Getty Houston Rockets guard James Harden
The NBA’s regular season hasn’t even wrapped up and the entire playoff bracket still has time before it’s set. But for those who placed a wager on Houston Rockets star James Harden to win the Most Valuable Player Award on one betting site, they were just paid out. The money was paid roughly four months before the official winner is set to be named.
This came from a new sportsbook called PointsBet which paid out the bet with their NBA Early Payout system where moneyline NBA wagers are paid out before outcomes are decided. Here’s a look at the comments in the press release from the site.
All PointsBet customers who wagered on Harden to win the 2019 MVP award have received payouts at the odds they placed their bets on those specific markets. This bettor-first initiative is just one of many seen by PointsBet customers since their launch in January, including their most recent NBA Early Payout, where all MoneyLine NBA wagers were paid out early if that team led at Halftime, even if they went on to lose the game.
As they detail, Harden’s MVP odds were pegged at -125, with Giannis Antetokounmpo second at -110, followed by Paul George (+900) and finally LeBron James (+5000).
James Harden’s Exceptional Stats
While Harden took home the MVP following the 2017-18 season after averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game, he’s been even better this year. Through the first 59 games, the 29-year-old has posted marks of 36.7 points, 7.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game. Arguably the most impressive part of his play this season is that he’s led the Rockets to a 38-25 record thus far while the team’s roster was depleted by injuries at numerous points.
Names such as Chris Paul, Clint Capela, Eric Gordon and a few others missed time. There were various stretches when at least two of the three aforementioned names were out at the same time as well, putting even more on Harden’s plate.
While the reigning MVP has video-game numbers this year, his performance in January was one of the best ever over that long of a stretch. In 14 games that month, he averaged 43.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game. Harden posted a stretch of 32-straight games with 30-plus points, a streak that was snapped on February 25 when he scored 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks.
Rockets’ Playoff Outlook
Entering the final stretch of the 2018-19 regular season, the Rockets hold the No. 5 seed in a crowded Western Conference. They’re just one game back of both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers for either the No. 3 or 4 seed, creating an interesting push to the finish line.
Beyond that, Houston is 4.5 games back of the Denver Nuggets for the second seed and six back of the Golden State Warriors for the top spot. Behind them, the Utah Jazz trail the Rockets by 1.5 games while the Los Angeles Clippers (three games back) and San Antonio Spurs (3.5) are within striking distance.
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