NBA Rookie of the Year best bets: Value on Barnes, Summer League MVPs

The start of the NBA season is less than three weeks away, which means we're about to see the highly touted rookie class of 2021 play meaningful basketball. The headliner is Cade Cunningham, who's the current favorite to win Rookie of the Year. But will he?

LaMelo Ball became the first preseason favorite to win this award in 2020-21 since Kevin Durant in 2007-08, and it's been a long list of disappointment since then for chalk bettors. Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, and John Wall all fell short as No. 1 picks and short preseason favorites in loaded draft classes.

We backed Cunningham as one of our early values in August, and he would still be our outright pick to win Rookie of the Year. But he isn't the best value, as these three rookies all provide much more bang for your buck after strong preseasons in solid situations.

Here are the current NBA Rookie of the Year odds at theScore Bet and our three best bets to win the award:

Scottie Barnes, F, Raptors (+1200)

I'm buying the hype on Barnes, who's already making an impression with the Raptors before even playing a game. Many were surprised the Florida State product went No. 4 over Gonzaga star Jalen Suggs, but Barnes' elite length and overall instincts are a perfect fit for Nick Nurse's squad.

Earlier this week, Nurse said Barnes' role is "going to be huge" and he'll give the rookie as many minutes and shots as he can handle, according to TSN Sports' Josh Lewenberg. That should ease some concerns about his playing time relative to the top options on the market.

Barnes will earn even more minutes if he can become a consistent shooter after reworking his form this offseason. He'll make an impact defensively regardless, which should give him a steady floor in this market.

If he can carve out a significant offensive role with the Raptors, too, watch out.

Davion Mitchell, G, Kings (+1800)

It sure feels like Mitchell is making a lot of noise this offseason for someone oddsmakers consider a distant contender for this award. The former Baylor hero is already drawing praise for his work ethic and on-court instincts as a rookie, a foundation that nearly earned Kings star Tyrese Haliburton some hardware of his own last season.

Mitchell may not get the ball in his hands much as a rookie alongside Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox, but he'll play his way into a sizable role through his elite perimeter defense, versatility, and secondary playmaking, much like Haliburton did in 2020-21. He's already made his presence felt during the summer league, when Mitchell dominated opposing lead guards en route to co-MVP honors.

Summer league MVP isn't a pipeline to Rookie of the Year, but it's not irrelevant. Damian Lillard won co-MVP in 2012 before earning ROY honors in 2012-13, and Blake Griffin did the same a few seasons earlier. Mitchell is on track for the same, especially if the 23-year-old can shoot like he did at the end of his collegiate career.

Cameron Thomas, G, Nets (+5500)

Thomas was one of our favorite value bets in August because of his immense opportunity as a scorer off the bench for the Nets. Since then, all he's done is lead Summer League in scoring (27.0 PPG) and earn co-MVP honors.

The former LSU sparkplug finished fourth in the nation in scoring (23.0) and will be given every opportunity to create offense for a top-heavy and injury-prone Brooklyn squad largely devoid of second-unit scorers. Thomas should see sky-high usage when playing without one of the Nets' Big Three and stellar efficiency when playing alongside them. At these odds, it's a no-brainer.

C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at [email protected].