2023 NBA Most Improve Player Odds Favor Gilgeous-Alexander, Markkanen After All-Star Break (Who's the Right Pick?)

The 2023 NBA All-Star Break is in the rearview mirror, meaning fans are turning their attention to the second half of the regular season. Basketball enthusiasts are dying to see which players will take home individual awards at the end of the campaign, including NBA Most Improved Player honors.

As it stands, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lauri Markkanen are +130 co-favorites to win the 2022-23 MIP award, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. This shouldn't be too surprising considering that both men have made huge leaps during this campaign.

Gilgeous-Alexander went from averaging 24.5 points on .453/300/.810 splits in 2021-22 to 30.8 PPG on .508/.343/.912 shooting this season. Meanwhile, Markkanen is averaging career-highs in both points (24.9) and assists (1.8), playing a key role in his first-ever NBA All-Star appearance over the weekend.

The New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson is the only player with odds close to the aforementioned duo, ranking third at +350. Everyone else on FanDuel Sportsbook's list sits at +5000 odds or longer.

Here's the closer look at the 2023 NBA Most Improved Player odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

NBA Most Improved Player 2023 Odds

NBA Most Improved Player Prediction & Best Bet

No one will bat an eye if Gilgeous-Alexander or Markkanen wind up being named the NBA's Most Improved Player this season. Having said that, I'm looking at Brunson (+350) taking home the honors once the dust settles.

Joining the Knicks has had a positive impact on Brunson's career. The former Villanova Wildcat is averaging a career-high 23.9 PPG through 56 starts. What's even more impressive is that he's only averaging 13.9 PPG in his career, highlighting just how big this leap is.

After missing last year's playoffs, the Knicks are currently the Eastern Conference's No. 6 seed and likely wouldn't be there without Brunson's help. He leads all New York players with 7.3 win shares, nearly matching last season's total (7.5) with the Dallas Mavericks in 23 fewer games.

If the Knicks can hold on to their playoff spot or even improve their positioning down the stretch, it's going to be hard to deny Brunson the Most Improved Player award.

Bet: Jalen Brunson (+350)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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