NBA Futures: Best Bets to Win the Most Improved Player Award in the 2022-23 Season

With the NBA season rapidly approaching, we're running through some bets we like on player award futures. We already did our Rookie of the Year betting preview, but next on our list is the Most Improved Player award. This is one in which we see a lot of value on the board. Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is the betting favorite to take this one home, but he's actually not somebody that we see as a threat to win. 

Read below as we break down the very best bets to win the NBA's Most Improved Player award. 

If you haven't already, you should also click ➡️ here ⬅️ to claim Caesars Sportsbook's new customer offer where your first bet, up to $1250, is on Caesar, plus you earn 1,000 reward credits and 1,000 tier credits. Those credits can be used on dining, shopping and entertainment benefits, invitations to signature events and much more.

RELATED: NBA Bet Hub 

NBA Futures: Best Bets to Win Most Improved Player in the 2022-23 Season

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

Williamson has already been an All-Star in the NBA, so it's not going to be easy for him to win this award. He is, however, in the best shape of his career right now, and any sort leap towards the league's elite would give him a chance to win this thing. 

Two seasons ago, the Duke product averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 33.2 minutes per game. Williamson was an unstoppable force on the offensive end, but his defense left a lot to be desired — especially considering he was one of the best defenders in college in his lone season with the Blue Devils. 

With Williamson now in a great place physically, you should expect him to get back to being a more impactful defender. Becoming a plus-level player on that end of the floor could be the change he needs to become one of the NBA's next superstars. And with the Pelicans having become a much better team in his absence, Williamson will have no choice but to buy in and pull his weight on that end. 

Overall, Williamson has his work cut out for him if he wants to win this award, but it's just really hard to rule it out after seeing the way he looks in training camp. He is highly motivated right now and he was always somebody that people viewed as a potential star. Why not bank on the breakout coming this year? His odds are certainly favorable. 

Bet: Williamson at +1600 with Caesars

Collin Sexton, Utah Jazz

Sexton ended up being traded to the Jazz this offseason, with the team also signing him to a four-year contract extension. It was nice to see the former Alabama guard finally inking a deal, as his free agent market was a lot softer than people thought it would be this summer. Now, Sexton will have some time to prove his doubters wrong, as he should be a starter for Utah right away. 

It was only two seasons ago that Sexton actually averaged 24.3 points and 4.4 assists per game as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He can flat-out score the basketball and will now be coached by Will Hardy, who is considered to be a prodigy around the association. Hardy will challenge Sexton to improve on his flaws, which are currently his inability to get his teammates involved and also his lack of willingness to really exert himself on the defensive end. 

Expectations aren't high in Utah this season, but the organization has always had a winning culture. We think that structure could bring the best out of Sexton, and that's why we like his chances of potentially winning this award. People haven't seen him in quite some time, as he missed almost all of last season. When somebody like that pops back up and starts to ball out, it's hard not to be in the mix for an award like this one. 

Bet: Sexton at +3500 with Caesars

Bones Hyland, Denver Nuggets

Hyland averaged 10.1 points and 2.8 assists per game as a rookie, and he did so in only 19.0 minutes per game. This season, Denver gets Jamal Murray back from his torn ACL, and it's hard to see Murray not playing 35.0 minutes per game or so.

Murray will cut into some of Hyland's opportunities as an on-ball scorer, but the Nuggets would be wise to find some minutes with both of them on the court. And with Monte Morris having been traded to the Washington Wizards, there should still be a lot of playing time for Hyland to earn. 

There just aren't many players in the league with Hyland's ability to score off the dribble, and he's a tremendous shooter on top of that. Hyland has all the makings of a guy that can score at least 18.0 points per game, and doing so would put him on the map nationally. If that ends up happening this season, you'd regret not having a ticket on him to win the Most Improved Player award. 

When scanning around the league and searching for a player that might make a Jordan Poole-like leap, Hyland checks all of the boxes. For that reason, we're backing him at these long odds. It certainly doesn't hurt that the Nuggets are a sneaky title contender. The better they are, the more eyeballs there will be on Hyland. 

Bet: Hyland at +4000 with Caesars

Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

Wagner's odds to win this award are just absolutely outrageous. The 21-year-old is coming off of a phenomenal rookie year, as he averaged 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game and also played some great defense in the process. Wagner is the definition of a versatile defender, which is what made Orlando fall in love with him as a draft prospect two years ago. But the former Michigan forward has a whole other level his game can reach on offense. 

Wagner was already solid as a scorer last season, and he's a good shooter from the outside. Last year, he shot 35.4% from deep and he can definitely get that number up a bit this season. But as a rookie, Wagner showed flashes of being a better on-ball creator than people thought he'd be coming out of college. He continued to do just that for Germany's EuroBasket team late in the summer. 

It just isn't outrageous to think that Wagner will be averaging at least 20.0 points per game in the near future, and doing so while continuing to play superb defense would make him an All-Star. That leap could be coming this season and he'll be impossible to ignore as a Most Improved Player candidate when he eventually does make the jump. 

Bet: Wagner at +7500 with Caesars