And The Winner Is: Nevada Approves NBA, NCAA Individual Futures Betting

Written By Marc Meltzer on December 16, 2020

Shortly before the start of the new NBA season, the Nevada Gaming Control Board sanctioned four new futures bets.

From this season onwards, sportsbooks in the Silver State have been given permission to take bets for the following NBA Award markets:

  • Coach of the Year
  • Most Improved Player
  • Man of the Year for the Sixth Time
  • Year’s Best Defensive Player

Keep in mind, these are all regular-season NBA awards. Only before the final game of the regular season can Nevada sportsbooks accept bets for these events.

Operators are not entitled to provide odds for any event they desire. Each betting event for sportsbooks is individually approved by the NGCB. Occasionally, as in this case, the gaming board may approve a series of related events collectively.

NBA MVP and Rookie of the Year already available

Wagers for the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards are already being taken by Nevada sportsbooks.

On Nov. 10, when MVP odds were initially released by William Hill, Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks were the equal favorites with odds of +550. Currently, Doncic has moved into the position of outright favorite with improved odds of +450. Antetokounmpo’s odds have also decreased, positioning him as the second favorite with odds of +500.

Caesars sportsbooks, now operated by William Hill, rank LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers with the third-lowest odds to win the MVP at +700. He is closely followed by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors at +800 and his Lakers teammate, Anthony Davis, at +850.

“Giannis voter fatigue this season” could be a possibility, said Nick Bogdanovich, the director of trading for William Hill US.

I believe that if the competition is tight, preference will likely be given to a newcomer over Giannis. Essentially, in case of a tie, the newcomer has an edge. Luka had an outstanding performance last year and he’s just 21. He still has a lot of potential for improvement.

Lamelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets is currently the +350 favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award at both Caesars and William Hill sportsbooks. Following closely is the NBA draft’s number one pick, Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves, listed at +400.

Additional college basketball award wagering

The NGCB has also given the green light to one futures market opportunity for college basketball. As a result, sportsbooks are now permitted to accept bets on the winner of the 2021 NCAA Basketball John R. Wooden Award.

The accolade for the top college basketball player of the year is a regular-season award. Like in NBA markets, sportsbooks are permitted to accept bets for this award up until the commencement of the first game of the postseason.

The NGCB has set a few conditions for sportsbooks accepting bets on these NBA and NCAA futures events:

  • The book has the discretion to set the odds. The rules that govern these bets will be made publicly accessible.
  • Separate application and approval are required for any extra bets that deviate from the award winner.
Photo by Dreamstime
Marc Meltzer Avatar
Written by

Marc Meltzer

Marc was raised amidst the challenging environment of South Bronx. Uncommonly, he is both a fan of the Yankees and Jets, which reflects his often opposing stance. He makes a living as a freelance writer and social media advisor. His job involves writing about topics like steak, alcohol, gambling, and Las Vegas, which may be tough but someone has to do it.

View all posts by Marc Meltzer