SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: (L-R) Giannis Antetokounmpo accepts the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver onstage during the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia on TNT at Barker Hangar on June 24, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Turner Sports)
The NBA season is less than two weeks away, so it’s time to make your MVP bets now.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is trying to become the first player since Larry Bird to win three consecutive NBA MVP’s, but unfortunately for him, I think his reign is over.
The “Greek Freak” is going to be distracted this season. Not only will the media be buzzing at the potential of him going back-to-back-to-back as league MVP, but the questions surrounding his exit from Milwaukee will weigh on him all season. Until he signs a contract extension to play with the Bucks, people will continue to ask him if he’s staying or leaving.
Although he’ll most likely still have an amazing stat-line and lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a top-seed in the Eastern Conference, the idea of him winning another MVP is a stale storyline. The media and fans love something fresh, so unless the Bucks finish 68-4 and he averages a triple-double, I can’t see him winning this award again. It’s time for another player to take his crown.
Even when Michael Jordan and LeBron James were at the peak of their powers, they were never able to win the league MVP more than two times in a row, despite being the best player in the game. It’s unfortunate that world-class talent gets boring, but that’s how it goes.
Since Antetokounmpo won’t three-peat in my opinion, let’s take a look at the rest of the odds and see what player can replace him.
NBA MVP Odds
Here are the top odds for the NBA MVP this year.
- Luka Doncic: +375
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: +500
- Steph Curry: +850
- Lebron James: +900
- Anthony Davis: +900
- James Harden: +1300
- Kevin Durant: +1500
- Damian Lillard: +2000
- Kawhi Leonard: +2200
- Jayson Tatum: +2200
- Nikola Jokic: +2800
- Jimmy Butler: +3300
- Joel Embiid: +4000
- Devin Booker: +4000
- Russell Westbrook: +4000
- Trae Young: +5000
- Kyrie Irving: +6000
- Zion Williamson: +6000
- Donovan Mitchell: +8000
- Paul George: +8000
- Jamal Murray: +8000
- Ben Simmons: +8000
Before I break down my MVP pick, let’s take our time with this.
Within this list, you could make a case for all 22 players, but some have a much more legitimate chance than others. Also, when you’re gambling, you’re trying to find as much value as possible. So although a player listed at +850 may seem like the logical pick, someone at +2200 could be more enticing to place a bet on, based on the return.
So, let’s go through the players who have zero chances at winning to those who have a real shot.