This season the race for NBA MVP is as wide open as it has been in years. In predictions from the PBT staff, we got three different answers for who would hoist the trophy — LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden.
And none of those are the betting favorite: Russell Westbrook.
Speculation about awards is part of the fun of preseason (which is why you need to listen to the PBT Podcast that drops Thursday). As of Oct. 18, one week before the season tips off, here are the latest MVP odds, courtesy the online gambling site Bovada:
Russell Westbrook 2/1
Stephen Curry 9/2
LeBron James 9/2
Anthony Davis 10/1
Kevin Durant 10/1
James Harden 10/1
Kawhi Leonard 10/1
Paul George 22/1
Carmelo Anthony 33/1
Blake Griffin 33/1
Kyrie Irving 33/1
Damien Lillard 33/1
Chris Paul 33/1
Karl-Anthony Towns 33/1
If I were a betting man, getting Harden and Leonard at 10-1 feels like good odds. Same with George at 22-1.
For fun, here are the top five from their Rookie of the Year betting lines (and if you want to see our predictions, follow this link).
Buddy Hield (Pelicans) 7/2
Kris Dunn (Timberwolves) 4/1
Joel Embiid (Sixers) 5/1
Ben Simmons (Sixers) 5/1
Brandon Ingram (Lakers) 11/2
