Cooper Flagg Favorite to Win Rookie of the Year

With the summer pretty much over, several players gain the spotlight in the latest 2025-26 NBA award bets from our top NBA betting sites.

These props saw some movement as players and their roles may start to come into focus with the approach of the upcoming season.

Again, before you make any wagers on possible NBA award winners, take a look at our NBA Props page, which provides valuable information.

After getting drafted number one by the Dallas Mavericks, Cooper Flagg is now the favorite to win Rookie Of The Year.

Here’s a look several players to watch in those 2026 NBA Award Bets.

2026 NBA Award Bets

NBA 2026 Awards
Rookie Of The Year
Cooper Flagg	-175	-200	-200
Dylan Harper	+900	+800	+800
Ace Bailey	+950	+950	+900
VJ Edgecombe	+1000	+900	+900
Tre Johnson	+1200	+1200	+1400
Kon Knueppel	+2200	+2000	+2500

Cooper Flagg Expected To Win Rookie Of The Year

When it comes to the 2026 NBA Award Bets, Cooper Flagg is expected to win Rookie Of The Year. Early on, this is not even close. As a matter of fact, Flagg odds have shortened to -175 via Bovada and are approaching -200 on several sportsbooks already. Honestly, this is not a surprise. Flagg was much-hyped at Duke and for the most part delivered. Flagg averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per contest. He shot 38.5% from three-point range even.

Though Duke did not win the National Championship, the Blue Devils returned to national prominence in full. Duke lost a heartbreaker to Houston in the Final Four as Flagg led all scorers with 27 points. Sure, the end is something Flagg would like to have back. However, a new challenge awaits him with the Dallas Mavericks.

With how competitive the Western Conference is, Flagg is going to learn quickly that this is not college basketball or even ACC basketball anymore. Add in the fact that he has been anointed the Rookie Of The Year already and that bullseye is pretty much across his chest. One good thing may be he is playing for Dallas. The Mavericks have several NBA players with 10+ years of experience including Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.

The thought process is that Flagg will not have to be focus. Now, this may impact his ability to produce the numbers necessary to win the award at first. However, it may be that second half kick as he gets adjusted that propels Flagg to an award nomination and perhaps the victory here.

Cooper Flagg To win NBA Rookie Of The Year

-175

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Do Those 2026 NBA Award Bets Have An Ace Up Their Sleeve?

As September moves along, do those 2026 NBA Award Bets have an ace up their sleeve? Some might be surprised by this assertion given what Flagg did at Duke. However, when one couples that with the disaster of a year Ace Bailey has had, they may think we are downright nuts at Online Sports Betting. That is not even the tip of the iceberg. Bailey did not want to be drafted by Utah. Naturally, Utah went and drafted the player anyway. He signed an entry-level deal on July 2nd, exactly one week after getting drafted.

Now, what ensured after was almost predictable. There was built-in drama. Bailey did not report. There were rumors of a potential trade or two. However, in the end, Bailey ended up with Utah anyway. He plays Small Forward with the potential of a very tall Shooting Guard. There is a lot to like but quite a bit to work on. Considering his 2024 recruiting rank was second, him going fifth to Utah was mildly surprising given the tumultuous year at Rutgers.

Thankfully, Bailey gets a chance to play with talent more at and above his level. Maybe that spurs him on to better things. It did seem like last year he was almost bored and lackadaisical at times. However, there were glimpses where Bailey took over Big 10 games. He will get a chance to start and pad his stats extensively with the Jazz.

Okay, how much of a leap can we make here? How about a big one? Bailey was probably more suited to the next level compared to college anyway. It is good that Utah picked him. The spotlight will not be as focused.

Ace Bailey To win 2026 NBA Rookie Of The Year

+950

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What About Dylan Harper?

The Rookie Of The Year race next asks what about Dylan Harper? However, many ask is that Ron Harper's son? The answer is yes. The elder statesman had two sons with now NBA ties. Ron Harper Jr. has appeared in 11 NBA games over the course of three seasons. However, younger brother Dylan is believed to have a little higher ceiling. The New Jersey native was drafted second overall by the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs were fortunate in a way when Victor Wembanyama's blood clot was found. That put San Antonio in a position to gain another highly coveted draft pick. Dylan Harper needs to work on some things at the next level. However, he averaged 19.6 points a game at Rutgers. That was not easy to do with Ace Bailey there and an offense limited aside from those two players. There gets added an extra point of intrigue here. Harper recently had thumb surgery but looks ready to return in time for the season opener.

With how competitive the division is becoming, Harper will get to showcase his skills and be a complement to Wembanyama early. That might be the boost Harper needs to steal the award from Flagg and Bailey. As much as we like longer shots, this award may be one where second and third might feature more benefit.

Dylan Harper To win Rookie Of The Year

+900

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