As we enter the second half of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, the races for league awards are starting to take shape. There is a two-man sprint for MVP honors, a tight race for Most Improved, and run-away performances for DPOY and 6th Man of the Year. But one of the more interesting award chases has been in the Rookie of the Year category, and there is a new favorite atop the board entering the weekend.
NBA Odds: Kel’el Ware Now The Favorite To Win ROY Award
It was Jared McCain’s award to lose. The 76ers rookie got off to the hottest start of any first-year player in the NBA, but went down with an unfortunate season-ending injury just 23 games into his career. Since then, there has been an endless rotation at the top of the odds board. Guys like Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher, and Zach Edey have all spent time as the ROY favorite at different points of the season, but no one has been able to take a commanding lead in the category.
Early this past week, a new favorite emerged. After starting the regular season with 30/1 odds to take home the hardware, Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware now has the shortest odds on the board, listed at +150 by DraftKings.
| Player | Current ROY Odds | Pre-Season ROY Odds |
| Kel’el Ware | +150 | +3000 |
| Alexandre Sarr | +350 | +1000 |
| Stephon Castle | +370 | +1000 |
| Jaylen Wells | +400 | +15000 |
| Zach Edey | +1600 | +600 |
He has the most productive week of his young career to thank. The Heat have been in the news and at the center of drama for the last month, and are fighting for position near the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff standings. But Ware has stepped up in a big way, though it hasn’t exactly translated into victories for the franchise.
During his first 25 games of action, Ware averaged just 13 minutes per game, He was putting up 6.6 points per, and the seven-footer was pulling down 3.8 rebounds in his limited playing time. But the rotations for the Heat have apparently changed over the past three games, giving the rookie far more playing time, and he has made the most of his opportunity.
Kel’el Ware now owns the best odds to win Rookie of the Year.
(via @VegasInsider) pic.twitter.com/ODraAI6z9Y
— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) January 24, 2025
Over the last three games for Miami, Ware has improved his scoring average to an impressive 22.3 points, and he is pulling down 11 rebounds and blocking two shots per contest. He had perhaps his best game of the NBA season on Tuesday against the Trail Blazers, scoring 20 points and nabbing 15 boards, all while blocking two shots and hitting two three-pointers.
The odds board is certainly subject to change, as it has been all year, but Ware is now considered a solid favorite. The next-closest designation belongs to Alexandre Sarr, who is back at +350, and Castle is now sitting at +370. Jaylen Wells is at +400, and Edey rounds out the top-5 at +1600.
