The Best Minds in the NBA Give You Their Player Awards! Plus, Who Should You Still Bet!

We are closing in on the final games for the 2021-22 NBA season meaning now is time to narrow down exactly who we think is taking out the player awards. As professional bettors, we are always trying to find an edge with value in the market, which can be difficult at this time of the season. For example, when I started writing this article, Joel Embiid was -200 now he is +163.

Photo Credit: Denver Stiffs

To help you make the best decision with your money, I have personal insight into the greatest minds in the NBA Instagram space. We reached asking pages such as @nba.in_depth, @nbastream and more for their personal selections for each player award.

This is your complete guide to betting player awards right now, but before we get into expert selections, let’s look at the current front runners for each award (according to the odds makers).

Straight away we can see some absolutely insane odds, for example, Tyler Herro has locked up sixth man of the year, as he should. Before giving you my selections and betting breakdown, let’s go through the top basketball Instagram pages and give you their expert picks and recommendations.

*Click on each page’s username to be directed to their account. I HIGHLY recommend you follow each one if you want the best basketball news and insight.

Photo Credit: Marta Lavandier AP

Right away we can see there is some common choices among the experts. Tyler Herro has sixth man locked up, but at -20000 there is no gain in wagering on him now. We also have 3 of our 4 experts choosing Ja Morant to win Most Improved Player and at the value Morant is currently sitting it, it isn’t the worst bet. The odds have increased for Morant recently, most likely due to his injury that has sidelined him for 2 weeks. If you are willing and confident to lay some bigger money, take Morant at -500 to win Most Improved. For MVP, DPOY and ROTY we have some differing opinions, let’s look at who I am choosing to take home the awards and which of these I believe are the safest bets to make. 

Dave Covers Spreads 2021-22 NBA Player Awards

Most Valuable Player: Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)

Joel Embiid is the best player on the planet. Don’t get me wrong Jokic and Antetkounmpo are seriously close, but here is why I am giving my pick to Embiid. Let’s start with the basics, his stats. Joel Embiid is averaging 29.9 points per game (2^nd best in the NBA, and very well might be first by the end of the season), 11.4 rebounds per game and 4.2 assists per game. Embiid is also the cornerstone behind the Sixers defense. Next, we have the eye test, I have been watching basketball for a long time, and Embiid has this pure killer instinct about him. Every time he is on the floor he is completely dominating the team. The Sixers are also right in the running for 1^st in the east, even after Embiid having to deal without his co-star (Ben Simmons prior to the Harden trade) for majority of the season. The odds have shifted recently in favor of Nikola Jokic, so I am loving the value behind Embiid even more.

Defensive Player of the Year: Jaren Jackson Jr (Memphis Grizzlies)

I am going to be completely honest here. Defensive player of the year is completely up for grabs. The fact that Marcus Smart went from +1600 to +240 in a matter of days proves exactly this. For me when it comes to defensive player of the year, I have a slight biased behind giving it to so called “rim protectors”. Jaren Jackson Jr is leading the league with 2.3 blocks per game and is a real reason behind the grizzlies success. He has taken a big leap this year and has Memphis at the second-best record in the NBA. Whilst the odds make me think he might not win it, I give me vote to JJJ to win defensive player of the year.

Most Improved Player of the Year: Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)

Let’s be honest, there isn’t much of a discussion here. Ja Morant is simply incredible and has taken an enormous leap this year. He is the leader of the Grizzlies who are currently the second-best team in all the NBA. Let’s compare Ja’s 2020-21 stats with his 2021-22.

The hardest leap to make in the NBA is the leap from star to superstar and that’s exactly what Morant is. The value isn’t great, but if you are putting a big sum on it, take Morant to win Most Improved.

Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Herro (Miami Heat)

Tyler Herro is by far the favorite for Sixth Man of the Year, and he should be. The Miami Heat are currently battling for first place in the East. Herro has literally become the “end of game closer guy” for the heat this year. He is averaging 20.6 points per game on 44% field goal and 38.8% 3 point field goal percentage. He is a crucial part of what the Heat do and he deserves sixth man of the year. At this value, unfortunately its not playable.

Rookie of the Year: Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors)

Nearly the entire season I was ready to give the rookie of the year award to Evan Mobley. I have finally come around on Scottie Barnes, however. He is averaging 15.3 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists per game he is sitting at 49% shooting and 30% three-point. He is playing real starter minutes and is showing great growth throughout the entire season. There is still good value for Barnes and it is worth taking.

So, there you have it, here are my final player awards along with their “bet rating”. This is simply the value on betting these picks at these lines. I am rating these 1-5, 5 being a max bet and 1 being not worth it!

Dave Covers Spreads Player Awards:

Most Valuable Player: Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) [Bet Rating = 3]

Defensive Player of the Year: Jaren Jackson Jr (Memphis Grizzlies) [Bet Rating = 1]

Most Improved Player of the Year: Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies) [Bet Rating = 4]

Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Herro (Miami Heat) [Bet Rating = 0]

Rookie of the Year: Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors) [Bet Rating = 2]

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