With the completion of the October 22nd games in the NBA, we've now seen all of the Rookie of the Year favorites in action. Keegan Murray played for the Sacramento Kings after he missed the team's first game of the season due to COVID protocols. Here's a look at the odds for the favorites with bet365 as of late Saturday night on October 22nd.
Rookie of the Year favorites (bet365)
- Paolo Banchero +140 (7/5)
- Bennedict Mathurin +500 (5/1)
- Jaden Ivey +550 (11/2)
- Keegan Murray +550 (11/2)
- Jabari Smith Jr. +900 (9/1)
Banchero's Orlando Magic team is 0-3 on the season. The top pick from the 2022 NBA Draft has played well, however. He is averaging 23.3 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game so far this season. He does look like the best rookie out of the gates.
Bennedict Mathurin has been used as a bench support player. However, that seems to be just due to rookie prejudice. It can only be a matter of time before he takes over a starting role. Mathurin played 31 minutes on Saturday and scored 27 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. He looks like a much better player than Buddy Hield.
Keegan Murray debuted on Saturday night. He played 33 minutes off of the bench. He appeared to be a future starter for the Kings this season. He had 19 points, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and 5 rebounds in his debut.
Jaden Ivey has scored 19, 17, and 17 points respectively in his first three games. He had a double-double on Saturday for points and rebounds. He almost had a double-double for points and assists in the previous game but missed it by one assist. He may be overrated as the third favorite but it's clear that Detroit drafted a player that's NBA ready and that should help them.
Jabari Smith Jr. has not quite had a break-out game yet. He is shooting just 14 for 46 so far this season and he is not getting to the line enough to pay for the missed shots. He is a little bit of a rebounder but only has 19 through three games despite plenty of playing time. He is the player among the top five favorites that will probably drift soon.
