Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
Author: Anthony Vlahovic
Last Updated: 14 July, 2025
Having depth off the bench is vital for all successful NBA teams. During the 2024-25 season, the Celtics fell short of a repeat, but they cruised through the regular season in large part thanks to their strong second unit led by 6MOY Payton Pritchard.
After winning the award for the first time in his career, Pritchard has since opened as the favorite to win it during the 2025-26 season. Now that the market is open across multiple sportsbooks, we will help bettors find the best prices for all the top candidates throughout the season.
Player | Opening odds | Current Best Odds |
---|---|---|
Payton Pritchard | +550 | +550 (DraftKings*) |
De'Andre Hunter | +800 | +800 (DraftKings*) |
Naz Reid | +1100 | +1100 (DraftKings*) |
Jordan Clarkson | +1400 | +2000 (FanDuel) |
Gradey Dick | +1800 | +1800 (DraftKings*) |
Ty Jerome | +1800 | +1800 (Bet365*) |
Jared McCain | +2200 | +2200 (DraftKings*) |
Jabari Smith Jr. | +2200 | +4000 (FanDuel) |
Keldon Johnson | +2500 | +4000 (FanDuel) |
Caris LeVert | +2500 | +2500 (DraftKings*) |
Obi Toppin | +2800 | +3000 (FanDuel) |
Donte DiVincenzo | +3000 | +5000 (FanDuel) |
Bobby Portis | +3000 | +3000 (DraftKings*) |
Odds as of July 14, 2025
Opening Odds from DraftKings
* = The same odds are offered by multiple sportsbooks
Player | DraftKings | Bet365 | FanDuel |
---|---|---|---|
Payton Pritchard | +550 | +550 | +340 |
De'Andre Hunter | +800 | +800 | +750 |
Naz Reid | +1100 | +1100 | +900 |
Jordan Clarkson | +1400 | +1400 | +2000 |
Gradey Dick | +1800 | +1800 | +1500 |
Ty Jerome | +1800 | +1800 | +1500 |
Jared McCain | +2200 | +2200 | +3000 |
Jabari Smith Jr. | +2200 | +2200 | +4000 |
Keldon Johnson | +2500 | +2500 | +4000 |
*Odds as of July 14, 2025
Payton Pritchard (BOS Celtics): At this time last year, Pritchard was buried at the bottom of the odds board for this award, but with his shooting ability, that quickly changed once the season started. Boston is one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the league, and if there's one thing they love, it's shooting threes. Well, that makes Pritchard the best candidate to lead their second unit, as he shot 40.7% from beyond the arc in 2024-25, resulting in 14.3 points per game. With Jayson Tatum expected to miss all of the 2025-26 season, Boston could rely on Pritchard to supply even more offense this upcoming season.
De'Andre Hunter (CLE Cavaliers): Systems matter for a lot of players, and the Cavaliers' system under Kenny Atkinson looks like a solid fit for De'Andre Hunter. While Hunter received less volume in Cleveland than he did in Atlanta, his shooting percentages improved with the Cavs, as he was getting more efficient looks. Hunter will also now get a full season in the system and will be on a unit that no longer has Ty Jerome.
Naz Reid (MIN Timberwolves): After winning 6MOY during the 2023-24 season, Naz Reid would only receive one first-place vote last season. At the end of the day, though, Reid still put up substantial numbers, which in some cases were better than his stats the year prior. Between his 6-MOY winning season and last year, Reid saw only a 0.2 drop-off in PER, while his win shares increased by 0.8. Reid's defensive rebounding percentage was also the same, and he increased his assist percentage by 4.3%. With all of that said, Reid can certainly get back into serious contention for this award for the 2025-26 campaign.
Payton Pritchard (BOS Celtics): After opening the season at (+10,000) to win this award, Payton Pritchard quickly shot his way up to the top of the odds board. In 80 games, Pritchard averaged a career high 14.3 points per game on a 40.7% three-point percentage. In December, Pritchard averaged 15.8 points while also grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game. While Pritchard struggled a bit in January, averaging 10 points and 3.3 assists per game, he turned it back on for the final three months of the regular season, and over the last seven regular-season games, he averaged 17 points per game on a 53.8% field goal percentage.
Rank - Player | Total points | 1st place votes |
---|---|---|
1. Payton Pritchard (BOS) | 454 | 82 |
2. Malik Beasley (DET) | 279 | 13 |
3. Ty Jerome (CLE) | 91 | 2 |
4. De'Andre Hunter (CLE) | 33 | 2 |
5. Naz Reid (MIN) | 31 | 1 |
6. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (MIN) | 7 | 0 |
7. Russell Westbrook (DEN) | 4 | 0 |
8. Alex Caruso (OKC) | 1 | 0 |
Season | Player | Team | Opening odds |
---|---|---|---|
2024-25 | Payton Pritchard | Boston Celtics | +10000 |
2023-24 | Naz Reid | Minnesota Timberwolves | +5000 |
2022-23 | Malcolm Brogdon | Boston Celtics | +1100 |
2021-22 | Tyler Herro | Miami Heat | +1100 |
2020-21 | Jordan Clarkson | Utah Jazz | +700 |
2019-20 | Montrezl Harrell | Los Angeles Clippers | +1100 |
2018-19 | Lou Williams | Los Angeles Clippers | +300 |
2017-18 | Lou Williams | Los Angeles Clippers | +800 |
2016-17 | Eric Gordon | Houston Rockets | N/A |
2015-16 | Jamal Crawford | Los Angeles Clippers | N/A |
2014-15 | Lou Williams | Toronto Raptors | N/A |
It’s not just getting the minutes that leads to Sixth Man of the Year contention; it’s what you do in those minutes that matters. Raw minutes played are a good start, but just because a player is getting sixth-man minutes does not mean they have the usage and scoring efficiency to be a true candidate for 6MOY.
Players who can make a significant scoring impact the minute they come off the bench are typically considered genuine contenders. It may seem simple, but a player who averages 19 points per game in 24 minutes at a 27% usage rate is likely to receive more attention from voters than a player who averages 30 minutes per game but has a usage rate of 19-20%.
The 2024-25 season was a good example of this. All five players who received first-place votes had a usage rate of 19% or higher. Additionally, two players who received first-place votes had nearly identical minutes and a higher scoring average than the award winner, Payton Pritchard. However, Pritchard had almost four more win shares than all other finalists and a better effective field goal percentage. Noticing stats such as these can help bettors identify who will be in the mix when it comes time to vote, and from there, they can locate other metrics to narrow down which of those players may get more attention from voters.