Ridley Falls Out of Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds; Saquon Continues to Surge

Reading Time 7 Mins Categories NFL Betting Sites

Updated: September 4, 2025

  • Earlier this season, Atlanta's Calvin Ridley was a top contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year. 
  • Much like the Falcons as a team, the first-year wide receiver fell off the map down the stretch.
  • A big Week 14 from Saquon Barkley has all but ended the 2018 OROY race.

In late September, Atlanta Falcon receiver Calvin Ridley burst onto the NFL scene with a 146-yard, three-touchdown game against the New Orleans Saints. It was his second straight week finding the end zone and it consolidated the 26th-overall pick as a serious contender in the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, moving him all the way from +3200 to +1100 .

Calvin Ridley's strong start included standout performances in several games. Notably, in Week 3 against the Saints, Ridley caught for a staggering 146 yards and scored three touchdowns.

His early season stats ranked him among the top rookie receivers in both total yards and touchdowns, reinforcing his initial OROY contention.


A week later, he added two more touchdowns and 54 more yards against the Bengals, further improving his OROY odds to +620, behind only Saquon Barkley and Baker Mayfield at the time.

How things have changed. Below are the latest OROY odds from Bovada. Notice anything missing?

2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds

2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year Favorites Odds at Bovada
Saquon Barkley (RB, Giants) -850
Baker Mayfield (QB, Browns) +450
Phillip Lindsay (RB, Broncos) +1500
Nick Chubb (RB, Browns) +2800
Sony Michel (RB, Patriots) +4000

Phillip Lindsay and Nick Chubb have both made impressive impacts, each surpassing 900 yards by December. Lindsay, undrafted but explosive, leads rookies with his rushing efficiency.

Chubb, meanwhile, has been a consistent workhorse for the Browns, adding power to their backfield. Both have shown why they're in the conversation.

What happened to Calvin Ridley's OROY campaign?

After falling back to +5000 in early December, Ridley is no longer even on the list.

Performance wise, the former Alabama standout has been trending downward since October. He's only found the end zone twice in his last nine games and only topped 75 yards once (93 yards at New Orleans in Week 12).

2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds Tracker
Read More

The final nail in the coffin of his OROY hopes came in Week 14 when he managed just ten yards and one catch on four targets against Green Bay. That was the fourth time in five games he was held under 40 yards.

While his end-of-year numbers will wind up looking solid, especially for a rookie wideout, his production seriously waned as the season progressed even though his target share didn't drop off that much. Call it hitting the rookie wall, perhaps.

Calvin Ridley: Week 2-4
VS
Calvin Ridley: Week 5-14
88.0 Receiving Yards Per Game 43.7
5.0 Receptions Per Game 4.0
6.3 Targets Per Game 6.0
6 Total Touchdowns 2

With no running game to speak of and Ridley failing to provide a credible secondary threat to Julio Jones, Atlanta's offense has fizzled. The team has now lost five in a row while failing to score more than 20 points in any of those five games.

That stands in stark contrast to what is going on in East Rutherford at the moment.

Saquon Barkley has the 2018 OROY in the bag

Since a quiet Week 2 against Dallas, Saquon Barkley has been a model of consistency for the New York Giants. He's recorded at least 100 yards from scrimmage in 10 of the last 11 and scored at least one touchdown in eight of those.

Actually, “model of consistency”  drastically undersells Barkley. The last four weeks, he has absolutely shredded defenses, effectively locking up the OROY award with three games to play.

Barkley's performance was marked by his ability to consistently contribute in multiple facets of the game. Over the first ten games, he averaged more than 124 total yards per game, becoming a dual threat in rushing and receiving.

His reliable output was key in stabilizing the Giants' offensive production.

Saquon Barkley: Week 1-10
VS
Saquon Barkley: Week 11-14
65.1 Rushing Yards Per Game 134.5
124.0 Total Yards Per Game 159.3
5 Total Touchdowns 4

Adding to his OROY inevitability, Barkley's performance is actually helping the Giants win games. They have won four of their last five and are somehow still kinda, sorta alive in the NFC Wild Card race (if you squint really hard). That was unthinkable six weeks ago when this team was 1-7.

Baker Mayfield's Impact on the Browns

Baker Mayfield revitalized the Browns' offense and sparked hope in Cleveland. By mid-season, Mayfield had thrown for over 2,200 yards and 17 touchdowns, proving his ability to lead turnarounds in important games.

His leadership and accurate throws have made him a standout, with rookie stats that rival more experienced quarterbacks.

Even if Barkley gets injured in practice this week and doesn't play another snap in 2018, he's done enough to win the award.  He leads Phillip Lindsay by almost 200 rushing yards, over 400 receiving yards, and three touchdowns.

Barring a miracle playoff run from Baker Mayfield and the Browns (which ain't happening), Saquon will have some shiny new hardware on his shelf come February.

The post Ridley Falls Out of Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds; Saquon Continues to Surge appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.

Original source: https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/news/nfl/ridley-saquon-offensive-rookie-year-odds/

Andy
Andy
Hi I'm Andy and as a regular bettor on sports I know where to spot a good sportsbook sign up deal. With over 25 years of placing wagers on sports betting including NFL, horse racing and soccer I can lend my expertise to writing and advising you on everything sports and NFL betting. To your success.

Add a Comment