2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds Favor Paolo Banchero After All-Star Break (Are There Dark Horses Worth Backing?)

The 2023 NBA All-Star Break is in the rearview mirror, meaning fans are turning their attention to the second half of the regular season. Basketball enthusiasts are dying to see which players will take home individual awards at the end of the campaign, including NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

This year's ROY picture is currently a one-horse race. FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero as the clear-cut -1000 favorite to be named the NBA's top rookie. The former Duke product paces all Magic players with a 19.9 PPG clip while ranking second on the team with an average of 6.6 rebounds.

The Indiana Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin is a distant second on FanDuel Sportsbook's list at +900. Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz, +3500), Jaden Ivey (Detroit Pistons, +6500) and Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder, +10000) round out the top five.

Here's the closer look at the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

NBA Rookie of the Year 2023 Odds

NBA Rookie of the Year Prediction & Best Bet

With the odds being as lopsided as they are, it's hard to imagine anyone but Banchero being named the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year. After all, his -1000 odds translate to an implied probability of 90.9%.

Banchero's transition to the NBA has been seamless. This fact is proven by his pacing all rookie players in both points (19.9) and minutes played (33.7) per game. He's also started in each of the 52 games that he's appeared in thus far, highlighting the trust that the coaching staff has in him.

The Magic, understandably, rely on Banchero more often than not, proven by his 27.7% usage rating. He also shares the team lead with Bol Bol when it comes to defensive win shares (1.8), illustrating the rookie's importance on both sides of the ball.

Barring a season-ending injury in the next few weeks, Banchero is more or less a lock to take home this award. His -1000 odds to take home the hardware don't provide much value, but there really isn't anyone else worth considering.

Bet: Paolo Banchero (-1000)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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