The top online sportsbooks have already started to release NBA futures odds for next season. The Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers top the list as +300 co-favorites to win the 2022 NBA Championship.
The Milwaukee Bucks are third on that list as defending champions with +900 betting odds. The one thing that each of these three teams have in common is NBA star power. This is reflected in the NBA futures odds to win league MVP honors in the 2022 season.
Favorites to Win the 2022 NBA MVP Award
Realistically, any of the top five players on this NBA futures board (What Is a Futures Bet?) has a chance to win. Luca Doncic (+450) gets the slight edge as a rising star in this league. However, he would probably need to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a top seed in the Western Conference to secure enough votes.
Kevin Durant stands out as a +750 value pick playing for the Brooklyn Nets in the same way that LeBron James is always a factor for whichever team he is playing for.
The issue with Durant is a strong supporting cast that still has Kyrie Irving and James Harden on the roster. Last time I checked, they still play the game with just one basketball.
Coming off his MVP performance in the 2021 NBA Finals, Giannis Antetokounmpo adds value to his longer +700 odds. If the Bucks are going to have any chance to repeat, Giannis will once again have to play at a very high level to lockdown his third-career MVP title.
The most interesting player on the list is Stephen Curry as a +650 second-favorite to win. Curry garnered a pair of MVP trophies in 2015 and 2016 during the Golden State Warriors’ glory days in the league. I see Curry as an interesting pick but I do not like the value in his odds.
Out of the top five players on this list, Philadelphia front-man Joel Embiid could offer the best value. He made a strong run at this honor last season. If the 76ers do decide to part ways with Ben Simmons this offseason, Embiid would really have the spotlight to himself in 2022.
One to Watch
The value in the rest of the betting odds for this NBA futures bet is quickly drained. It is safe to say that one of the top five will capture most of the attention among the people that vote for this award. This makes it extremely difficult for another player to rise from the ranks.
If you were looking to take a flyer on a value pick at much longer odds, the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young at +1600 may fit the bill coming off a strong performance in this season’s playoffs.
2022 NBA MVP Futures Betting Lines
Luka Doncic +450
Stephen Curry +650
Giannis Antetokounmpo +700
Kevin Durant +750
Joel Embiid +850
LeBron James +900
Damian Lillard +1200
James Harden +1400
Nikola Jokic +1400
Jayson Tatum +1600
Russell Westbrook +1600
Trae Young +1600
Devin Booker +2000
Anthony Davis +2800
Zion Williamson +2800
Paul George +3300
Bradley Beal +4000
Donovan Mitchell +4000
Ja Morant +4000
Kawhi Leonard +4000
Kyrie Irving +4000
Khris Middleton +6000
Chris Paul +6600
Jaylen Brown +6600
Jimmy Butler +6600
Julius Randle +6600
Karl-Anthony Towns +6600
Klay Thompson +6600
Ben Simmons +8000
Jamal Murray +8000
Zach Lavine +8000
Anthony Edwards +10000
Bam Adebayo +10000
Domantas Sabonis +10000
LaMelo Ball +10000
Brandon Ingram +15000
CJ McCollum +15000
DeMar DeRozan +15000
Tobias Harris +15000
Christian Wood +20000
DeAaron Fox +20000
Deandre Ayton +20000
Fred VanVleet +20000
John Wall +25000
Jrue Holiday +25000
Kristaps Porzingis +25000
Kyle Lowry +25000
Malcolm Brogdan +25000
Michael Porter Jr. +25000
Nikola Vucevic +25000
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