3 Betting Trends for Picking NBA Sixth Man of the Year Winner

In recent seasons, voters have changed their approach to picking the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year winner.

Gone are the days of picking the best bench scorer in the league. Voters now prioritize all-around impact and team success when rewarding the Sixth Man of the Year. That’s something to keep in mind when assessing the latest NBA odds in this market.

3 Trends for Picking NBA Sixth Man of the Year Winner

Team Success Matters in Recent Seasons

Winning has become more important to voters for the Sixth Man of the Year award in recent seasons. The last time a 6MOY came from a team that finished outside the top three in their respective conference was the 2018-19 season.

Of the last six Sixth Man of the Year winners, five came from a team that claimed a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. During that stretch, the Sixth Man of the Year winner has been on a team that averaged 55.7 wins.

The San Antonio Spurs finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season, which played a big part in Keldon Johnson’s Sixth Man of the Year campaign.

All-Around Impact is Important

Johnson’s averages in the 2025-26 season demonstrated his all-around impact as a reserve for the Spurs. He averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. That PRA line added up to an average of 20, a mark that’s become necessary to hit.

Each of the previous 10 Sixth Man of the Year winners has posted an average PRA line of 20 or better. Over that span, the last 10 winners have averaged 24.6 points + rebounds + assists.

That trend holds up for multiple decades, too. Since the 2009-10 season, the Sixth Man of the Year winner has posted an average PRA line of 24.05. That’s why it’s worth targeting players in this market who do more than just score.

Scoring is Still Necessary

While none of the past four award winners have averaged more than 14.9 points per game, it’s still important to provide some scoring off the bench to claim this trophy.

Johnson’s scoring average of 13.2 points per game marked the sixth-lowest mark in the history of the Sixth Man of the Year award — all but one of the five players to average fewer points per game than Johnson occurred before 1996.

Since the 2009-10 season, the Sixth Man of the Year winner has averaged 16.9 points per game. That mark has dropped to 16.2 since 2019-20, suggesting scoring still matters, though not as much as it once did.