- After being listed at +1500 less than two weeks ago, James Harden is now available for +200 odds to win NBA MVP.
- Harden trails only Nikola Jokic at -125 odds, and is followed by Joel Embiid at +800, LeBron James at +1000, and Giannis Antetokounmpo at +1000.
BROOKLYN – The race for NBA MVP has just been flipped upside down.
After LeBron James and Joel Embiid went down to injury, Brooklyn Nets star James Harden has shot up the betting board for odds to win MVP.
After being nearly out of the race just a few weeks ago, Harden now has the second shortest odds to win the award behind Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
Full odds for NBA MVP are available via the major online sportsbooks.
2021 NBA Regular Season MVP
- Nikola Jokic -125
- James Harden +200
- Joel Embiid +800
- LeBron James +1000
- Giannis Antetokounmpo +1000
- Damian Lillard +1400
- Luka Doncic +1800
Bettors are shocked to see Harden’s odds skyrocket over the last week.
The primary reason for this change is due to injuries to both Embiid and James, who were the front runners for the award heading into March. Additional injuries to Kevin Durant have opened up the court for Harden to be the clear number one option for the Nets.
Less than two weeks ago, Harden was listed for +1500 odds to win MVP.
Going back further, Harden was listed with over +5000 odds as recent as mid-February on the majority of online NBA sportsbooks.
With Harden now averaging over 30 points per game for the Nets, bookies are seeing a clear run to the guard’s second MVP award.
James Harden tonight:
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38 PTS
13 AST
11 REB
50 3P%MVP? 👀 pic.twitter.com/TfeIsM4HMX
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 30, 2021
In addition to his supreme level of scoring, Harden is also averaging 11.2 assists per game, a number that leads the NBA.
Harden still trails Nikola Jokic, who has been dominant in his role with the Denver Nuggets. However, if Harden keeps playing at his current level it is fair to say he could easily overtake Jokic in the coming weeks.
Harden has led the Nets to wins in 17 of his last 19 games all while leading the NBA in minutes played per game.
The only issue facing Harden is a potential drop in production once Durant and Kyrie Irving are back to 100%.
Still, even with two other all-stars returning to the lineup eventually, few can doubt Harden’s ability to light up the scoresheet each and every night.
Jimmy Reinman honed his skills across various mediums including print, radio, and broadcast before bringing his arsenal of knowledge to the team here at USAOnlineSportsbooks in 2020. When he’s not writing, you can find him in a state of focused stress on any College Football Saturday, or maniacally constructing NBA parlays on a cool spring evening.
