We’re down to the final month or so of the NBA season. It’s the final push to lock up end-of-year awards for many individual players. With that in mind, we’re laying down the best bets for NBA awards right here. Keep on reading for expert advice!
Clutch Player of the Year Betting Pick
This is the league’s newest award. It debuted last year and Sacramento’s De'Aaron Fox took home the award. As the name hints, this award rewards players for heroics in crunch time — when the game is winding down and hanging in the balance. For the 2024 Clutch Player award, it feels like a two-player race. Here’s how the best NBA betting sites have it pegged:
| Player |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steph Curry | -175 | -175 | -175 |
| DeMar DeRozan | +175 | +175 | +175 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Dame Lillard | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
Nowadays, there’s actually metrics that measure clutch performances — beyond just game-winning shots. These stats take into account situations with under five minutes left and when the game is within five points.
Taking into account those stats, Curry is the NBA leader, as the odds suggest. He’s averaging 4.9 points per game — 0.6 more than the next-best player. Curry has also made the most three-pointers in the clutch. Matter of fact, Curry has more clutch three-point shots than several NBA teams as a whole have. That’s an insane stat, which will likely carry him to victory here.
Though, DeRozan is making the competition interesting. He’s second to Curry in many of these same metrics. But here’s what DeRozan has over Curry: better outcomes for his team in the clutch. See, the Bulls are 20-14 in these close games. The Warriors? Barely above .500 with a 18-16 mark. DeRozan’s best chance at superseding Curry is if Golden State flounders down the stretch and lose these close matchups.
Personally, we do not think that’s going to happen. In fact, it appears Golden State is finally hitting their stride. We’re betting Curry here and doing so quickly before these odds swing too wildly in his favor. The quicker this bet is made, the better odds you’ll probably get.
Most Improved Player of the Year Award Pick
Here again, we have a two-man battle to win the Most Improved Player of the Year honor. Here’s how the odds shake out at bookies:
| Player | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrese Maxey | -150 | -215 | -215 |
| Colby White | -110 | +350 | +350 |
| Jalen Williams | +2500 | +350 | +350 |
For most of the season, this award felt like an open-and-shut case. Philly’s Maxey was running away with the award. With James Harden no longer hogging up the ball, the 23-year-old point guard blew up this season. Maxey’s stat line this year is an impressive 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 boards a game. Numbers that helped earn Maxey his first-ever All-Star selection.
Maxey has continued his ascent but so has Chicago’s White. With injuries to Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine, White has been thrust into action for a so-so Bulls team. And boy, has the point guard responded. White is averaging 19.6 points and 5.2 assists of his own.
Both are playing well, but let’s remember, this is an award for who’s progressed the most from a year ago — not necessarily who’s better night now. In that regard, White has the upper hand.
Look, Maxey averaged 20 points last year as a starter. Improvement was expected out of him once Harden was shipped out. White though? He was hardly on anyone’s radar. So far, White more than doubled his points-per-game average from last season. This is why he’s our pick in this category.
NBA Coach of the Year Pick
Alright, this isn’t a player’s award per se, but it’s the holy grail honor for head coaches. Have a look-see at the current odds to win Coach of the Year:
| Coach | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Daigneault | -215 | -215 | -215 |
| Joe Mazzulla | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Chris Finch | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Tyron Lue | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
Whether it’s the NBA or another American sports leagues, this award really isn’t about who the single best coach is. If it were, then the like of Gregg Popovich or Erik Spoelstra would routinely win it. No, this award is more about which coach helped his team overperformed the most?
If that’s the rationale, then the layup pick right here is Daigneault of Oklahoma City. Here you have a team that hasn’t sniffed the playoffs the last four years. But now? The Thunder are 45-20 and tied atop the Western Conference. No one expected OKC to be that good this season, which is going to bolster Daigneault’s betting hopes.
We’re so confident in Daigneault here that we’d advise you to “size up” your bet. Sure, his -215 odds aren’t all that great, but it’s cheap given how much of an easy bet this one is. Size up so you can profit accordingly.
How To Bet On NBA Awards?
There's even more NBA awards bets available out there — Sixth Man of the Year or MVP, for instance. To get a full list of these bets, check out one of the sportsbooks below. Having a wide variety of NBA odds is why these bookies rated highly in our latest sportsbook reviews.
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