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Texans vs. Falcons NFL Week 5 odds, props: C.J. Stroud faces Bijan Robinson in matchup of Offensive Rookie of the Year betting favorites

CJ Stroud is the new betting favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Matt Severance

Atlanta Flacons running back Bijan Robinson had been the betting favorite to win 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at Caesars Sportsbook essentially since the first round of this year's draft concluded in late April. Robinson is off to a fine start, but is now a +400 second favorite entering Week 5 behind Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (+160). Houston visits Atlanta on Sunday with the Falcons at -1.

Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick, has so far been the best of the three rookie quarterbacks chosen in Round 1. He has the Texans off to a shocking 2-2 start – one win shy of their 2023 total – and hasn't thrown a pick in 151 attempts while ranking fourth in the league in passing yards with 1,212.

That yardage total is the second-most ever by a player in his first four career games. Only Cam Newton (1,386 in 2011) had more. Andrew Luck set the overall rookie passing record in 2012 with 4,374 yards. Stroud is on pace for 5,151. He was by far the better QB (306 yards, two TDs, no turnovers) on Sunday in Houston's blowout of the Steelers, with Kenny Pickett struggling before leaving with an injury.

Every other QB who has started each game so far has at least one interception. Stroud has joined Gardner Minshew as the only QBs in NFL history with zero interceptions in each of his first four career starts (minimum 30 attempts in each).

Robinson, the No. 8 overall pick, is third in the NFL with 318 yards – even more impressive considering opposing teams are stacking the box because they don't think Falcons QB Desmond Ridder can beat them through the air. Robinson had his second 100-yard game Sunday with 105 yards on 14 carries in a loss to Jacksonville in London. The rookie is still looking for his first rushing TD. Robinson accounted for 46.1% of the team's 297 yards of offense on Sunday.

"C.J. is gonna be the Offensive Rookie of the Year if it's not Bijan,'' Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons said on his podcast this week "It's gonna come down to the wire, but if he stays on this pace, I think C.J. is going to walk away with it. (He has) the most pass attempts without an interception to start your career and I want you to realize who C.J Stroud has now beat, OK? ... He just dominated this Steelers defense ... He dominated them."

Rams receiver Puka Nacua is the +450 third favorite and continues to make history. The fifth-round pick had nine receptions for 163 yards, including the game-winning 22-yard touchdown reception in Sunday's OT win at Indianapolis.

Nacua now has 39 receptions (No. 1 in NFL) and surpassed Anquan Boldin (30 receptions in 2003) for the most receptions ever by a player in his first four career games. He's also passed running back Reggie Bush (34 receptions in 2006) for the most receptions by a player in his first five career games in NFL history. Nacua's 501 receiving yards are No. 2 in the league, which moved him past Boldin (464 yards in 2003) for the most receiving yards ever by a player in his first four career games. Boldin did win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year that season.

No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, who had been a close second favorite to Robinson for OROY when the season began, is now +4000. Young has struggled for the winless Panthers. 

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