NBA Most Improved Player Award Odds (Mikal Bridges Leads Loaded Field for 2023-24)

One of the hardest awards to predict in the NBA is the league’s Most Improved Player award, and we saw Lauri Markkanen come out of nowhere to win it last season.

That’s why this season there is no player with shorter than +1000 odds to win the award. Mikal Bridges, Tyrese Maxey, Austin Reaves, and Cade Cunningham are just a few of the players at the top of the odds board. 

In my season preview column (Peter’s Points), I broke down a key trend that we need to know before betting on the Most Improved Player award:

The Most Improved Player Award has recently been going to an established player who has made a leap with a bigger role or breakout season, more so than a bench player who suddenly becomes productive. 

Lauri Markkanen, Ja Morant, Julius Randle, and Brandon Ingram were all All-Stars in their Most Improved campaigns, so are we looking for another player who can make that leap? 

We most likely are, and there are several players who could make the leap to an All-Star caliber player. 

Let’s break down the odds and some players to watch to win the MIP award this season. Plus, there’s a great offer from FanDuel Sportsbook that you can take advantage of in this market. 

Mikal Bridges is the leader for this award because of how well he played for Brooklyn following the Kevin Durant trade last season. 

Bridges stats with the Nets: Bridges averaged 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 games for the Nets last season. 

Listen, if Mikal can put together a full season of those numbers, he’s a lock to win this award. I think there will be a little regression, but there is a direct path for him to win MIP. 

There’s a direct path for Tyrese Maxey in this award, but it may require the Philadelphia 76ers to move on from James Harden. 

Maxey has shown he can be a 20 points per game scorer, but he’d take a massive leap if he became the lead guard in this offense. 

For now, it seems like Harden will be on the roster, so tread carefully with Maxey. 

Austin Reaves is one of the most intriguing players in this market, as he’s not the top option on the team but has a ton of momentum for Most Improved after how he finished last season and performed in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. 

Remember, these awards have to be voted on and narratives matter whether we like it or not. 

In the playoffs last season, Reaves averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in 16 games while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from 3-point range.

If he can push 20.0 points per game this season for the Lakers, he may not be an All-Star, but he’s going to be considered for this award after going undrafted just a few offseasons ago. 

Health is going to be the key for Cade Cunningham, who missed the majority of last season and has just 76 total games to his name in the NBA. 

However, the former No. 1 overall pick could be the leader for an upstart Pistons team. Cunningham does it all, score, rebound, pass, and he may put up the numbers in each category to earn consideration for an All-Star spot. 

He’s not my favorite bet since we don’t really know what he’s improving upon after the injury, but if he makes a Morant-like leap, he could be a darling in the eyes of voters. 

Oklahoma City Thunder youngster Josh Giddey is my bet for this award, even though it’s a little bit of a dart throw. 

I’m looking to establish a position in this market, and I think Giddey has a chance to make a major leap for a potential playoff team. 

Here’s what I wrote about Giddey in my season preview: 

The former lottery pick stuffs the stat sheet – averaging 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game last season. He played less minutes, but increased his points per game average by 4.1 points, shooting nearly seven percent better from the field and 6.2 percent better from beyond the arc. 

Giddey is going to be a facilitator for a lethal offense with SGA, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. If he can push a statline of 18-8-8, which I think is entirely possible, he has a chance to win this award. 

Jordan Poole may have a hard time making the All-Star team in a loaded Eastern Conference, but he should thrive as one of the lead players in Washington. 

The key for Poole? If he plays as well as he did last season when Steph Curry sat for Golden State in Washington. Poole averaged 26.1 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 26 games without Curry in the 2022-23 season. 

Similar to Bridges, there may be some regression, but Poole has shown in a pretty large sample size that he can thrive as a top option.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.