Tacko Fall, NBA Summer League Cult Hero, Gets More Tickets, Money For Rookie of the Year at SuperBook Than Zion Williamson

Posted on: August 20, 2019, 08:00h.

Last updated on: August 20, 2019, 01:57h.

Tacko Fall, the 7-foot-6 University of Central Florida (UCF) product turned Boston Celtics project, is garnering attention from bettors as a Rookie of the Year candidate, even if he’s not a lock to be on the Celtics’ opening night roster.

Tacko Fall may not even make the Celtics, but some bettors like him for Rookie of the Year. (Image: ESPN)

Fall, who rose to acclaim as the most popular player in the recently completed Las Vegas Summer League, wasn’t among the 60 players selected in the June NBA draft. But he’s still commanding more action among gamblers than some other highly touted rookies.

More tickets AND money wagered @SuperBookUSA on Tacko Fall for NBA Rookie of the Year than Zion Williamson,” said SuperBook Vice President of Risk Management Jeff Sherman on Twitter on Monday night.

After one season at Duke, Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, going to the New Orleans Pelicans. Currently, Williamson is the only player with “minus” odds for Rookie of the Year futures bets, underscoring his status as the prohibitive favorite to take home that award. He’s listed at -135, meaning a gambler needs to lay $135 to win $100.

Long Odds For Tacko

Oddly enough, Fall first burst onto the national scene during the NCAA Tournament in March when his UCF squad took Williamson’s Duke team down to the wire in the second round before falling, 77-76. Williamson had 32 points while playing all 40 minutes of that contest, while Fall notched 15 points in 25 minutes on an efficient seven of 10 shooting performance.

Sherman’s tweet about the Rookie of the Year action on Fall hit the web just hours after the player’s agent, Justin Haynes, speculated that if the Celtics cut the rookie, it’s unlikely the big man will go unclaimed.

The Celtics signed Fall to what’s known as an Exhibit 10 contract, which is NBA-speak for an invitation to training camp. Including Fall, Boston is currently carrying four centers, meaning it is possible the rookie is cut and then picked by the Celtics’ G-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, or acquired by another team.

In other words, Fall backers face long odds to cash those tickets. So long that Fall isn’t even among the rookies with +50000 odds for the top honor that goes to first-year players. Those odds mean a winning $100 bet brings home $50,000.

Not Unusual

Odd NBA bets are not unusual, and its possible that Fall backers are taking a lottery ticket mentality to the center (small risk/high reward), don’t see much value in the heavily favored Williamson, or both.

As for other Rookie of the Year contenders, oddsmakers aren’t assigning much credibility to potential winners beyond Williamson and two other players. Ja Morant is listed at +350 (bet $100 to win $350) and Williamson’s Duke teammate RJ Barrett can be had for +550 (bet $100 to win $550).