Zion Williamson made his highly anticipated NBA debut Wednesday night, scoring 22 points in 18 minutes for the New Orleans Pelicans. His Rookie of the Year odds shortened at all major sportsbooks.
We’ll keep track of changes in his ROY odds in this file.
All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Rookie of the Year odds
2019
June 18
Caesars posted ROY odds on June 18, two days before the 2019 NBA draft. As the projected No. 1 pick, Williamson opened as the prohibitive odds-on favorite at -450. “Zion is a giant favorite, but I don’t know if it’s big enough. It’s one of those things if I take a max bet, then I might go [much higher],” Caesars head of risk Jeff Davis told ESPN at the time. Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett had the next-best odds at +450. The three represented the top three picks of the NBA draft.
Opening odds:
Williamson -450
Morant +450
Barrett +450
Oct. 18
In his fourth preseason game, Williamson apparently injures his knee and several days later it’s announced that he will miss the start of the 2019-20 season with a knee injury. Morant becomes the betting favorite on Oct. 29, with Williamson falling to the third-best odds.
Current odds (Oct. 29):
Morant +110
Barrett +250
Williamson +400
2020
Jan. 22
Before Williamson’s long-awaited debut, he had longest odds of the season at 16-1 to win the award. Morant was a heavy 1-10 favorite, with Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn at 8-1.
Current odds (Jan. 22):
Morant -1000
Nunn +800
Williamson +1600
Jan. 23
After Williamson’s exhilarating debut Wednesday night, Caesars shortened his odds to 8-1 (tied with Nunn), with Morant still the favorite at 1-7. According to ESPN Stats & Information data, no player has won the award playing fewer than 50 games. The maximum number of games Williamson can play this regular season is 38.
Current odds (Jan. 23):
Williamson +800
Nunn +800