James Harden’s Injury Crushes MVP Odds

When asked if he felt he belonged in the NBA MVP conversation, James Harden left no room for interpretation. He told reporters, "I feel like I am the MVP."

Fast forward about two weeks, and even Harden would have to admit it's no longer that cut and dry. The Brooklyn Nets' superstar suffered a leg injury against the New York Knicks that will sideline him for at least 10 days.

This news all but knocks Harden out of the MVP race.

James Harden MVP Odds

Prior to the injury, Harden was listed at +650 to win the award, according to WynnBET. That gave him the second-best odds in the league and meant a $100 bet would've won $650 if he claimed the award.

He has since fallen to +800, putting him in a three-way tie for third place with Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James. Harden had been surging in the odds right before the injury and appeared to have a real shot to take home another MVP award.

Since February, Harden is averaging 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the arc. The Nets were 21-5 in his 26 appearances during that stretch. Clearly, that's some MVP-caliber play.

But being sidelined for the next 10 days essentially secures the award for the current favorite, Nikola Jokic.

Nikola Jokic MVP

The Denver Nuggets superstar is available at -175 to win MVP on WynnBET. That means a $100 bet would only net bettors a payout of $57.14, suggesting he's now very likely to secure his first-ever MVP award.

Jokic was available at -105 before Harden's injury, so Harden's loss appears to be Jokic's gain.

That's not to say it's undeserved. Jokic has been an absolute monster this season, averaging 26.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game while shooting 57.0% from the floor and 42.7% from beyond the arc. We haven't seen a 6-foot-11 big man stuff the stat sheet like this in quite some time, and his Nuggets are 15-3 in their last 18 games, sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference.

Harden was always going to be fighting an uphill battle to steal the award away from Jokic after being traded from Houston to Brooklyn. But this hamstring strain appears to have ended his MVP hopes.