put in work in Week 2, and have closed the gap.

Let’s have a look and see who’s making a move.

Odds to Win 2021 NFL OROY

Player Pos Team Odds
Trevor Lawrence QB JAX +300
Justin Fields QB CHI +500
Trey Lance QB SF +600
Najee Harris RB PIT +850
Zach Wilson QB NYJ +850
Mac Jones QB NE +1000
Kyle Pitts TE ATL +1100
Ja’Marr Chase WR CIN +2000
DeVonta Smith WR PHI +2000
Javonte Williams RB DEN +2000
Trey Sermon RB SF +2000
Elijah Moore WR NYJ +2500
Travis Etienne RB JAX +2500
Jaylen Waddle WR MIA +2500
Michael Carter RB NYJ +5000

*Odds as of August 21 from FanDuel

Fields Flying High

Two of the biggest movers on the board are quarterbacks.

Let’s start in Chicago, where Bears fans are reveling in promise after Ohio State’s Justin Fields fell to them at 11. He’s looked pretty good in his two outings.

Fields was solid-but-not-spectacular Saturday against the Bills, completing 9-of-19 for 81 yards, while also adding 46 yards on the ground on four totes.

Fields did enter this game  with an ankle injury, so credit to him for still being available and suiting up.

In his preseason debut vs the Dolphins, he was a scintillating 14-for-20 passing for 142 yards and a touchdown, adding a major on the ground, part of a 5-carry, 33-yard effort.

He’s jumped from +650 after Week 1 preseason play to +500.

The Zach Attack

There’s also optimism in New York, where Zach Wilson has stacked back-to-back solid performances this preseason.

He looked comfortable Saturday against the Green Bay Packers, completing 9-of-11 passes for 128 yards and two touchdown passes — his first two of the preseason.

The second overall pick from BYU directed three scoring drives and connected twice with Tyler Croft on a pair of 18-yard strikes.

Oddsmakers have taken notice, as his odds have shortened from +1000 to +850.

Another QB that upped his stock was 49ers pivot Trey Lance. The 49ers play the LA Chargers Sunday night, but Lance’s debut performance was enough to see his betting stock rise from +700 to its current +600 figure.

Expected to be a slower development project than any of the other first-round QB’s, Lance didn’t look out of place against the Chiefs. He went 5-for-14 for 128 yards, including an impressive 80-yard TD strike.

Pitts Awaiting Debut

Depending on how the Atlanta Falcons plan to use their final preseason game, we may not see highly-touted tight end Kyle Pitts until the regular season begins.

Pitts, the fourth overall pick out of Florida, dressed for his second straight game, but didn’t see the field.

There was no reason as to why he sat. In Atlanta’s Week 1 preseason loss to the Titans, head coach Arthur Smith said Pitts was sidelined because he was right on schedule. He said that if Pitts was behind, he would have seen the field.

Pitts, however, is falling behind the favorites in the OROY race, as he’s been faded from +900 down to +1100. But this might actually be a better time to pounce. By all indications, Pitts is looking just fine in camp, and is expected to slide in seamlessly as a go-to receiver for Matt Ryan.

How Should You Wager?

We’ll see Lawrence in action Monday night, named the starter against the Saints. But even as the betting favorite, head coach Urban Meyer appears to be taking his starting QB battle between the rookie and fan favorite Gardner Minshew seriously.

That should give you a little bit of pause — or, at the very least, other avenues to sprinkle your wagers at.

In the history of the award, no tight end has ever taken home the hardware. So the odds are against Pitts, but he has a great opportunity (and presents great value) to be the first. He enters an offense that threw for the 5th-most yards, 4th-most attempts, and is down a stud target as they’ve moved on from Julio Jones.

And it looks as though Wilson is already the best hope at QB for a Jets squad that doesn’t have very many other solid options. New head coach Robert Saleh probably knows that too. While it’s only preseason, he’s definitely worthy of a wager.

The pick: Pitts (+1100)

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