Cade Cunningham’s Rookie Of The Year Odds Lengthen As Ankle Injury Lingers

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The Detroit Pistons’ offseason hype has significantly diminished. With a winless 0-3 start, the team is lacking momentum, and their top draft pick, Cade Cunningham, remains sidelined due to injury.

Could Cunningham’s upcoming debut offer the much-needed momentum for the Pistons?

Cade Cunningham’s ankle injury persists

Cunningham’s ankle injury occurred at the beginning of training camp, rendering him unable to participate. Since then, he has been sidelined for the entirety of the preseason and all three regular-season games.

Cunningham, the No. 1 pick, won’t be accompanying the team on their 3-game road trip, which will come to an end on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, there is optimism that he will be able to join the team on Saturday when they host the Orlando Magic in Detroit.

To prepare for his season debut, Cunningham has been actively participating in practices with the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League team. Pistons GM Troy Weaver expressed the desire to enhance Cunningham’s conditioning beforehand.

Next Detroit Pistons Game: Live NBA Odds

NBA Rookie of the Year odds growing larger

His absence from the floor has already boosted his chances in the Rookie of the Year competition.

Cunningham’s odds at BetMGM Sportsbook initially started at +250, but have now shifted to +450.

Jalen Green from Houston holds the top position as the current favorite with odds of +250, whereas Scottie Barnes from Toronto stands at +600.

Chris Duarte of Indiana has experienced the most significant surge in odds, starting at +3500 and now standing at +750. Duarte has garnered the highest number of tickets, accounting for 23% of bets, and his handle stands at 20.1%. Presently, Duarte represents the greatest potential loss for BetMGM.

In the race, Green holds the highest percentage of handle at 25.2%, while Cunningham receives 10.4% of the tickets and 10.0% of the handle.

Previous injuries have played a role in determining the award recipient. In the 2016-17 season, Malcolm Brogdon was a controversial winner despite his average of only 10.2 points per game over 75 matches. On the other hand, Joel Embiid showcased impressive stats with an average of 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, but was not awarded. The prevailing belief was that his limited appearance in only 31 games hindered his chances.

Despite appearing in only 51 games, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball was able to secure the honor with an impressive average of 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game last season. Anthony Edwards from Minnesota, on the other hand, played in 72 games and averaged 19.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game but ultimately finished second to Ball.

Pistons could use Cade’s help

Despite putting up a strong fight against the Chicago Bulls in their season opener, with a final score of 94-88 in favor of Detroit at home, the Pistons have faced difficulties when playing away from their own court.

The Detroit team suffered a 15-point defeat against the Bulls in Chicago, followed by an 18-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Pistons currently hold the unfortunate title of being the sole team without a win in the league. Not only that, they are also the only team that fails to achieve an average of 100 points per game. In fact, the disparity is quite significant, with the Pistons only managing to score a mere 91.3 points per contest.

On Thursday, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Pistons listed as a 10.5-point underdog in their game against Philadelphia. Detroit’s moneyline for a potential win stood at +375, while Philly’s was set at -510.

In addition to Cunningham’s absence due to an ankle injury, Jerami Grant, who was the top scorer last season, did not play in Monday’s loss against Atlanta due to an elbow infection. He also did not attend practice on Wednesday and his availability for Thursday’s game was uncertain.

NBA wins total already dropping for Detroit

At the beginning of the season, the Pistons had a relatively low projected win total. DraftKings set their over/under at a mere 24.5 wins.

After beginning with a 0-3 record, the Pistons have witnessed a decline in their performance, losing a game by a margin of 23.5 points.

In the past two abbreviated seasons, Detroit managed to secure only 20 victories per season. However, they have consistently achieved a minimum of 24 wins in each 82-game season since the 1993-94 season.

Detroit, already facing slim chances of winning championships this year, currently holds odds of +100000 to secure the NBA Finals title and +50000 to clinch the Eastern Conference championship. Additionally, they possess equal odds of +50000 to emerge victorious in the Central Division.

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