Play the Odds: Top 3 NBA MVP Candidates
The MVP race in the NBA has become a 3-man race, and it is as wide-open as it has ever been at this point in the season. The race will come down to the final few games of the regular season, and how each player finishes will have a huge effect on who ultimately takes home the trophy. If you are into NBA betting the following three players are the odds on favorite to take home the leagues highest individual award.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (-125)
The Greek Freak, as he is known, isn’t a name that many casual NBA fans will be used to hearing as an MVP candidate, but he has earned his spot as the odds on favorite. First, his team has the best record in the NBA at 50-and-17, and over the past 15 years, the MVP has come from the team with the best overall record 10 times.
Second, he also has the stats to go along with it as he averages 27 points, 12.5 rebounds, 6 assists 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He can defend all five positions and is capable of playing lockdown defense at any of the five spots. His nickname, The Greek Freak, fits him as a 6-foot-11-inch 245 pounds “freak” with a massive wing-span that can also handle the ball in the open court.
Before the start of the 2018-’19 season, not many people could even pronounce his name, and now he is the top MVP candidate — with the usual suspects like; Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry not even in the discussion. What a difference a year makes.
James Harden (+110)
Harden is breaking scoring records seemingly on a nightly basis, and he has single-handedly kept the Rockets in contention despite injuries to key players, namely Chris Paul and Clint Capella. He currently leads the NBA with 36.3 points per game while also logging 7.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds per contest.
He can beat you in a lot of ways, from behind the arc, driving to the basket and from the free-throw line — where he has attempted 100 more free throws than any other player in the league while shooting 87 percent from the stripe. Working in his favor is the fact that he is the reigning MVP. Since 2001, there has been a repeat MVP winner five times, in other words, only seven times in the last 17 seasons has an MVP winner not gone back-to-back.
History says his team must improve their standing if Harden is to win the MVP, but they have won eight of their last 10 games and now sit two and a half back of the No. 2 team in the West (Denver Nuggets) with 16 games to go in the season. Getting Harden at plus-money looks to be the best value at this point in the season.
Paul George (+600)
Paul George, or PG13 as he is called, is the dark-horse candidate of these three. Before the season began, if someone told you that Paul George would be in the running for MVP at this point in the season, you would have laughed in their face, especially when you consider his running mate is former MVP himself, Russell Westbrook— but here we are.
George is second to only Harden in scoring at 28.4ppg and he leads the league in steals at 2.24 steals per game. Just like Harden, George and the Thunder will have to improve their record heading into the playoffs for him to get serious consideration for MVP. They are currently fourth in the Western Conference and have dropped seven of their last 10 games.
George would be a long-shot to win this award, but, if a few things break his way, the Thunder could have two MVPs on the same team heading into the playoffs, something only one other team can claim, the Golden State Warriors — who also happen to be the favorite to win the NBA Championship.
