- Cooper Flagg has -120 odds to average over 16.5 points per game in his rookie season, which five of the last six first overall selections have done.
- Derik Queen averaged nine rebounds per game in college and his line is set at 6.5 rebounds per game for his rookie season.
DALLAS – With the NBA season complete and the draft officially finalized, many fans are already looking forward to next season. In a loaded rookie class, here are some of the best picks for bettors to capitalize on.
Cooper Flagg Over 16.5 PPG
Flagg was always expected to be the first overall pick and it came to fruition as he landed with the Dallas Mavericks. Legal sports betting sites set Flagg’s points per game average at 16.5 points for his rookie season.
Bettors should lean towards the over for a few reasons. Firstly, five of the last six #1 overall picks in the NBA draft were able to surpass the 16.5 PPG mark in their rookie season, the only exception being Zaccharie Risacher, who averaged just 12.6 PPG last season.
Flagg also landed in an ideal spot to produce right away, as the Mavericks are in desperate need of offense after trading away Luka Doncic and losing Kyrie Irving at least for the first portion of the season due to a torn ACL.
Anthony Davis averaged 20 PPG in his nine appearances for the Mavericks in 2025 and no other player averaged more than 15. Take the odds at -120 for Flagg to clear 16.5 points per game.
Derik Queen Over 6.5 RPG
Many questioned the Pelicans’ move to trade up for Maryland big man Derik Queen, but looking at the state of their roster, it makes much more sense than meets the eye.
New Orleans’ depth at the center position is extremely thin, anchored by second-year big man Yves Missi who had a solid rookie season. But after that, the frontcourt becomes shaky. The only other returning bigs from last season are Kylor Kelley and Karlo Matkovic, who played just three and 42 games respectively.
Despite this lackluster frontcourt, Missi still only managed 26.8 minutes per game, indicating the coaching staff’s reluctance to commit to him as the primary center going forward.
New Orleans gave up some serious draft capital to move up and get Queen at the 13th overall pick, so don’t be surprised to see him get heavy minutes right out of the gate and potentially become the starter at some point during the season.
In his freshman year at Maryland, Queen averaged nine rebounds per game in just over 30 minutes played per game.
NBA betting sites give Queen -120 odds to surpass the 6.5 RPG mark.
