The 2024-25 NBA Most Improved Player odds feature a slew of good players, and some are already very good. But who is is the best MIP prediction from a betting perspective?
I analyze these NBA MIP odds and break down the favorites, along with a couple of sleepers to watch out for. Keep reading until the end of this article for my best bet for the NBA Most Improved Player in the 2024-25 season.
2024-25 NBA Most Improved Player Odds
The NBA MIP betting odds below are courtesy of Bovada:
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Cade Cunningham (Pistons) | -140 |
| Norman Powell (Clippers) | +130 |
| Tyler Herro (Heat) | +1500 |
| Amen Thompson (Rockets) | +2500 |
| Dyson Daniels (Hawks) | +7000 |
| Evan Mobley (Cavaliers) | +7000 |
| Jalen Williams (Thunder) | +7000 |
| Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) | +9000 |
Odds for the NBA Most Improved Player Award are tough to gauge, but let’s consider last year’s winner. Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey took home the award, jumping from 20.3 points and 3.5 assists to 25.9 points and 6.2 assists for the 76ers. Maxey was also named to the All-Star Game for the first time, in his fourth season.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham (-140) is the favorite at NBA betting sites after making the All-Star team for the first time in his career. The former #1 pick has finally blossomed after three years in the NBA, and is the motor for the surprising Pistons this season. Cunningham has an implied win probability of 58.3% to take home the Most Improved Player award!
But Norman Powell (+130) of the Los Angeles Clippers is having his best season, 12 years into his career! His scoring is helping to keep the Clippers afloat in the Western Conference while Kawhi Leonard works himself back into form, and Powell has a 43.5% implied chance to win the award!
The NBA Most Improved odds drop after the top two, to Miami’s Tyler Herro (+1500) and Houston’s Amen Thompson (+2500). San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama (+9000) opened as the favorite for this award at +750, but is now a massive longshot.
Our odds for NBA Most Improved Player come from Bovada, and you can find them by heading to Sports > Basketball > NBA Awards and League Leaders > Most Improved Player.
Favorites for NBA Most Improved Player
Let’s kick things off with the favorites in the 2024-25 NBA Most Improved Player odds, starting with a player who is set to become a massive star in the league.
Cade Cunningham (-140)
Cade Cunningham has benefitted the most from Detroit’s coaching change from Monty Williams to J.B. Bickerstaff, who is well known in the league for helping young players improve. The young stud is having a monster season, averaging 25.4 points, 9.4 assists, and 6.3 rebounds for the Pistons
Detroit are also sixth in the Eastern Conference heading into the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, so it’s not empty numbers either!
CADE CUNNINGHAM SWITCHES HANDS MID-AIR. 🤯
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 13, 2025
Cunningham will be in San Francisco for the first of what should be many All-Star appearances for the former Oklahoma State star. He was drafted #1 by the Pistons, but Williams couldn’t unlock what he does best. Bickerstaff wants Cunningham to use all of his tools, not only be a scorer. Cunningham’s best skill is his court vision and at 6’6”, he can see everything on the court.
But should a #1 pick be considered for the Most Improved Player Award? Cunningham came into the league with a great pedigree, it just took him a couple of seasons to figure it out. That seems to be why Wembanyama has dropped so much in the 2024-25 NBA MIP odds.
Norman Powell (+130)
Norman Powell, on the other hand, has been in the league since 2015, when he was drafted 46th by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was immediately traded to Toronto, where he spent 6.5 years with the Raptors and won a title, but was traded to Portland in 2021. In February 2022, Powell was traded to the Clippers, and was thought to be a role player alongside former Raptor teammate Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
NORMAN POWELL COMING THROUGH!!
Puts an emphatic end to the first half 💥💥 pic.twitter.com/go9SGnoboI
— NBA (@NBA) February 13, 2025
George has since left for Philadelphia, while Leonard has battled knee injuries for years. Meanwhile, Powell is averaging 23.8 points for the Clippers, shooting 49.6% from the field, including 42.6% from three-point land, and 82.2% from the foul line.
Powell will see Cunningham at All-Star Weekend as both will be taking part in the 3-Point Contest. What Powell is doing, at 31 years old, is incredible to see when you consider his career path!
NBA Most Improved Player Odds – Dark Horses
Next, I have a couple dark horses for you in these NBA MIP odds that you should consider. They have a ton of betting value worth checking out at NBA betting sites.
Tyler Herro (+1500)
The Heat have been dealing with the Jimmy Butler saga all season, and then traded him to Golden State. But Tyler Herro is allowed to have the ball more, and that has resulted in his first All-Star appearance! He was drafted 13th out of Kentucky by the Heat in 2019 and has had spurts throughout his five-year career, but this has been his best season.
It’s his time. Tyler Herro, NBA All-Star. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/CukxTPaMWJ
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 30, 2025
Herro has proven that he can be efficient with the ball in his hands most of the time, and he is also averaging career highs in rebounds (5.5) and assists (5.6). We knew Herro could score, but the 25-year-old can also set up his teammates as well. If he has a big second half, the Heat star could provide a ton of value for NBA bettors!
Amen Thompson (+2500)
Amen Thompson was fine in his rookie season but has taken a considerable step in his second season. Thompson is averaging 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds this season, along with 3.4 assists. He is also excellent on the defensive end, using his outstanding athleticism to recover when he gets beat.
Amen Thompson TRIPLE DOUBLE 🔥
18 PTS
10 REB
11 AST
2 STL
2 BLK(via @HoustonRockets)pic.twitter.com/gfG9Nw3l7M
— Overtime (@overtime) February 13, 2025
Thompson has really come on since 2025 began. He averaged 18.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 12 January games. He is down to 14.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in seven February games, but Thompson increased his assists to 7.4 this month.
Furthermore, he’s starting to put it all together for the Rockets, who are fourth in the brutal Western Conference. I don’t think he’ll win the NBA Most Improved Player Award, but the future is bright for the 22-year-old!
NBA Most Improved Player Betting Pick and Prediction
This is no slight on Cunningham, as I think he has improved a lot this season, largely thanks to Bickerstaff. But Cunningham is 23 years old, a former #1 pick who was a first-team All-American at Oklahoma State, so you could expect that he would be this good.
Herro is a former lottery pick, and the same goes for Thompson. All have definitely improved this season, but they came with a pedigree.
I’m going with Norman Powell, who was traded for an aging Greivis Vasquez on draft night, and he was a second-round pick out of UCLA, where he played for four years. He was a role player in Toronto, and could always score the basketball, but he was never “the guy”. E
ven right now in Los Angeles, people probably think of James Harden, then Leonard, and then Powell. But if Powell isn’t playing the way he is, the Clippers are in the lottery. Moreover, at +130, Powell is a terrific value betting option compared to Cunningham. Therefore, my NBA Most Improved Player betting pick is Norman Powell at +130!
