NBA Sixth Man of the Year odds, best bets: Can Clarkson defend crown?
One of the trickiest NBA awards to bet each season is Sixth Man of the Year, which requires threading a very precise needle of talent and (lack of) opportunity.
The only requirement is a player must come off the bench in more games than they start, with playing time being irrelevant. That often lends itself to high-volume bench scorers who would otherwise be a liability in the starting lineup because of shoddy defense or suspect playmaking.
Look no further than Jordan Clarkson, who's been a defensive liability in each of his seven NBA seasons and averaged 2.5 assists despite a sky-high usage rate (29.7%) a year ago. It didn't matter, as Clarkson came off the bench for 67 of 68 games for the Utah Jazz and led all reserves in scoring (18.4) to win the award in 2020-21.
Here are the odds to win this year's trophy (shorter than 100-1) and our favorite value bets:
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Jordan Clarkson | +550 |
| Joe Ingles | +1400 |
| Derrick Rose | +1600 |
| Patty Mills | +1900 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | +1900 |
| Kevin Huerter | +2000 |
| Goran Dragic | +2300 |
| Coby White | +2300 |
| Jalen Brunson | +2900 |
| Terrence Ross | +2900 |
| Bobby Portis | +3000 |
| Cameron Payne | +3000 |
| Tyler Herro | +3000 |
| Miles Bridges | +3500 |
| Terance Mann | +3500 |
| Kendrick Nunn | +3500 |
| TJ McConnell | +3500 |
| Chris Boucher | +4200 |
| Marvin Bagley | +4200 |
| Lonnie Walker | +4200 |
| Buddy Hield | +4200 |
| Matisse Thybulle | +4200 |
| Shake Milton | +4200 |
| Tyrese Maxey | +4200 |
| Carmelo Anthony | +4200 |
| Cameron Johnson | +4200 |
| Montrezl Harrell | +4600 |
| Jordan Poole | +4800 |
| Payton Pritchard | +4800 |
| Doug McDermott | +5500 |
| Brandon Clarke | +5500 |
| Mitchell Robinson | +5500 |
| Davis Bertans | +5500 |
| Grayson Allen | +5500 |
| Kelly Olynyk | +5500 |
| Luke Kennard | +5500 |
| Rodney Hood | +5500 |
| Lou Williams | +5500 |
| Alex Caruso | +5500 |
| Anfernee Simons | +6000 |
| De'Anthony Melton | +6000 |
| Josh Hart | +6500 |
| Tomas Satoransky | +6500 |
| Daniel Gafford | +6500 |
| Thaddeus Young | +6500 |
| Bruce Brown | +6500 |
| Eric Bledsoe | +6500 |
| Talen Horton-Tucket | +7000 |
| Enes Kanter | +8000 |
| Serge Ibaka | +8000 |
| Andre Drummond | +8000 |
| Juan Toscano-Anderson | +8000 |
| Facundo Campazzo | +8000 |
| Terence Davis | +8000 |
| Jeff Green | +8000 |
| Danilo Gallinari | +8500 |
Jordan Clarkson, G, Jazz (+550)
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unlike other awards when voter fatigue tanks a player's chances of repeating, Sixth Man of the Year is a flashy stats race that welcomes sustained success in a bench role. Four of the last eight winners already won the award before, including Lou Williams' back-to-back trophies in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Clarkson is slated to come off the bench once again for the Jazz, who utilized him heavily as a spot-up shooter and shot-creator in the second unit. Not only did Clarkson lead all reserves in scoring a year ago, but he also ranked in the top 10 in the NBA in made threes (208) and free-throw percentage (89.6%).
His rate stats last year were reflective of his career numbers, so he's an unlikely regression candidate if he can maintain his minutes. With the way he played a season ago, there's no reason to expect that to change, either.
Coby White, G, Bulls (+2300)
White started 54 games last year as a sophomore and posted respectable numbers (15.1 points, 4.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds). However, the Chicago Bulls' offseason shopping spree will relegate him to a bench role this season. Don't be surprised if his production improves as a result.
The former North Carolina star has struggled to showcase his offensive range in Chicago playing alongside All-Star Zach LaVine, who ranked 11th in usage rate (31%) a year ago. If White gets the keys to the second unit, it could unlock his upside as an aggressive scorer with elite speed and a sneaky step-back arsenal.
Chris Boucher, C, Raptors (+4200)
The disrespect toward Boucher in this market has gone too far. The Toronto Raptors' uber-athletic forward ranked 24th in PER (21.9) and 16th in win shares per 48 minutes (.201) in 2020-21 - top four among reserves in both stats - but finished a distant eighth in Sixth Man voting.
The 28-year-old center has made sizable gains in each of his first four seasons and is expected to serve in a bench role once again this year, which sets him up perfectly to improve upon his pedestrian finish in this market a year ago.
Anfernee Simons, G, Trail Blazers (+6000)
The Simons breakout has felt inevitable for years after he teased his offensive upside as a rookie when he posted 19.1 points per 36 minutes in a limited role. His usage dipped considerably in two seasons since, and he averaged just 17.3 minutes a year ago.
New Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups plans to change that, utilizing Simons as a full-time backup point guard, which will allow him to create for himself for the first time across a full season. Simons is a long shot for a reason, but the former prep star has the talent and opportunity to finally cash in.
Enes Kanter, C, Celtics (+8000)
Kanter is no stranger to a reserve role, coming off the bench in each of the last three seasons. It hasn't affected his production - the 10-year vet averaged 11 rebounds a game in 24.4 minutes for the Blazers in 2020-21 and boasted the second-highest rebound rate (24.2%) in the NBA.
Now he returns to Boston, where he played a key role in the frontcourt for the Celtics in 2019-20 and should do the same this year alongside Robert Williams and Al Horford, who are better defenders but inferior on the boards. Kanter received votes for this award a year ago; if he proves to be Boston's most productive big, he could easily win it.
C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at [email protected].