Top NBA Betting favorites to Win the 2018 Most Valuable Player Award

If you’re excited about the stretch run portion of the 2017-18 regular season and you’d like to cash in with a potentially winning wager on this season’s NBA Betting Odds for MVP, then you’re in luck. Thanks to the expert hoops analysis that you’re about to get on the top five players with the best odds to win this season’s MVP award. From the prohibitive favorite to the fifth-longest pick on the board, let’s find out which five players are offering the best lines on the board.

Top NBA Betting favorites to Win the 2018 Most Valuable Player Award

Heading into the home stretch, The Beard is the leader in the clubhouse for MVP. pic.twitter.com/jHzdGHUTLM

— ESPN (@espn) 22 de febrero de 2018

James Harden (Houston Rockets)

• Points: 31.3
• Assists: 9.0
• Rebounds: 5.1
• NBA Betting Odds to Win MVP: -450

Look, the bottom line for this season’s MVP award is that, unless James Harden suddenly goes belly up (he won’t) the 2018 MVP award is his to win, which is why he’s such a big favorite. Harden has been the runner-up in each of the last two seasons, but even with that, it took two virtually historic campaigns to beat him out. ‘The Beard’ finished second to Steph Curry in 2015 and finished just behind Russell Westbrook last season. Harden currently leads the league in scoring and ranks a jaw-dropping third in assists despite playing with one of the greatest passers ever in future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul. While he’s shooting less than 45.0% from the field, Harden is in the midst of a historic season of his own. Harden is the first player in NBA history to have a triple-double in which he scored 60 points or more. Earlier this season, he also became just the third player in league history, joining Hall of Fame legends, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players since 63-64 with at least 20 in each of their teams’ first 34 games. Detroit Pistons’ legendary Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas described Harden’s play this season by saying, “Really, when you watch him play, it’s like he’s playing in slow motion out there.”

LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)

• Points: 26.5
• Assists: 8.9
• Rebounds: 8.1
• NBA Betting Odds to Win MVP: +200

Yes, LeBron James is putting up numbers as you can see from his above stat line, but I’m still a bit stunned that he’s the No. 2 pick on the board to win this season’s MVP award, especially seeing as how his Cleveland Cavaliers team needed a massive series of trades to get back on track and into the NBA Championship conversation after they fell completely apart earlier this season with even James himself, looking more like Clark Kent than Superman. Not only does James not win it this year, but he shouldn’t even be the No. 2 favorite in my estimation.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)

• Points: 27.8
• Assists: 4.8
• Rebounds: 10.4
• NBA Betting Odds to Win MVP: +1200

The aptly named ‘Greek Freak’ has taken his game to brand new heights this season as far as scoring the ball, but he’s also taken a step backwards as a passer in scoring more this season and I believe that fact has hurt his team a bit this season, which, ironically, forced the Bucks to fire once beloved head coach Jason Kidd, much to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dismay. Still, this kid can quite literally do it all and would be a more likely MVP candidate were his Milwaukee Bucks winning more games

Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)

• Points: 26.00
• Assists: 5.5
• Rebounds: 6.8
• NBA Betting Odds to Win MVP: +1600

It’s a damned shame (I guess) that KD is playing alongside two other gifted scorers in Steph Curry and Klay Thompson (who probably sacrifices the most, by the way). However, the fact of the matter is that Durant averages ‘just’ 26.0 points per game, when he would easily be putting up 30 per for another team without four all-stars. KD may be the best player on the planet and he’s probably the most gifted scorer, but he’s also sacrificed a lot to play with the loaded Dubs and that likely takes him out of the running to win this season’s MVP award.

Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

• Points: 26.6
• Assists: 6.5
• Rebounds: 5.2
• NBA Betting Odds to Win MVP: +1600

Look, there’s not a lot to write about here. I mean really, I could just copy and paste the above paragraph about Kevin Durant and slip it in here. Steph Curry is a superstar of the highest order and a two-time MVP that could put 30 on the board in his sleep. However, Chef Curry also sacrifices a lot these days is sharing the ball with his Splash Brothers backcourt partner Klay Thompson and these days, Durant as well. Lost in all of Golden State’s success is the fact that Draymond Green has also given up focusing on scoring as much as he would with another team for the greater good of seeing Durant and Curry fill up the bucket.

Kyrie Irving (Boston Celtics)

• Points: 24.7
• Assists: 5.0
• Rebounds: 3.6
• NBA Betting Odds to Win MVP: +1600

Kyrie Irving’s numbers may look a lot more modest than the other MVP candidates on this list, but the fact of the matter is that he’s a better choice in my mind that everyone on the board besides James Harden for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, he’s gone from the role of LeBron James sidekick to franchise-leading superstar this season, absolutely seamlessly. Not only that, but Irving has displayed all of the other locker room tangibles that a leader should have as far as being a motivating voice for his mostly younger teammates. Irving has been unselfish with the rock and is playing defense better than he ever has, although that may never be a strong suit of his (or Steph Curry’s for that matter). Irving has clearly lifted the Celtics to fantastic heights this season – all without the help of expecting fellow all-star Gordon Hayward. Sure, Boston has struggled a bit over the last couple of months, but a strong finish could boost Irving’s chances of pulling off the MVP upset more than any other ‘contender’ in this season’s MVP race.