NBA MVP Betting Odds: Can Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George Overtake James Harden?

The second half of the NBA regular season is well underway. Last week’s trade deadline shuffled some pieces around the board, so contenders will start to separate themselves from pretenders soon.

The same goes for the race for the league’s annual MVP award. Las Vegas oddsmakers still have Houston Rockets guard James Harden as a minus-money favorite to win the award for the second year in a row, but do not be surprised if other names start climbing up the list over the next few months.

Harden is the overwhelming favorite right now with -250 odds, according to OddsShark. He extended his streak of games with 30 or more points to an even 30 on Monday night. Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history with a longer streak than that.

Harden is averaging six more points per game than he did during his MVP campaign last year, with a slightly better three-point shooting percentage. His rebounds per game are up too, though he is averaging one fewer assist per game than last year. Most importantly, the Rockets are winning; after a bad start to the year, they are now 10 games above .500.

One name to watch out for, however, is Paul George. The Oklahoma City Thunder forward is having a monster year, averaging 28.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He is making more than 40 percent of his three-point shots, too. He had only the seventh best odds (+1800) as of Feb. 5, but a pair of 40-point games in the past week could change that.

For example, he put up 45 points and 11 rebounds as the Thunder erased a 26-point deficit to defeat Harden’s Rockets over the weekend.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C5Ww_YsXSoE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Giannis Antetokounmpo could make a case for himself throughout the rest of the season, as well. He had +350 odds to win as of Feb. 5. The 24-year-old Milwaukee Bucks star could get a push by virtue of being the best player on NBA’s best team.

The Bucks have the best record in the league right now, and Antetokounmpo is putting up 27.1 points, 12.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.

NBA MVP Betting Odds (OddsShark)

James Harden -250

Giannis Antetokounmpo +350

Stephen Curry +1200

Joel Embiid +1400

LeBron James +1400

Kawhi Leonard +1600

Paul George +1800

Anthony Davis +2000

Kevin Durant +2000

Nikola Jokic +4000

Russell Westbrook +4000