<p>The <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/events/nba">2025/26 NBA season</a> is around the corner, and there is so much that bettors can look to sink their teeth into to enhance the excitement that the season can bring.</p> <p>While many may want to consider the outright markets relating to the eventual winner of the NBA Championships or perhaps even the winners of the Eastern and Western Conferences (both of which we’ve looked at in detail), several player-specific markets can also be wagered on.</p> <p>Several awards are handed out at the end of the year, including the most valuable player (MVP), the rookie of the year, and the most improved player.</p> <h2>NBA MVP Betting Preview</h2> <p>The MVP betting market is consistently highly popular, with many enthusiasts appreciating the value that can be found. Odds are always extremely competitive, especially before the regular season gets underway.</p> <p>Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the award last season, as he played an essential role in helping his team be crowned NBA champions. He finished the season with an impressive 32.7 points per game (leading the league), 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. He shot 51.9% from the field and 87.6% from the free-throw line over 76 games.</p> <p>He is the favourite to <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba-player-awards/nba-regular-season-mvp-2025-26-9281358">win the MVP award in the betting</a>, with Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) a close second. He is a consistent threat and one who regularly produces. We would expect SGA to be named the MVP, though.</p> <h2>NBA Rookie of the Year Betting Preview</h2> <p>The <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba-player-awards/nba-rookie-of-the-year-2025-26-9281393">NBA Rookie of the Year award betting market</a> has proven extremely popular among bettors. It’s another that has many candidates at the start of the season, which is why there can often be value when placing before the start of the season.</p> <p>Cooper Flagg is the standout candidate to be this year’s recipient, with his odds extremely short. However, it’s hard to go against them at this moment. He is expected to have a significant role with the Dallas Mavericks after being selected number 1 overall. Playing college basketball at Duke, he averaged around 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. His shooting splits were about 48% FG, 39% from three, and 84% from the free-throw line.</p> <h2>NBA Most Improved Player Betting Predictions</h2> <p>Our top pick and betting prediction in the <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba-player-awards/nba-most-improved-player-2025-26-9406346">NBA Most Improved Player</a> market is Andrew Nembhard. The Indiana Pacers star isn’t the main favourite, providing additional value with this pick. He should have a greater role for the team this season, with Tyrese Haliburton set to miss the entire season with a torn Achilles tendon in the NBA Finals.</p> <p>Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers could be an outside bet here, as he is coming off a strong previous season and expected to continue his upward trajectory.</p>