As the regular season rapidly approaches, interest is picking up on NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year betting odds. Every sportsbook has No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence atop the odds board to win the honor.
But many bettors are shying away from Lawrence’s short price, instead looking at more lucrative options, which is creating liabilities elsewhere behind the counter. And there was a late shakeup in Rookie of the Year odds, thanks to a surprising decision by the New England Patriots.
Props.com checks out current odds to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year Odds 2021-22
| QB | Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars | +350 |
| QB | Mac Jones | New England Patriots | +500 |
| QB | Justin Fields | Chicago Bears | +700 |
| QB | Trey Lance | San Francisco 49ers | +700 |
| QB | Zach Wilson | New York Jets | +900 |
| RB | Najee Harris | Pittsburgh Steelers | +1000 |
| TE | Kyle Pitts | Atlanta Falcons | +1100 |
| WR | DeVonta Smith | Philadelphia Eagles | +1600 |
| WR | Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati Bengals | +1800 |
| WR | Jaylen Waddle | Miami Dolphins | +2000 |
| RB | Javonte Williams | Denver Broncos | +2500 |
| WR | Elijah Moore | New York Jets | +2800 |
| RB | Trey Sermon | San Francisco 49ers | +3500 |
| RB | Michael Carter | New York Jets | +5000 |
| WR | Amari Rodgers | Green Bay Packers | +5000 |
Odds via BetMGM Nevada as of September 2, 2021.
Latest NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year Betting Action
Trevor Lawrence is the big brand name in this market. The No. 1 draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars is +325 at BetMGM Nevada, slightly longer than his +300 opening number months ago. In fact, quarterbacks dot the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds board.
Most notably, New England Patriots QB Mac Jones saw his stock and liability surge following the Aug. 31 news that the Patriots released veteran QB and former NFL MVP Cam Newton. Jones, who was named the starter for Week 1, quickly jumped from +1,000 to the +500 second choice at BetMGM Nevada, but some savvy bettors beat the move.
“Quite a few people bet it right away when it happened. They got a bunch of money down at 10/1,” BetMGM Nevada’s Jeff Stoneback told Props.com. “We went from 10/1 to 8/1 to 6/1 to 5/1, and took money all along the way. He’s now the top liability among the favorites.”
There’s also a running back causing concern in the risk room.
“Our second-biggest liability among the favorites is Najee Harris,” BetMGM Nevada’s Scott Shelton said. The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie out of Alabama opened +1,600 and got as short as the +600 second choice, trailing only Lawrence, before falling back to +1,000. “The only other person with as many tickets as Harris is Justin Fields. But we’re a small winner to Fields and a decent-size loser to Harris.”
After opening +350, Fields—drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bears—drifted to +800 and is now the +700 third choice.
Fields leads the ticket count at BetMGM Nevada, with Harris very close behind, followed by New York Jets QB Zach Wilson (+900), Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (+1,100) and Lawrence. Jones is drawing the most cash, with Harris second, Fields third, and Pitts and Lawrence running a close fourth and fifth, respectively.
NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year Odds Moves
Like Jones, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance is a noteworthy mover up the odds board, though BetMGM Nevada wouldn’t mind Lance having a big rookie season.
“We opened him 15/1, moved him to 10/1 and then 7/1, and he’s now +750,” Shelton said of the fourth choice. “But we’re a decent winner to him.”
Meanwhile, Wilson opened +550, dipped to +1,000 and is now the +900 fifth choice.
BetMGM is hoping to dodge one particular long shot in the odds to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: running back Chuba Hubbard, a fourth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers from Oklahoma State.
“He’s at 150/1, and he’s actually our biggest loser,” Shelton said, noting action landed on Hubbard at that healthy price of +15,000. “We took three pops on him from one customer, at $165 each.”
Should those flier bets hit, each ticket would net $24,750, for a total profit of $74,250.