Antetokounmpo Earns Top MVP Odds
After starting the season in 6th place on the NBA MVP odds board at Bovada, Milwaukee Bucks versatile big-man Giannis Antetokounmpo has shot, blocked, stolen, and finessed his way to the top after only four games. Just one week ago, Antetokounmpo was sitting at +800 odds to win the NBA MVP, but after a string of outbursts wherein the 7-footer scored 37, 34, 44, and 32 points, he’s now the favorite MVP candidate at +200. For perspective, LeBron – who scored 24 in the Cavs’ 19-point win over the Bucks – is in second on the MVP boards at +500. Meanwhile, most pundits and analysts are (or at least were) picking the Spurs Kawhi Leonard (+800) to win the award, though he has yet to play in a game this season due to a minor quadriceps injury.
As good as Antetokounmpo’s performance has been to start the year, it’s difficult to give his NBA MVP odds too much credence so early. First, the Bucks are only 3-1, and there are six other teams in the weak Eastern Conference that have one loss or fewer. Secondly, the NBA MVP odds are notoriously fickle. Last season, while averaging a triple-double, Russel Westbrook was rarely atop the list, as James Harden put together a magnificent season of his own. Westbrook hovered around +100 to +115 for most of the year and then shot up to -5000 during the last week of the season. MVP playoff races are notoriously tight, and barring an historical statistical achievement (like, say, a year-long triple-double), a team’s placement is usually a chief consideration in the final tally. Had Westbrook fallen an assist or rebound shy of his crazy average, Harden wins that award. For there to be +200 worth of certainty in Antetokounmpo’s NBA MVP run, he’s going to have to either maintain his current numbers all year or power his club to one of the top Eastern Conference playoff spots.
Also, as dominant as Giannis Antetokounmpo has been so far, remember two things before betting on him to win the NBA MVP: injuries are a thing (especially among the league’s tallest players), and basketball players tend to be spectacularly – and often bafflingly – streaky. Right now, given the current NBA MVP odds for any top player, BestUSASportsbooks.com thinks the smart money is on the field. That said, you should expect other players to close the gap on Antetokounmpo’s MVP odds before thinking you’re going to get a better payout on him.