The NBA MVP award is a valuable asset in a player’s list of accolades when building a legacy. Of course, players are focused on the championships, but the MVP award is something that every superstar player is gunning for when the season tips off. The MVP award is fun because you can get a lucrative payout as the odds consistently shift throughout the season.
Therefore, when betting the MVP during the offseason, we want to plant our flags on players who are going to give us lucrative payouts. Simply taking the favorites right now is not a wise strategy. Let’s focus in on players who could potentially slide their way into the conversation and be a winning NBA MVP pick.
When looking at the NBA MVP award, we must remember that players never come out of nowhere to win the MVP. Most players have had at least a top five MVP finish before winning the award. So keep this in mind: a player will have to have some sort of previous accolades to seriously be considered for the award.
Obviously, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the proper favorites to win the award. Especially with the Nuggets improving in the Western Conference, Jokic has an excellent chance to reclaim his MVP crown. However, the prices and payouts on these players are too low for it to be worth it to bet right now. If we are going to wager on these players, we will do it later in the season when we can potentially get a better payout.
Let’s take a look at the players who are giving us the proper payout right now at the top-rated sportsbooks.
Picks Summary:Â
- Luka Doncic to Win MVP (+800)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo to Win MVP (+900)
*All odds from Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
When Markets Matter, Luka’s MVP Case Grows
Let’s face it, the NBA is entertainment.
Most people know that the bigger market teams get better foul calls and the NBA announcers on ESPN openly root for the players in the cities they want to travel to during the playoffs. The NBA loves its glamor franchises, and the Los Angeles Lakers are the most popular franchise. Therefore, doing something in LA at the same level as doing something in Milwaukee at the same level, voters will look towards the player who did it in the big market.
The Lakers are constantly in media coverage. Even after being eliminated from the playoffs, most ESPN shows led with Lakers talk. Because of this enormous media saturation, doing well on the Lakers is great for an MVP candidacy.
Same Luka, Bigger Stage—MVP Buzz Incoming
It’s not like Luka Doncic isn’t a legitimate candidate either.
You can make a great case that he was an MVP when he was in Dallas. So, we obviously have a player who would deserve the award no matter the city he was playing in. However, his talent, great plays, and spectacular shots will now be focused on for the majority of the year.
In a race in which you can make good arguments for multiple players, something as small as this could be the difference. Therefore, the first player we should be looking at when looking for longshot odds is Luca Doncic at +800.
NBA Pick: Luka Doncic to Win MVP (+800) at Bet365
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Giannis Could Feast in a Weakened Eastern Conference
Most people thought that Giannis Antetokounmpo would be traded this offseason as the Bucks no longer had a chance to win an NBA championship. However, injuries to the top stars on these two rival teams, Jayson Tatum with the Boston Celtics, and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, has made the Eastern Conference wide open and it looks like the Milwaukee Bucks are going to run it back with Giannis Antetokounmpo on their roster.
Giannis MVP Case Grows as East Loses Its Edge
To win the MVP, the best way to do it is to put up more than 30 points per game on a team that has the best record in their conference. Because the Eastern Conference is in such a weakened state, a couple of moves around the margins could move the Milwaukee Bucks into the top spot.
And because the Bucks aren’t chock full of talent, if they’re going to do so, Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to have monster numbers. Because of this, he is definitely a strong MVP candidate.
People are down on the Bucks right now because of the flat way they ended the season, but they have an opportunity to move themselves back into contention and into being one of the top teams that we talk about in the East.
Take advantage of this now and get a good number on Giannis Antetokounmpo to win MVP before the price changes.
NBA Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo to Win MVP (+900) at Bet365
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
