BAM! A New Name on the NBA Most Improved Player Odds (NBA MIP Odds) Board
Happy Tuesday NBA fans and welcome to our ongoing discussion regarding the players who are vying for the Most Improved Player award. A week ago, the list was comprised of Devonte Graham (Charlotte Hornets), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) and Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Did anything happen over the past week to shake up the list a bit? Here’s a look at the updated odds for the players in the running for the MIP award based on how they performed over the past week (Feb. 18 through Feb. 24).
Betting on the NBA Most Improved Player Odds
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The Third-Best NBA Most Improved Player Odds: Luka Doncic (+400). Last Week’s MIP Odds (+175)
Luka Doncic’s odds took a dip from they were a week ago. Last week, the Mavericks‘ second-year shooting guard was at No. 2 but has dropped to the last spot on our weekly list. Following an ankle injury that kept him on the shelf, Doncic went into the All-Star break on the heels of a 33-12-18 outing against the Sacramento Kings.
His solid play continued in his recent two outings as well. In a 122-106 win against the Orlando Magic, Doncic finished with a stat line of 33 points, 10 boards, and eight assists. In the team’s next outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Doncic contributed 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, enabling the Mavericks to extend their winning streak to three games. While it’s a bit shocking to see Doncic at the No. 3 spot, the race is far from over.
The Second-Best NBA Most Improved Player Odds: Bam Adebayo (+300) Last Week’s MIP Odds (Unranked)
Let’s give a warm welcome to Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, who is appearing on the list for the first time this season. Over the past week, Adebayo suited up three times for Miami and he didn’t disappoint in any of those outings. Fresh off his win in the Skills Challenge during the All-Star weekend, Adebayo hit the ground running in his first action following the break. In a road game against the Atlanta Hawks, he scored 28 points, hauled in 19 boards and handed out seven assists. Sadly, the Hawks came away with a 129-124 win.
In a home-and-home two-game set against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he tallied 37 points, 16 rebounds, and 18 assists. Overall, Adebayo is having a career season with averages of 16.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per contest on an efficient 57.8 percent shooting from the field. Based on the body of work, he certainly is deserving to be included on this list.
The NBA Most Improved Player Odds on Favorite: Brandon Ingram (+140). Last Week’s NBA MIP odds (+175)
Brandon Ingram continues to hold down the top spot in the race for the MIP award, even though he had an up-and-down week. In a 128-115 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, he finished with 16 points (on 5-for-8 shooting) to go along with four rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes of action. Following that performance, Ingram struggled against the Golden State Warriors. In that contest, he contributed 17 points, four rebounds, and five assists.
However, he didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, connecting on just five of his 18 attempts overall, including a 2-for-7 showing from beyond the arc. With averages of 24.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest, Ingram is having the best season of his NBA career and should that trend continue, he will increase his chances of taking home the MIP award.
