What Does ‘ROY’ Mean in Sports Betting?
“ROY” stands for “Rookie of the Year.”
It is the award given to the best first-year player in a specific league.
When you see “ROY” on a betting app, it is almost always a Futures bet. You are placing a wager on which new player you think will win that award at the end of the season.
How It Works in the Major Leagues
- NFL (Football): This is unique because there are usually two awards you can bet on: Offensive ROY (OROY) and Defensive ROY (DROY).
- NBA (Basketball): One single award for the best rookie. This is a massive betting market because top draft picks (like Victor Wembanyama) are often famous before they play a single game.
- MLB (Baseball): There are two awards, one for the American League (AL ROY) and one for the National League (NL ROY).
- NHL (Hockey): One award, officially called the Calder Memorial Trophy, but often listed as “ROY” on betting sites to keep it simple.
A Quick Betting Tip
These are “voted on” awards. Unlike the Super Bowl (which is decided on the field), ROY awards are decided by sportswriters and media members.
Because of this, narrative matters. A quarterback who leads his team to the playoffs often has a better chance of winning ROY than a wide receiver with better stats on a losing team.