Best NBA Futures Bets Before Tip Off: Doncic Favored For MVP

• NBA odds now available for the upcoming season feature Luka Doncic as the favorite to win league MVP at +300.
• Other odds have Lou Williams as the favorite to win the Sixth Man of the Year (+400), Anthony Davis to win Defensive Player of the Year (+225), and Steve Nash to win Coach of the Year (+750).

LAS VEGAS – Some might find it hard to believe but the 2021 NBA season begins on Tuesday.

Caught in the madness of the holiday season in addition to the pandemic, the NBA will be making its return following the conclusion of the preseason.

With the beginning of the season approaching, NBA bettors are working to lock in their futures bets. Now is the time for bettors to make their predictions for the season and see how this unique 2021 campaign will unfold.

Numerous futures odds are currently available via the major online sportsbooks including odds for league MVP, Coach of the Year, DPOY, and Sixth Man.

NBA handicappers are high on Luka Doncic to win the league MVP award in 2021, placing him above two-time winner Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis.

🇺🇸 It’s still preseason, but Luka Doncic is showing glimpses of why he’s the Las Vegas favorite for mvp this season

🇮🇹 È ancora preseason, ma Doncic mostra sprazzi del perché i bookmakers lo danno favorito per l’mvp 2020-21 #NBA pic.twitter.com/3FNAZMJZF2

— Davide Chinellato (@dchinellato) December 15, 2020

The 21-year old Slovenian has shown amazing skills in his short time in the NBA, but will likely need to take his Dallas Mavericks to a top seed in the West to secure the award. Bettors can get a good value on a player like Kevin Durant at +1000, who is returning from injury with the Brooklyn Nets.

The defensive player of the year award can be a bit arbitrary, but the sportsbooks believe it is a three-horse race between Davis, Antetokounmpo, and Rudy Gobert. For good reason, as Gobert is a two-time winner, with Giannis as the “defending” champion.

Interestingly enough, NBA futures odds have Davis as the favorite despite the fact that he has yet to win DPOY in his career. Davis is an elite defender and can guard nearly every position, but doesn’t have much value as the shortest odds choice. Meanwhile, two-time winner Kawhi Leonard is a steal at his current price and could easily remind the league why he is known as the Klaw.

One of the most respected, if overlooked, awards in sports in the NBA’s 6th Man of the Year award, routinely given to the player who excels in his role off the bench. Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford are the recent dominant forces in this role, reinventing the bench scorer position for their teams over the last decade.

Montrezl Harrell won the award in 2020, but is now on the Los Angeles Lakers where it is unclear what his exact rotation will be. Lou Williams is always a top contender to win this award, but a player like Tyler Herro for the Miami Heat can easily build enough hype to start a 6th man campaign if he is able to replicate his scoring from the playoffs.

NBA bettors can find odds for the 2020 Coach of the Year award available now, where newcomer Steve Nash is the odds-on leader at the start of the season. Why Nash is in that position is likely due to his status as a famous former player coming in to take over the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving led Brooklyn Nets.

However, this award is usually given to coaches who make the most out of a bad situation. Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns, Lloyd Pierce of the Atlanta Hawks, and Stan Van Gundy of the New Orleans Pelicans all have a shot at this award if they are able to get their team into a solid playoff seed.

Rookie of the Year is a terribly hard award to predict due to the volatility of rookies in today’s NBA. Some of the top picks in the draft might not even see the floor while others will become an instant part of their team’s rotation.