Durant, Giannis, Embiid Favored To Win NBA Finals MVP Over LeBron
With the playoffs now in full swing, WynnBET has released odds to be named MVP of the NBA Finals.
What may come as a surprise to some, three Eastern Conference players are set with shorter odds than LeBron James. Kevin Durant is set as the +350 betting favorite, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid tied for second on the odds list at +550. LeBron and Kawhi Leonard round out the top five with +650 and +800 odds respectively.
While it may seem confusing to have LeBron listed fourth on the odds list despite being the defending champion and four time winner of the award, the top players in the Eastern Conference have a much easier path to the NBA Finals than their Western Conference counterparts.
Not to mention, the Lakers and Clippers both lost Game 1 of their opening playoff series. The Lakers fell 99-90 to the No. 2 seeded Suns, while the Clippers lost 113-103 to the Mavericks.
It’s important to note that only one of Durant, Giannis and Embiid will find themselves in the NBA Finals this year, but you can all but guarantee that at least one of them will be. The chances are slim for a team like the Knicks or Hawks to make a deep playoff run.
The Brooklyn Nets, coming out of the Eastern Conference, are the odds on favorite to win the NBA Finals at +185. The Bucks (+600) and 76ers (+650) come in at third and fourth on the list of odds. The team with the next closest odds in the Eastern Conference are the Atlanta Hawks who are listed at +5000.
Meanwhile, things seem to be wide open in the Western Conference. Even the No. 8 seed Memphis Grizzlies have taken a 1-0 series lead against the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz.
Despite the long road ahead of them, the Lakers still have the shortest odds of all Western Conference teams to win the NBA Finals at +500. The Clippers (+700), Jazz (+750), and the Lakers' first round opponent Phoenix Suns (+1100) are next in line.
LeBron may be able to flaunt his four NBA Finals MVP trophies, but he has his work cut out for him if he wants to win a fifth one this season.