Now that the NFL preseason is in the rear-view mirror, I will look at some award updates from the various sportsbooks in this space until the regular season kicks off a week from Wednesday in Seattle. Today, let's break down NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, with odds and trends courtesy of BetMGM. And I'll tell you right now the player taking the heaviest action is a surprise – at least to me.
I'm also hoping he's there when I pick in my Fantasy Dynasty draft on Thursday. 0 in bonus bets: But first let's look at the favorites, and they are Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love at +500 and Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza at +550. No real surprise there, as they were the first two offensive players off the board back in April, with Mendoza going No. 1 overall and Love third. Fans can stay up to date with information from our NFL news page, and bettors should also look for picks from the SportsLine Projection Model and our experts during the 2026 NFL season.
Love opened as the +300 favorite because he was expected to be the featured back in Arizona from the get-go, but his odds have risen no doubt because of a high-ankle sprain suffered in the preseason opener against Mendoza's Raiders. Now it's a race to be ready for the Sept. 13 opener at the Chargers. Probably 50/50 right now.
Love did look good in his limited action, rushing 11 times for 58 yards and catching three passes for 14 yards. Mendoza, meanwhile, had some issues in his three preseason games – he was tied at +500 with Love entering the finale -- and will be the backup to open the season behind veteran Kirk Cousins. The offensive line is a major question mark, so the Raiders might just want to keep Mendoza healthy until that group jells.
So neither of the two favorites may be on the field Week 1. BetMGM is not exposed on either player winning the award because neither is in the top three of handle or tickets. No. 1 on both -- and where the book is definitely exposed -- is on 49ers receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, who was the first pick (No. 33 overall) in Round 2 this year.
That was the Niners' initial pick in the draft after trading down first from No. 27 to 30 and then from No. 30 to 33 for additional picks. San Francisco needed a game-breaking wideout, and last season at Ole Miss, Stribling was a big-play guy with 55 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns. Then he ran a blazing 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
