2024 FTN NFL Power Rankings Through Week 15: Who Takes Over the Top Spot?
Daniel Kelley
The NBA season is almost here. One of the most fun parts of the NBA and one of the best ways to find value in the preseason NBA betting, is awards. The markets for Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year offer ways to bet on a team’s success outside of the standard futures markets.
Let’s take a look at each award’s winner, see what leads to success, and find the best prices for us to bet. Today: Sixth Man of the Year.
2024-2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Odds and Best Bets
Past 10 Winners
- 2024: Naz Reid (MIN)
- 2023: Malcolm Brogdon (BOS)
- 2022: Tyler Herro (MIA)
- 2021: Jordan Clarkson (UTA)
- 2020: Montrezl Harrel (LAC)
- 2019: Lou Williams (LAC)
- 2018: Lou Williams (LAC)
- 2017: Eric Gordon (HOU)
- 2016: Jamal Crawford (LAC)
- 2015: Lou Williams (TOR)
Key Takeaways from Past Winners
- The winner is definitely not a starter, but he still plays a lot of minutes. On average, the Sixth Man of the Year winner starts 10% or less of games but plays 28 minutes per game.
- The last 10 winners averaged 17.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 3.4 APG.
- The last 10 winners played for teams that averaged a 64.4% win rate and nine of those teams made the playoffs.
- On average, the winner is in their eighth season. Only three of the last 10 players have won before their seventh season.
- To summarize: We’re looking for a veteran player coming off the bench for one of the best teams in the league who will be scoring at a high rate.
Current Best 6MOY Betting Odds
Bets to Avoid
Naz Reid
(+1000, FanDuel Sportsbook)
Donte DiVincenzo
(+1400, BetMGM)
When it comes to awards, you have to avoid teammates that each have a shot to win. Voters can struggle to differentiate and votes get split between the two making it easier for other players to get ahead of them. Reid and DiVincenzo are perfect candidates. The Timberwolves should be a great team again and both should be an important part of that success. Unfortunately, they will steal votes from one another and one of them could even end up in the starting lineup eventually. There’s just no value in wagering on either despite their qualifications.
Bobby Portis
(+1600, BetMGM/DraftKings Sportsbook)
Portis has finished third in voting for Sixth Man of the Year two years in a row, and I think that is as close as he’ll ever get to winning it. The Milwaukee Bucks could win enough games to keep Portis in contention, but he doesn’t make big scoring plays or highlight winning plays late in games. He’s a very good player and a real asset of the bench, but +1600 isn’t nearly a good enough price to bet that the voters will finally get excited enough to give him first place votes.
Jordan Clarkson
(+2500, Caesars)
Clarkson is the exact kind of player who wins this award, and he did just that in 2021. He’s a spark off the bench, scoring points in bunches and making big shots when called upon in big moments. Unfortunately for him, he’s still on the Utah Jazz and they are unlikely to make the Play-In Tournament let alone be a top seed in the Western Conference. This is an award that is given to a player on a winner and the Jazz are not a winner. Maybe Clarkson gets traded, but until then there is absolutely no reason to bet on him.
Norman Powell
(+2500, BetMGM)
This one is very easy. Powell should be a starter for the Clippers, and the Clippers should win under half of their games. He will likely start too many games to qualify, but if he does stay on the bench the Clippers will not be nearly good enough for Powell to earn any votes for Sixth Man of the Year.
Bets to Consider Later in the Season
Bennedict Mathurin
(+1800, DraftKings Sportsbook)
Mathurin could have been a strong candidate for this award last season before he got injured and wasn’t able to play the required 65 games. He’s a strong scorer and comes off the bench knowing his job is to get buckets. I’m bullish about the Pacers’ chances to be a 60% win rate team and contend for a top seed in the Eastern Conference. I want to wait to see how Indiana starts the season to confirm they’re as good as I think and also to see what Mathurin’s role is. I expect him to be their sixth man, but he’s good enough to possible earn a starting spot. There is also a little competition with T.J. McConnell, who could steal some votes. Keep an eye on Mathurin for now and be ready to strike in the first month of the season if things go the way we hope.
Bets to Place
Miles McBride
(+2500, FanDuel Sportsbook, 0.5U)
The New York Knicks made a few big moves to turn their depth into better talent. They have a great starting five, and coach Tom Thibodeau pushes his teams hard to win as many regular season games as possible. The Knicks are in good shape to be a top seed in the Eastern Conference and McBride is in line for a big role as their scorer off the bench and possibly even at the end of games. Acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns makes New York better but leaves the bench unit with little talent. McBride is a good shooter and showed his ability to score points in bunches in the playoffs last season. He fits the profile, the Knicks fit the profile, and, as an added bonus, McBride plays in New York City. NYC is the largest media market and as a result has more award voters than other cities. We saw the New York bump get Thibodeau the Coach of the Year in 2021, and it can certainly get McBride the Sixth Man of the Year award if the Knicks can reach their potential. This is well worth a wager at +2500 or better.
Julian Strawther
(+10000, DraftKings Sportsbook/Caesars, 0.25U)
This one is a deep cut, but it’s well worth a wager at such a high price. The Denver Nuggets lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, which means more minutes for other players and a glaring need for shooting. Strawther didn’t get much run as a rookie, which isn’t surprising on a Mike Malone coached team. Denver’s coach generally prefers to play veterans and has been hesitant to trust younger players. The front office has forced his hand by letting KCP go and Strawther is in line to play 20-plus minutes off the bench as a scorer and three-point shooter. If the Nuggets are going to maintain their place near the top of the Western Conference, they will need a player like Strawther to contribute off the bench. +10000 is much too big a price to let go.
