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NBA Most Improved Player Odds: Can Cade Cunningham Catch Dyson Daniels?

Gabe Henderson

Last Updated: April 3, 2025 2:29 PM EDT • 3 min 11 sec read.

NBA Most Improved Player Odds
Pictured: Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham looks on during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks. Photo by Jerome Miron / Imagn.

Detroit star Cade Cunningham has been a contender in awards races throughout the campaign.

He's been one of the major surprises of the season, and our NBA Most Improved Player odds update breaks down the race for the award between Cunningham and the new betting favorite, Atlanta's Dyson Daniels.

📊 Latest NBA Most Improved Player odds

Updated NBA Most Improved Player odds from our best live betting sites.

🐎 2025 NBA Most Improved Player race

The Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves - who sits third on the oddsboard - is trading at +12500 to win the NBA's Most Improved Player Award. That means it's a two-horse race between Daniels (-189) and Cunningham (+125).

📈 When did Dyson Daniels become the NBA Most Improved Player favorite?

Daniels was a long shot to win the NBA Most Improved Player Award for much of the season, but he's been ascending the charts in recent weeks. The Atlanta guard is one of the league's best backcourt defenders, and he leads the league in steals.

His 3.1 steals per game is significantly more than the No. 2 on the leaderboard, Nikola Jokic, who sits at 1.8. Daniels is on pace to record the 13th-most steals in NBA history, the highest tally since Michael Jordan (236) in 1987. While that hasn't been enough to catapult him into the NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds conversation, it's made Daniels the favorite in this market.

Daniels' numbers have been drastically improving after he was inserted into the starting lineup since being traded from New Orleans. He's averaging 8.4 points, 1.6 assists, two rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game more than in his previous season. When paired with his great defense, it's easy to see why he's in the conversation for this award.

Daniels is hitting his stride at the perfect time, whereas Cunningham remains sidelined.

🏆 Can Cade Cunningham still win the NBA Most Improved Player award?

While it seems silly to think the entire NBA MIP race comes down to one day, I fear that could be the case here. And Cunningham missing five straight games, including a nationally televised contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder, could be hurtful.

Nevertheless, it's difficult to rule anything out, especially in an odds race that's been volatile all season.

The narrative around Cunningham is fantastic. His improvements have been helping to lift a seemingly hopeless franchise in Detroit into the Eastern Conference playoffs. Cunningham ranks among the top 10 in the NBA in points (25.7) and assists (9.2) per game, all while shooting 46.2% from the field.

To say he's been a revelation would be an understatement, and Cunningham is the prototypical NBA Most Improved Player winner from years past. There's been a significant improvement from the fourth-year player, with Cunningham playing himself into the upper echelons of the Association.

He's currently listed at plus money at our best sports betting sites, and a $10 winning wager would return $12.50. Even though Cunningham is losing steam in this market due to injury, he's still worth a flier after embodying what the award represents throughout the entire season.

❓NBA Most Improved Player FAQs

Who is the NBA Most Improved Player favorite?

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is the betting favorite (-189) to win the 2025 NBA Most Improved Player Award. Those odds imply a 65.40% probability that he'll take it, according to our odds calculator.

Who won NBA Most Improved Player last year?

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey won the NBA Most Improved Player award following the 2023-24 NBA season. He averaged 25.9 points while helping to keep the Sixers' playoff hopes alive after the injury to former MVP winner Joel Embiid.

When will NBA Most Improved Player be decided next year?

With the 2023-24 award announced on Tuesday, April 23 during the NBA playoffs, we can expect next year's award to be decided at a similar time.

How is the Most Improved Player determined?

A panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada select the NBA Most Improved Player Award winner. Writers vote for first, second, and third place, and each placing is worth points. The player with the most total points is crowned the winner.

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Written By:
Gabe Henderson
Gabe Henderson is a sports betting writer from Houston, Texas. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication. Gabe developed an interest in sports betting while in college due to its legalization in Louisiana. He turned his passion into a career shortly after, joining The Advocate/NOLA.com as a Sports Betting Content Coordinator, where he spent two years. Gabe wore many hats before graduating as he led FanSided's coverage of Chelsea FC as a Site Expert with "The Pride of London." He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the LSU Gumbo Yearbook for two years. Gabe became a part of the SportsbookReview.com team in late 2024. He brings with him an extensive knowledge of many sports, including — but not limited to — NFL, NCAA, MLB, NBA, soccer, and UFC.