Though the 2018-19 NBA awards won't be handed out until next Monday, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas has gotten a jump on next year's hardware. On Tuesday, Caesars released its opening odds for the 2019-20 NBA MVP award.
The man who many believe will win this year's Most Valuable Player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, has opened as the +300 favorite. Antetokounmpo posted career highs in points per game (27.7), rebounds per game (12.5) and assists per game (5.9). Of course, he also led the Bucks to 60 wins — 16 more than last year.
Right behind him at +350 is James Harden, who was the winner of the 2017-18 MVP. The Rockets could potentially shake things up this summer, but Harden has proved that he can put up crazy numbers regardless of whom he's playing with. He scored 36.1 points per game this year, marking the seventh-highest scoring average in a season in NBA History.
2019-20 NBA MVP Odds
A bit behind those two lie Kawhi Leonard and Steph Curry at +600 a pop. The reigning NBA Finals MVP, Leonard's future is up in the air. I think plenty more people are wondering what team he will be on next year than whether or not he'll be able to win the MVP on said team.
Curry, on the other hand, is in a very interesting spot. With Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson sidelined with injuries for most, if not all of next year, Curry could have a chance to run the show in Golden State. He won back-to-back MVPs in 2015 and 2016 before the arrival of KD, which could drive some folks to take a shot on him.
The Lakers duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis are next up, each listed at +700. LeBron has four MVPs to his name, but has gone six straight seasons without winning one. The oldest NBA MVP in history was Karl Malone in 1999 at 35 years and nearly 300 days. James turns 35 in December, but it wouldn't be the first time the King has pushed history.
Stay tuned for more analysis and insights from our team of NBA experts on these odds.
