Leading the way as the odds-on favorite to win the award is the 2023 #1 overall pick, Victor Wembanyama. There has not been this amount of hype surrounding a player's career trajectory since LeBron James back in 2004. With all eyes on him, the pressure is on to perform as soon as the season begins in San Antonio. We have you covered with our NBA awards odds series with a Rookie of the Year prediction and pick.

Following him in second place is the second-year big man out of Gonzaga, Chet Holmgren. He missed the entirety of the 2022-23 season with a lisfranc injury, so with this being his first season playing in the league, he will be eligible for this award. Regarded as one of the best players in his draft class, fans everywhere are excited to see how he can fare in the NBA. 

Not too far behind, Holmgren is the new face of the Portland Trail Blazers, Scoot Henderson. With the departure of superstar Damian Lillard, Henderson will fulfill the starting point guard role. With an explosiveness that is unmatched and surrounded by an underrated roster, Henderson is very capable of winning this award.

Rounding out the list as a longshot is Charlotte Hornets Forward Brandon Miller. Although he faces some pretty hefty odds, Miller's offensive production makes him a player to watch. With the uncertainty surrounding teammate Miles Bridges, Miller appears to immediately be in line for a serious role on this team.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

NBA Odds: 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds

Victor Wembanyama: +110

Chet Holmgren: +320

Scoot Henderson: +370

Brandon Miller: +2800

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Why Victor Wembanyama Will Win Rookie of the Year

Standing 7'3″ with an eight-foot wingspan, Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama lives up to his nickname “The Alien.” While playing in the French league Betclic Élite, he was phenomenal. As a teenager in the best basketball league in France, he won awards for MVP, Best Scorer, Best Defender, All-Star Game MVP, All-Pro First Team, and won the league championship in 2022. At only 19 years of age, his resume is better than just about every player in the NBA under 20. On 32.1 minutes per game last season for the Metropolitans 92, he was able to average 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. With this type of production against some of Europe's best talent, he should be the overwhelming favorite for this award.

What separates Wembanyama from the pack here is the minutes and touches he is in line for. Even though he is a rookie, he is the centerpiece of this team and a mainstay in the starting lineup. The Spurs were bottom eight in the league last season in points and blocks per game. They brought Wembanyama in for a reason. Under the tutelage of hall-of-fame head coach Gregg Popovich, the sky is the limit for him in his rookie season.

Why Chet Holmgren Will Win Rookie of the Year

Many people have listed Chet Holmgren as their sleeper pick or favorite to win Rookie of the Year. As the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, he was one of the favorites to win the award for his length and presence on both sides of the ball. Offensively, in the three preseason games Holmgren has played so far, he has been able to drop 18.3 points per game on an impressive 18-29 (62.1%) from the field and 5-9 (55.6%) shooting from three.

Regarding his rebounding and defense, he was able to haul in nine rebounds in 16 minutes of playing time against San Antonio. Additionally, he had a three-block game against Detroit and managed to have one of the best preseason highlights by sending a shot back off of a smooth Damian Lillard stepback. These figures all come on just 21.0 minutes per game, so if he can maintain this efficiency with the increased minutes he will see in the regular season, he will run away with this award. In the Thunder's play-in run last season, it seemed as if the only piece of the rotation they lacked was a dominant big man. This year, they get their guy back. If this team's success is there, it will undoubtedly mean that the individual success has been in bunches for him.

Why Scoot Henderson Will Win Rookie of the Year

Arguably, the most skilled player coming from the 2023 draft class is Scoot Henderson. Valid criticisms remain on his streaky three-point shooting, especially considering in four preseason games, he has gone 5-17 (29.4%) from three. However, his playmaking and finishing around the rim are too good to ignore. In the same four games, he has averaged 5.8 assists per game and shot 90.0% from the foul line. Unlike anyone else in this class, he can dish it out and draw contact around the basket in a way that makes him look like a league veteran. Moreover, in the 19 games he played in the G-League last year, he averaged 6.8 assists per game on a respectable 1.98 assist-to-turnover ratio. This competition in the G-League prepared him for this moment, giving him the edge over many players in this class.

Another component in developing a rookie that might go overlooked is the voices they are surrounded by in the locker room. Having a veteran mentor is crucial in adjusting to the NBA. If Malcolm Brogdon remains in Portland for the season, he is the perfect guide for Henderson. Brogdon is a member of the 50/40/90 club, a former Rookie of the Year winner, and coming off of a Sixth Man of the Year season. There is no better player in the league for Henderson to learn from. If he can develop his three-point shot and defense by learning from Brogdon, he will quickly sneak up on the two favorites.

Why Brandon Miller Will Win Rookie of the Year

Number two overall pick Brandon Miller enters this race facing an uphill battle. However, it is not entirely out of the realm of possibility for him to win. Although he is currently listed as coming off the bench for the Hornets behind Gordon Hayward, that may change sooner rather than later. With players such as Kai Jones and Miles Bridges making all sorts of negative headlines for the Hornets during the off-season, the abundance of playing time and opportunities will be readily available for Miller.

In college at Alabama, Miller averaged 18.8 points per game on 38.4% shooting from three and added 8.2 rebounds per game. The Hornets are fresh from a season where they finished as a bottom-four team in the league in threes made per game, three-point field goal percentage, and points per game. Miller's abilities on offense are desperately needed from this team, and he will be given the green light right away to be the difference maker they need.

Final 2023-24 Rookie of the Year Winner Prediction & Pick

For the first time in what feels like a long time, this rookie class has so much potential and more than capable winners of this award. To win this award, the two most significant components a player must be surrounded by is an abundance of playing time and touches. That said, the player who is projected to clear the competition in both categories is Victor Wembanyama. His length and dominance on both ends of the floor will propel him to winning it this season.

Final 2023-24 Rookie of the Year Winner Prediction & Pick: Victor Wembanyama (+110)