Bronny James Becomes a Hot Bet for Rookie of the Year

The odds for the NBA Rookie of the Year title have changed since the start of summer league. Zach Eady of the Memphis Grizzlies is now the unanimous favorite among sportsbooks. But so far, bettors’ favorite pick is a big underdog with a famous last name.

More bets have been placed on Bronny James than any other player for Rookie of the Year (ROY) at multiple sportsbooks. James has attracted nearly a quarter of the bets made in ESPN BET’s ROY market. BetMGM reported a $1,000 ROY bet on James at 250-to-1 odds on July 6 from an Ontario bettor, and DraftKings said Eady was the only player betting more money than James in the ROY market.

Four-figure bets on Rookie of the Year in July are rare, and betting on the award 10 months before the winner is announced is usually uncommon, but bookmakers are taking notice of bettors’ undeniable interest in LeBron James’ son. The amount wagered on BetMGM’s ROY market is currently double what it was last year’s market.

In addition, bookmakers showed surprising interest in Bronny James as the top No.1 overall pick, and this interest has persisted throughout summer league. There is only one summer league player on whose prop bets are available at the SuperBook in Las Vegas: Bronny James. Vice President of Risk and SuperBook head NBA oddsmaker Jeff Sherman stated that there has been “solid” interest in Bronny James’ props and that summer league betting is growing overall.

Sherman texted ESPN, saying, “We are doing more handle [on summer league] than in previous years, most notably in live wagering.”

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James in the second round. As of Thursday, he was averaging 7.3 points and had a plus/minus of minus-14 in Vegas Summer League games.

The Houston Rockets’ Reed Sheppard (+650) and the Washington Wizards’ Edey (+550) have overtaken Alexandre Sarr, who was the early favorite for Rookie of the Year, according to ESPN BET. At +900, Sarr now has the fifth-best odds at ESPN BET.

This Monday is the NBA Summer League Championship Game.