Posted on
10/25/2007 6:28:04 PM
NBA Betting Odds: NBA MVP Award
By Eric Williams
Okay hoops bettors, this article will focus on the candidates for the NBA’s annual MVP award. I will break the candidates into three specific categories for depending on the realistic chances that they could actually win the MVP award in 2007-08.
The ‘Contenders’ section lists the players with the best chances of actually winning the award. The ‘Pretenders section is for those players that have an outside chance of making a run at MVP award, but won’t win it because of various reasons. Finally, the ‘Get Real’ category is for players that have absolutely no chance whatsoever of winning the MVP award in 2007-08.
Haste makes waste bettors, so let’s get busy.
The Contenders
Dwyane Wade +800
Wade is one of the best wagers on the board at +800. As the unequivocal leader of the Miami Heat, Wade will have more than enough opportunities – and shots – to give him a legitimate chance to win the MVP award. Of course, Wade’s likable personality doesn’t hurt either.
Kobe Bryant +500
While Bryant certainly has the game to win it, he may be hampered by his aloof personality and mediocre team – if he doesn’t get traded to a contender that is.
Steve Nash +600
The Suns will be runnin’ and gunnin’ in 2007-08 and Nash will be dishin’ and swishin’. The league’s best point guard already has two MVP awards in the bag and is definitely a good candidate to win a third this season.
Kevin Garnett +800
At +800, Garnett is possibly the best wager on the board. The ‘Big Ticket’ will be primed for a monster season in his first year with the Boston Celtics – and a team that looks formidable in the weak eastern conference.
LeBron James +500
The only two things that James hasn’t accomplished yet are winning an NBA title and winning the league’s MVP award. My guess is that James will get both before he’s through.
Allen Iverson +2000
A former MVP winner, A.I. will be primed for another 30-point per game season in his first full season with the Denver Nuggets and playing alongside Carmelo Anthony. If this team overachieves, Iverson could surprise.
Amare Stoudemire +1500
If Stoudemire has a monster season and the Suns win 60 games, he will definitely be in the mix for winning the MVP award. At +1500, Stoudemire is one of the best wagers on the board for a player that can actually win the MVP award. Enough said.
Deron Williams +2400
Williams looked like the best point guard on the face of the planet in last season’s western conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs and should be a contender for the MVP title, if not in 2007-08, then at some point in his blossoming career.
Carmelo Anthony +1000
Put ‘Melo in the same boat as Iverson in the fact that he’ll likely average somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 points per game with a legitimate chance at winning the MVP title should the Nuggets go berserk with their won-loss record this season.
Tim Duncan +1200
I personally don’t think Duncan is concerned with anything except championship rings at this point in his Hall of Fame career. Still, as good as Duncan and the Spurs are, he has to be considered a legitimate contender.
Tony Parker +2500
Last season’s Finals MVP, Parker will have a decent shot at winning the regular season MVP award if he continues to shoot over 50 percent from the field while leading the Spurs to somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 wins and another deep postseason run.
Ray Allen +3500
While most folks know that Kevin Garnett is going to be the emotional leader for a retooled Celtics team with championship aspirations, the fact of the matter is that it may be Allen’s flat-out scoring ability that leads the Celtics to the postseason – and vaults him into league MVP contention.
The Pretenders
Dirk Nowitzki +500
After winning is first league MVP award, Nowitzki promptly went out and showed the world why he’ll never be as good as Larry Bird no matter how many comparisons people make by letting his 67-win, first place team get knocked off by a smaller, less experienced No. 8 seed in the first round. While Nowitzki may put up fine statistics again in 2007-08 and the Mavericks win most certainly win their share of games, I think a league MVP needs to be much more assertive than Nowitzki is at times. Still, he’ll have a chance to win another.
Carlos Boozer +1500
If the Utah Jazz win 50-plus games again and Boozer plays like the league’s best power forward, he could find himself in the MVP mix this season. However, it looks like Boozer may not be the best payer on his own team with the emergence of point guard Deron Williams.
Gilbert Arenas +1500
You gotta’ love the outspoken and down-to-earth Arenas.‘Agent Zero’ may not be much of an MVP factor despite the fact that he’ll likely average over 25 point per game for two specific reasons. Arenas plays ‘Ole’ defense most of the time and the Wizards are going to be mediocre at best once again.
Chris Bosh +1200
Bosh certainly has the stuff to win the league’s MVP award at some point in the near future – just not this season. The smooth lefty still has a few areas of his game he needs to improve, but should be in the MVP mix for year, particularly if the Toronto Raptors continue to improve.
Dwight Howard +1500
If the Orlando Magic surprise the league with a 50-plus win season, and Howard shows more growth with his offensive game, he could be in the mix for the MVP award this season. The more likely scenario is that Howard will have a better chance to win this award over the course of the next few seasons.
Michael Redd +3300
While Redd most definitely has the game to become an MVP winner, the Milwaukee Bucks would have to shock the league with him leading the way, in order for him to have a realistic chance at winning the MVP award. It may not happen this season or next for Redd, but it could in the near future.
Paul Pierce +2500
It’s going to be interesting to see how “P-Squared” plays alongside Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. At least one of the three will turn out to be a serious MVP candidate – and it could very well turn out to be Pierce.
Josh Howard +3000
Howard was the Mavericks’ best player in the team’s first round washout against the Golden State Warriors in last season’s playoffs. Still, a run at the MVP title may be a bit of stretch here.
Luol Deng +3000
It may not happen this season, but Deng is blossoming rapidly after a breakout season in 2006-07 and appears to have MVP-type potential. Time will tell if Deng can continue to elevate his game – and team – to greatness.
Get Real
The ‘Get Real’ category is for players that have no chance whatsoever at winning the MVP award this upcoming season, but may have a shot at some point in their respective careers.
Rashard Lewis +2500
Chris Paul +1800
Shaquille O'Neal +1600
Yao Ming +1200
Tracy McGrady +1800
Vince Carter +2000
Kevin Durant +4000
Al Jefferson +5000
Baron Davis +2000
Elton Brand +2000
Greg Oden
Ben Gordon +3500
Jason Kidd +2500
Joe Johnson +4000
Field +1000
And the winner is… Garnett, the former league MVP, will be primed for a fine season after joining the Celtics in a block buster trade earlier this summer. Garnett may also get the ‘sentimental’ vote from those who remember the Celtics as the league’s cornerstone franchise. Should the Celtics post 50-plus wins, Garnett could win the award in a landslide.
My No. 2 pick is going to be the Phoenix Suns’ Amare Stoudemire at +1500. If the Suns put up another 60-win season, a real possibility – and Stoudemire returns to his pre-microfracture surgery form, the talented power forward could walk away with the MVP hardware.
Last, but certainly not least, I’m going with a split-vote. I genuinely believe that either, Cleveland’s LeBron James or Miami’s Dwyane Wade could find themselves in the MVP mix if either of their respective teams overachieves. While I am picking both of these candidates as my third-place selections, that prognosis is based mostly on the fact that I believe the Cavaliers and Heat will most likely turn out to be a bit better than mediocre teams at best this season.
MVP Award must be given out for wager to have action. If one or more players share MVP Award, prices are split by number of winning players. NBA.com for results.
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