Anthony Edwards' odds to win NBA Clutch Player of the Year soar to 71.45%
Following a historic run of clutch performances, Edwards' odds have surged 30 percentage points since February 19th, making him the heavy favorite to claim the award this season.
The Lede
Anthony Edwards has spent the last two weeks reminding everyone why he's the most dangerous closer in the NBA. A game-winning jumper over Victor Wembanyama. A clutch three against the Clippers. Moment after moment, the Timberwolves star has delivered when the margin is tightest — and the betting markets have taken notice.
Since February 19th, Edwards' odds to win the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award have climbed roughly 30 percentage points, rising from 41% to a consensus of 71.45% across prediction markets. That's not a blip — that's a market getting increasingly confident it already knows the answer.
The Numbers Behind the Move
Edwards isn't just winning the narrative — the underlying stats back every point of that move. Among all players with at least 20 clutch field goal attempts this season, he leads the league in shooting percentage by a wide margin, converting at 59.2% from the field and 37.9% from three in clutch situations. His effective field goal percentage of .805 in the clutch is the best mark recorded by any player since the NBA began tracking clutch stats in the 1996-97 season. For context, the next closest player is Nikola Jokic at 55.6%.
What makes this run even more striking is that Edwards wasn't always viewed as a natural clutch performer. This season represents a complete reinvention of that part of his game.
The Award He's Chasing
The Clutch Player of the Year is one of the NBA's newer honors, first handed out in 2022-23 when De'Aaron Fox took home the inaugural award. Steph Curry won it the following year, and Jalen Brunson claimed it last season. Named after Lakers legend Jerry West, it's voted on by a panel of judges from a list of finalists submitted by coaches at season's end. Edwards finished as a finalist last year after being as long as 55/1 mid-season — so he knows what it feels like to come close. This year looks different.
The Competition
Tyrese Maxey and Cade Cunningham are the only players keeping this from being a runaway. Maxey leads the league in total clutch points and sits around +250 on FanDuel, while Cunningham has drifted out to +450. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads in raw clutch scoring volume but has shot just 27% from three in those situations, which likely explains why the market has cooled on him despite the counting stats. The award has historically rewarded the blend of efficiency, usage, and team success in tight games — and right now, that profile fits Edwards better than anyone.
The Verdict
With the resolution date set for June 30, 2026, there's still regular season left to play — but the window for a serious challenger is narrowing fast. If Edwards keeps closing games the way he has been, 71% may end up looking like a bargain.