NBA MVP Odds: LeBron James, A. Davis Are Early Favorite’s

The 2018-2019 NBA season is almost here, and it couldn’t come soon enough. Preseason basketball has been entertaining, but everybody is growing bored of meaningless basketball. We’re officially near the best time of year where basketball joins the other three major sports in the U.S. for some meaningful matchups.

It’s hard to tell which teams are going to be playoff contenders from a preseason view, but we can probably assume who most of the teams will be in the conversation. After all, basketball has been, somewhat predictable over the last couple of years. One part of the NBA that isn’t as predictable though, is the NBA MVP award.

Every year, we head into the season under the assumption that somebody like LeBron James or Steph Curry are going to be in the conversation for the award. Meanwhile, there are plenty of other talents elsewhere who come out of nowhere going above and beyond each year.

So, yes, it wouldn’t be out of the question to put your money down on LeBron James to win it, but it’s far from a guarantee. And as the regular season approaches, it’s time to start making predictions before the season begins. Check out some of the best odds for the NBA MVP. Courtesy of OddsShark.

LeBron James  (+333)

Putting money on LeBron James to win the MVP is the apparent choice every season. After all, he has won the award four times during his incredible run. Seeing how well he played with so little around him in Cleveland last season gives us no reason to believe that LeBron James can’t emulate what he has done in the past.

It’s questionable as to whether LeBron has a better supporting cast out in Los Angeles or not. It depends on who you talk to. But either way, LeBron’s gonna’ LeBron. He’s one of the best players to step foot on a basketball court, and he should one-hundred percent be an MVP favorite for 2018-2019, even at 33-years-old.

Keep in mind though, LeBron James hasn’t been an MVP winner since 2013. Although he picked up a couple finals MVP nods, he hasn’t been the league’s favorite in quite some time. That shouldn’t rule out LeBron from winning, though. There’s a good chance that he grabs one more before he hangs it up.

Anthony Davis (+450)

Anthony Davis has surprisingly generated some early MVP buzz this season. That doesn’t mean that we are necessarily questioning Davis’ game, but it’s just shocking to see him favored in front of a few other prospects. Davis is unquestionably a beast on the court. He’s a five-time All-Star, three-time All-First Team, and recently a Defensive All-First Team selection.

Clearly, the betting world is predicting a massive season from Davis. Although it is a risky bet to assume that Davis could win MVP, it’s definitely not out of the question. The guy is a monster, let’s be real.

There’s no doubt he is going to be in the conversation for MVP this season. With DeMarcus Cousins out of the picture, Davis will have to do a lot on his own, which is good if we’re talking about the most valuable player. Davis will surely prove his worth there.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (+500)

After watching Giannis Antetokounmpo’s start to the preseason, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the ‘Greek Freak’ is becoming a favorite in the MVP conversation. So far, he has racked up a double-double in both preseason appearances in a matter of 49 minutes. We all know how active Giannis is in the paint, but it appears that improved his game elsewhere as well.

Antetokounmpo attempted five three-pointers so far and drained two of them. Although he isn’t out there raining three’s his improved shot from beyond the arc surely has everybody intrigued with the season he could be lining up to have. Again, throwing money on Giannis this early on could be risky, but his preseason showcase so far has been impressive, nonetheless.

James Harden (+650)

There doesn’t seem to be too much love going around for the defending champ. Maybe a repeat isn’t in the cards for James Harden as he is matched with the fourth-best odds as of right now. We’re sure as the season begins, this will change. Harden is no scrub, and he will surely be in the MVP conversation throughout the year.

There’s a good chance that the Houston Rockets will be heavy contenders out in the West, and they will thank Harden for that once again. The biggest question though is going to be just how valuable is Harden? The Rockets do have a solid supporting cast for him, along with the addition of Carmelo Anthony, and that could take away some of the spotlights off of the reigning NBA MVP of 2017.

Kawhi Leonard (+950)

Kawhi Leonard’s move to Toronto has already helped him for the better simply because he is out playing basketball again. For anybody who was skeptical about how well he would play on a new team coming off of his injury, just know that he is going to be okay. Leonard stood out in his first two games with the Raptors, and now Vegas believes that he will be in the MVP conversation sooner than later.

Betting on Leonard to win MVP is tough. He may get off to a shaky start as he could still be shaking off some of the rust, but Leonard’s ability to come back and play a full season at an elite level is still an unknown to the rest of the league right now. His MVP odds are a long shot early on, but it’s still not entirely out of the question. The Raptors are in a much easier conference so Leonard could end up being one of the few shining stars in the East.