If you're a fan of fantasy sports leagues or simply like rooting for individuals instead of teams, there can be fun and sometimes value to be found in individual proposition bets. They can give you a season-long rooting interest in someone's results and, if you know what you're looking for, you might get decent odds for your dollar.
A recent scan of some NBA props revealed some interesting odds for the 2007-08 Rookie of the Year award. The odds-on favorite, no surprise, is NBA-ready stud Kevin Durant who, after one spectacular year at Texas, might be the only hope for the rebuilding Sonics to make fans less sleepless in Seattle. He comes in at 3/2 and, with Ray Allen gone via trade to Boston and Rashard Lewis taking big free-agent dollars in Orlando, the high-scoring guard/forward should get ample opportunity to put up 20-plus points per game and take down the rookie top honor.
But there have been questions about his strength - he could not bench press 185 pounds in NBA pre-draft workouts - and there rarely is value in the chalk when it comes to prop bets. The other favorite, Ohio State product Greg Oden, is probably an even worse pick at 5/2. Young big men typically take a little longer to acclimate - and the 7-footer clearly needs to add bulk - so while he should make an impact with shot blocking and rebounding right away, he probably won't generate good enough numbers to win the award.
The best candidates for the award are usually small forwards (such as last year's winner, Brandon Roy of Portland) and point guards (Chris Paul of the Hornets) who can score right away, or seasoned big men (think Charlotte's Emeka Okafor) who have the physical strength to compete in the league. The award also tends to favor players who have at least some college experience, as past winners have included Tim Duncan and Grant Hill, who each spent four years as starters at respected collegiate programs. Of course, a couple of high schoolers who went straight to the pros have won the award, such as Lebron James and Amare Stoudemire, but the physical and mental maturity of a 22-year-old as opposed to an 18-year-old is usually a safer bet.
So if you are looking for some candidates with good odds and a legitimate chance to win, keep an eye on the following dark horses. All NBA Rookie of the Year odds come from Bodog:
A recent scan of some NBA props revealed some interesting odds for the 2007-08 Rookie of the Year award. The odds-on favorite, no surprise, is NBA-ready stud Kevin Durant who, after one spectacular year at Texas, might be the only hope for the rebuilding Sonics to make fans less sleepless in Seattle. He comes in at 3/2 and, with Ray Allen gone via trade to Boston and Rashard Lewis taking big free-agent dollars in Orlando, the high-scoring guard/forward should get ample opportunity to put up 20-plus points per game and take down the rookie top honor.
But there have been questions about his strength - he could not bench press 185 pounds in NBA pre-draft workouts - and there rarely is value in the chalk when it comes to prop bets. The other favorite, Ohio State product Greg Oden, is probably an even worse pick at 5/2. Young big men typically take a little longer to acclimate - and the 7-footer clearly needs to add bulk - so while he should make an impact with shot blocking and rebounding right away, he probably won't generate good enough numbers to win the award.
The best candidates for the award are usually small forwards (such as last year's winner, Brandon Roy of Portland) and point guards (Chris Paul of the Hornets) who can score right away, or seasoned big men (think Charlotte's Emeka Okafor) who have the physical strength to compete in the league. The award also tends to favor players who have at least some college experience, as past winners have included Tim Duncan and Grant Hill, who each spent four years as starters at respected collegiate programs. Of course, a couple of high schoolers who went straight to the pros have won the award, such as Lebron James and Amare Stoudemire, but the physical and mental maturity of a 22-year-old as opposed to an 18-year-old is usually a safer bet.
So if you are looking for some candidates with good odds and a legitimate chance to win, keep an eye on the following dark horses. All NBA Rookie of the Year odds come from Bodog:
1. Al Thornton, Clippers (12/1) - Might have been the steal of the first round at No. 14, as some draft experts regarded him as one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, he has an NBA prototype body and was a four-year player at Florida State, improving each year and finishing with an ACC-best 19.7 points per game last year. Could have a hard time getting big numbers alongside the likes of Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, but the Clippers have been injury prone in years past and Brand will miss a good chunk of the season as it is. Worth a look at these odds.
2. Acie Law, Hawks (15/1) - Anyone drafted by the Hawks should have a chance to play right away and, unlike No. 3 pick Al Horford, who will have competition at his position from incumbents Shelden Williams and Marvin Williams, Law should take over right away for the disappointing Speedy Claxton. Law started for four years at Texas A&M, and showed improved range in his senior season while repeatedly coming through in the clutch for the Aggies in Big 12 and NCAA Tournament play. Might have been the first point guard taken in the draft had Ohio State phenom Mike Conley Jr. not shined so brightly in the NCAA Tournament.
3. Brandan Wright, Warriors (15/1) - This super-smooth 6-foot-9 forward from North Carolina should fit in perfectly in the up-tempo system at Golden State, which made a shrewd off-season move by dumping the over priced and under-producing Jason Richardson and trading for Wright on draft day. The Warriors need skilled big men who can run the floor and, while some observers believe Wright will need a year or two to develop, don't be surprised if he puts up big numbers right away.
4.Joakim Noah, Bulls (25/1) - Might be the best long shot of the bunch. Dropping to the Bulls with the No. 9 pick, he certainly would have been a top-three selection had he left Florida after the first of its consecutive National Championship campaigns. A hard-nosed player with underrated offensive skills and a great ability to run the floor and defend, he should be a perfect complement to the guard-oriented Bulls, who get the bulk of their scoring from the likes of Ben Gordon and Luol Deng and are in need of a respectable low-post presence.
After you finish this NBA article check out our NBA Gambling lines page. If you plan on betting NBA you'll also want to read our NBA predictions page. Doc's betting NBA second half's resource is a must read for NBA wagering For 35+ years the team at Doc's Sports Service has provided and insight on basketball handicapping.
After you finish this NBA article check out our NBA Gambling lines page. If you plan on betting NBA you'll also want to read our NBA predictions page. Doc's betting NBA second half's resource is a must read for NBA wagering For 35+ years the team at Doc's Sports Service has provided and insight on basketball handicapping.
5. Glen Davis, Celtics (35/1) - The ultimate long shot, but he has a chance nonetheless. After the Celtics traded basically their whole team aside from Paul Pierce to land Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, someone has to fill out the roster and do some dirty work inside to clean up the superstar trio's missed shots. A steal with the No. 35 pick, "Big Baby" likely will play with a chip on his shoulder because he dropped so far in the draft, when he was a sure lottery pick had he jumped to the NBA after leading LSU to the Final Four two years ago. Lost amid concerns about his weight and his injury-plagued final season at LSU was the fact that he developed a nice low-post game to go along with his sheer brute force, and he averaged 17.7 points and 10 rebounds per game. A slimmed-down Davis has impressed in the NBA summer league, putting up 12 points and 10 rebounds a game.
by Josh Nagel
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