Cade Cunningham Running Away With Most Improved Player Award Based on Latest Odds

The latest odds to win the NBA's Most Improved Player award have Cade Cunningham set as an overwhelming favorite.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is the favorite to win MIP.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is the favorite to win MIP. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The market for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award was wide open to begin the 2024-25 season, as only Victor Wembanyama (+750 at the time) was shorter than 10/1 to win the award. 

However, as the NBA nears the halfway point of the regular season, there is a new favorite – and an odds-on favorite at that – to earn this honor.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is now -125 (an implied probability of 55.56 percent) to win the MIP, and he moved from +125 after he had a massive game against the New York Knicks on Monday night. 

In an upset win at Madison Square Garden, Cunningham had 36 points, two rebounds, and four dimes while knocking down 14 of his 27 shots from the field. The Pistons (21-19) are now the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and have won eight of their last 10 games.

Here’s a full look at the Most Improved Player Odds, including one dark horse to watch in this market, at this point in the 2024-25 season. 

NBA Most Improved Player Odds for 2024-25 Season

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

  • Cade Cunningham: -125
  • Tyler Herro: +550
  • Evan Mobley: +550
  • Jalen Johnson: +700
  • Norman Powell: +2000
  • Jalen Williams: +2500
  • Victor Wembanyama: +2500
  • Dyson Daniels: +3000
  • Isaiah Hartenstein: +4000
  • De’Andre Hunter: +6000

Cade Cunningham Jumps to Odds on Favorite to Win MIP

Cunningham has taken control of this market, similar to how Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey ran away with this award (despite a strong season from Coby White) in the 2023-24 campaign. 

Since the 2019-20 season, each winner of the MIP (Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Ja Morant, Lauri Markkanen, and Maxey) all earned their first All-Star berth the season they won this award.

Now, Cunningham appears to be on the same path. The Pistons guard is averaging 24.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and a career-high 38.2 percent from 3. 

Not only is Cunningham putting up massive numbers, but he’s leading the Pistons to winning basketball – just one season after a 14-win campaign. 

It’s hard to see anyone overtaking Cunningham if he keeps playing at this level, but Evan Mobley, Norman Powell, Jalen Williams, Jalen Johnson and Tyler Herro also are having massive seasons (many are having career seasons) for teams in the playoff mix.

The differential for Cunningham is that he seems to be that he has the clearest path to an All-Star berth – for now. 

Norman Powell Undervalued in NBA MIP Odds

If you’re going to bet on a longshot in this market, Powell is the choice to make.

The Clippers guard is having a career season, averaging 23.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from 3. 

A Sixth Man of the Year candidate in recent seasons, Powell has become the de-facto No. 1 wing option for the Los Angeles Clippers with Kawhi Leonard missing most of the season to date. 

Powell embodies the spirit of “most improved” more than Cunningham since the latter is a former No. 1 overall pick in the final season of his rookie deal. He should be improving.

As for Powell – a 10-year veteran – this is the breakout season that nobody saw coming – at least not at this level. The Clippers guard is averaging 10 more points per game than he did last season and 11 more points per game than his career average (12.9). He’s shooting a career-high from beyond the arc, which is a massive feat since he’s a career 39.9 percent 3-point shooter. 

The current No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, the Clippers would not have stayed afloat this long had it not been for Powell and his play. At +2000, he’s certainly worth a shot considering some voters may shy away from voting for a young player like Cunningham in this market.


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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


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Peter Dewey
PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.