Early Betting Odds and Predictions for Every 2027 NBA Award
The dog days of NBA summer can be difficult to slog through. Even New York Knicks fans have long since washed off the champagne scent and entered "What's next?" mode.
So...what is next?
A mandatory look at the latest and greatest early betting odds for every major 2027 NBA award, replete with predictions and dark-horse possibilities in each category from yours truly.
Betting odds for each award will come from the folks over at FanDuel. Predictions are based on the Association's lay of the land entering mid-August. And finally, dark-horse candidates qualify as anyone who doesn't have top-seven betting odds for an award in question but we should nevertheless keep an eye on.
*Note: FanDuel doesn't currently have a market for Coach of the Year, so we'll be focusing on only player awards.
Rookie of the Year
1 of 6
Top 5 Odds
- Cameron Boozer (+300)
- Caleb Wilson (+330)
- Darryn Peterson (+350)
- AJ Dybantsa (+400)
- Darius Acuff Jr. (+1500)
Dark Horse Candidate: Brayden Burries, Milwaukee Bucks
Brayden Burries showed plenty of on-ball rim pressure in summer league while hinting at more layers to his offensive game than just another functional spacer. Of all the players who stand to get lost in a jumbled Bucks rotation, his ready-made defensive motor and shooting suggest he won't be one of them.
Final Prediction: Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies
Boozer is the correct favorite and final pick when viewed through the lens of opportunity.
Fellow top-three selections AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson won't sit at the top of their offensive pecking orders. Dybantsa feels like he'll tumble toward No. 3 on a Wizards team with Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson. Peterson could slip as low as fourth, behind Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Caleb Wilson doesn't have as many people in front of him. He also doesn't profile as an on-ball hub right off the bat.
Boozer's situation in Memphis may not be conducive to winning a bunch of games, but Rookie of the Year isn't impacted as much by team success. The agency he'll have over the Grizzlies' offense should allow his abyss-deep armory to shine and his numbers to pop.
Clutch Player of the Year
2 of 6
- Jalen Brunson (+700)
- Anthony Edwards (+900)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+900)
- Luka Dončić (+1200)
- Nikola Jokić (+1200)
Dark Horse Candidate: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Clutch time has always been Dame Time. We shouldn't just assume that'll change because he's working his way back from an Achilles injury.
Portland is the right amount of good-not-great enough to find itself in a ton of close games. Faced with those high-stakes opportunities, new head coach Micah Nori could funnel the ball to Deni Avdija or Ja Morant or favor a more egalitarian approach.
He could also just put the rock in the hands of Mr. Crunch Time himself.
Final Prediction: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Anecdotally speaking, the past half-decade of Timberwolves basketball has felt deliberately stressful. Blown leads, rollicking comebacks, classic nail-biters, more blown leads—my hairline is receding just thinking about it.
Edwards has featured prominently in all of these angsty situations. Among 288 players who appeared in at least 10 clutch games last season, he held the third-highest usage rate. The arrival of LaMelo Ball won't obscure his opportunity or agency; it will only streamline it.
Sixth Man of the Year
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- Dylan Harper (+700)
- Ajay Mitchell (+800)
- Anfernee Simons (+1100)
- Anthony Black (+1800)
- Reed Sheppard (+1800)
- Payton Pritchard (+1800)
Dark Horse Candidate: Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards
Even with a healthy Trae Young, Washington needs as much shooting as it can get. Johnson can check that box in spades, both on and off the ball
Playing him and the other Trae together for long stretches seems like a no-go at first glance. But the Wizards can surround them with a ton of size in Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr and AJ Dybantsa. That should ensure Johnson gets the minutes necessary to warrant attention, and closing some games is hardly out of the question if Washington defaults to dual-big frontcourts.
Final Prediction: Terrence Shannon Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves
Dylan Harper is the pick here if you believe he spends most of his time coming off the bench. My hunch is he'll be a full-time starter before long.
Ankle issues limited Shannon's availability and effectiveness last season, but he once again showed signs of life in the playoffs. The Wolves have no choice but to roll out the red carpet for him next year.
Assuming Ayo Dosunmu is Sharpie'd into the starting lineup, Shannon profiles as Minnesota's best and most important reserve. And with the Wolves leaning so far into four-out lineup structures, the 26-year-old's combination of shooting and downhill sauce should enable him to put up numbers—and be enough to carry him into the SMOY debate.
Most Improved Player
4 of 6
Top 5 Odds
- Brandon Miller (+800)
- Payton Pritchard (+1100)
- Dylan Harper (+1200)
- Ausar Thompson (+1200)
- Kel'el Ware (+1600)
Dark Horse Candidate: Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tyson's importance to the Cavs is on the verge of skyrocketing. If the season began today, he'd rank as their most important (and capable) perimeter defender, guaranteeing him a crack at plenty of high-leverage minutes.
Working off a year in which he shot 44.6 percent from deep and almost 50 percent on drives, there's more to his offensive bag as well. Though someone running alongside James Harden and Donovan Mitchell shouldn't expect too much on-ball usage, additional reps will be up for grabs if (when?) the Cavs move off Dennis Schröder or Max Strus.
Final Prediction: Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets
Just seven second-year players have won Most Improved honors, and it hasn't happened since Monta Ellis in 2006-07. That makes selecting Harper, Khaman Maluach or Collin Murray-Boyles difficult.
On the bright side, it paves the way for the Brandon Miller agenda. His on-ball usage is about to explode this side of the LaMelo Ball trade.
Miller has already hit the 20-point benchmark twice in his career. But if he improves his rim pressure and/or foul rate, he's the type of player who could turn in a 28-point, five-assist season on enviable efficiency.
The half-court passing and physicality will be swing factors. Ditto for Charlotte's inclination to feature him over Kon Knueppel, Coby White, Christian Anderson and Naz Reid. Choosing him isn't just a vote of confidence; it's a bet on him establishing himself as best-player-on-a-contender material—much like Tyrese Maxey did in 2024.
Defensive Player of the Year
5 of 6
Top 5 Odds
- Victor Wembanyama (-340)
- Chet Holmgren (+1000)
- Ausar Thompson (+2500)
- Rudy Gobert (+3000)
- Bam Adebayo (+4000)
Dark Horse Candidate: Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
Clingan somewhat quietly morphed into one of the most dominant interior forces last season. Opponents saw their share of shots at the rim plummet by 8.3 percent with him on the court, the second-largest dip in the league. Nobody else contested as many shots per 100 possessions, and he finished in the 90th percentile of both defensive rebounding rate and points saved at the rim.
If the Blazers manage to field a respectable defense while giving tons of minutes to Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and Shaedon Sharpe, Clingan's name will almost assuredly crop up in this discussion. In the event it doesn't, Portland's army of centers—Robert Williams III, Yang Hansen, Micah Potter—may have repressed his playing time.
Final Prediction: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio
We could make a complex case for why Wemby is the pick, but why bother? He just became the NBA's first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and looks uncrackable 99.9999 percent of the time.
Unless you're prepared to guarantee Wemby doesn't meet the games-played threshold, this award feels like it's sewn up for 2026-27—as well as the foreseeable future.
MVP
6 of 6
Top 5 Odds
- Victor Wembanyama (+200)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+350)
- Luka Dončić (+700)
- Nikola Jokić (+600)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (+1000)
Dark Horse Candidate: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
Returning from an Achilles injury renders Haliburton a wild card. But if he's around 85 to 90 percent of his former self, we're talking about someone who can clear 20-plus points per game on efficient shooting while leading the NBA in assists.
Couple this with a top-three finish in the Eastern Conference for the Pacers, and Hali could feasibly party-crash a race virtually no one's expecting him to enter.
Final Prediction: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Wemby winning MVP isn't quite on the "If he meets the games-played threshold, it's over" spectrum. But it's pretty darn close.
The seven-and-a-half-foot interstellar traveler just finished third on the ballot this past season, and at only 22, hasn't yet reached his final form. That is terrifying.
Everyone's always on the lookout for the next generational force. Wemby is it. The Spurs will be good enough to keep him relevant, his stat line is bound to be the first of its kind, and voters will gravitate towards any star who entrenches himself as a contender's best player on both offense and defense.
Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
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