It’s a runaway for the Most Valuable Player award in the NBA. At least that’s according to oddsmakers.
Steph Curry is the obvious favorite for the award, going off at -400 to win the honor. Curry’s putting up numbers never seen before this season, making him the obvious choice to win the award.
But, just in case he completely collapses in the latter stages of the season, there are other options with much more intriguing lines. Sure, it’s highly unlikely that Curry will not win the award, but what’s the fun in making a sure bet? We hardly see any upside.
The race is so lopsided, the next-best option is LeBron James at +900. The four-time MVP isn’t even close to Curry and he’s the leader of the Eastern Conference’s best team. He’s still averaging almost 25 points along with more than six assists and seven rebounds per game.
But his time is through. People expect James to put up those numbers, so unless he does something completely out of nowhere, he likely has no shot.
When it comes to long-shots, Kevin Durant is likely the best option. He’s going off at +1500, the fourth-best odds in the NBA. He’s having a solid comeback season after missing last year due to injury. He’s averaging 27.2 points per game to go along with 4.5 assists and eight rebounds per game.
More importantly, the Thunder are much improved from last year and could have the capability of making some noise later in the season. If that’s the case, and Curry collapses, Durant could sneak in with a sympathetic vote after being the main reason for the Thunder’s resurgence.
Odds to win NBA MVP
Steph Curry -400
LeBron James +900
Kawhi Leonard +1400
Kevin Durant +1500
Draymond Green +2500
James Harden +2500
Russell Westbrook +2500
Paul George +2500
Anthony Davis +4000
