- Before the Bucks & Clippers games Lebron James was +750 to win the MVP award, now his odds are at +130.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo is still favored to win back-to-back MVP awards.
- The Los Angeles Lakers are now the favorite to win the NBA Championship.
LOS ANGELES – The 2020 NBA MVP odds became a little bit tighter this weekend as LeBron James closed the gap between himself and frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo.
LeBron’s two statement performances came against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers during back to back games. Those performances have cause NBA betting sites to shorten James’s MVP odds from +750 to +130.
In the game against the Clippers, James had a stat line of 28 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds as he and Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers to their fourth straight victory.
However, LeBron’s most convincing performance came when the Milwaukee Bucks, boasting the best record in the NBA and reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, came to the Staples Center on Friday and left with a loss. James shined scoring 37 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in the win.
James has unquestionably been the heart of the Lakers offense and leads the league in assists (10.6), but it still hasn’t been enough for him to top Giannis in the MVP race at sportsbooks.
Giannis Still Favored To Win 2020 NBA MVP Award
The MVP race is only between LeBron and Giannis heading into the final stretch of the season with the Greek Freak still holding onto a shrinking lead. Despite LeBron’s latest MVP statement, Giannis is still favored to win the MVP at -170 odds.
The Bucks still have the best record in the NBA (53-11) which is four more wins and two fewer losses than the Lakers.
Another reason why Antetokounmpo is still the MVP frontrunner after this weekend is because Giannis is always the best player on the floor for his team. While some nights Anthony Davis is the best player for the Lakers and leads Los Angeles in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks.
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This makes it harder to say LeBron is the NBA MVP when he isn’t even the Lakers MVP at times.
Giannis was diagnosed with a left knee sprain that will sideline him for at least two games. This could provide James with an opportunity to make up more ground in the MVP discussion.
LeBron’s new +130 odds at sportsbooks shouldn’t be faded by bettors. Milwaukee could choose to hold Giannis out of more games as they’ve already clinched a playoff spot and the Toronto Raptors aren’t likely to pressure them for the No. 1 seed.
Recency bias towards the end of the season could benefit LeBron in getting more MVP votes but it might be best to take the +130 odds in case his odds become any shorter.
The wins have not only caused a shift for LeBron at online sportsbooks but also for his team the Los Angeles Lakers who are now the favorite to win the NBA Championship after being tied with the Bucks for the shortest odds before this weekend.
The next time LeBron James and the Lakers will be in action is on Tuesday as they host the Brooklyn Nets.
As a professional sports writer, Robert has written for outlets such as the FAMUAN and other sports-centric platforms. He focuses mainly on NFL and NBA betting, though he keeps tabs on every major sport.
