NBA MVP Prop Bets moved quite a bit at the halfway point of this 2022-23 NBA season. Bovada Vegas online sportsbook adapted to these alternations, and there are some considerable surprises. Now, at VegasBetting, fans hope to look off the first half and gaze at the future. Which players are a cut above the pack in the MVP race?
NBA MVP Props | ||
---|---|---|
Nikola Jokic | -150 | -149 |
Luka Doncic | +400 | +380 |
Jayson Tatum | +600 | +630 |
Joel Embiid | +750 | +750 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | +1050 | +1075 |
JA Morant | +2500 | +2800 |
Kevin Durant | +3500 | +3400 |
Stephen Curry | +4500 | +4700 |
NBA MVP Prop Bets glare at Nikola Jokic first. There was this crazy notion that the Denver Nuggets Center would fall off slightly this year. That turned out wrong. Jokic won the MVP award twice in a row and is a favorite for the three-peat. With his offensive numbers, it remains hard not to look at the almost seven-foot talent. Simply, so many numbers pop out as other-worldly.
Yes, Jokic leads the league in triple-doubles with 15 through 42 games played. Less seems to be more with the talent, as he is taking fewer shots per game. However, Jokic hits at nearly a 63% rate. Part of that reasoning lies in better shot selection, but a bigger reason may be his maturation. The Serbian basketball player taking his game to a whole other plane is not surprising. As a result, Denver has one of the best records in the NBA.
The only thing that might derail Jokic is an injury. Before people dismiss that, look at the carnage that has been this year’s NBA season. It is why load management rises to the level of ridiculousness. Jokic averages 25.1 points, 9.9 assists, and 11 rebounds per contest. His “Win Share” is 9.5. Denver would be a .500 team without him in the best of scenarios.
Therefore, NBA MVP Prop Bets likes the giant from the Nuggets. Honestly, that -150 number freaks anyone out. The more prudent method may be to take some smaller money shots down the table. There exist some fun, longer shots that could surge in the second half! Let us explain quickly why below.
Why stay away from Luka Doncic when it comes down to the NBA MVP Prop Bets? For as good as Doncic has been, Dallas is still not getting that lift in the standings. It seems they are just as inconsistent as everyone else. The Mavericks possess fewer solid depth pieces than the Nuggets, and that 7.8 win share is still rather good. However, it gets tough to look at the guard.
Before fans go mad over this, think about how good Dallas was when both Doncic and Christian Wood were in the lineup. This was a Mavericks team that could win their division and maybe even get back to the Western Conference Final. As constructed now, Dallas is barely a playoff-caliber team. The numbers overall are insane offensively for Doncic, though. He averages 33.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game.
Now, this race becomes more difficult only because there is that itch to go away from players like Doncic and Jokic. Again, there are other excellent NBA prop bets out there. With so many awards for the taking, there are other ways to get on the awards and some even longer shots.
Again, the NBA MVP Prop Bets highlight Doncic’s best number below.
The NBA MVP Prop Bets inquires how about a slightly used Kevin Durant. Last year, Brooklyn was a total mess with vaccinations and poor play. Steve Nash coached the team into the ground; worse, Durant was disinterested. The fact that Nash started the year was even worse, but the forward waited for his time. When Jacques Vaughn replaced Nash, the Nets and Durant took off.
So, before Durant suffered an injury, Brooklyn rattled off 12 straight wins at one point and almost got to the top of the Eastern Conference. The forward expects to return soon. What does that mean for Brooklyn? Even in his mid-thirties, he has a solid win share of 6.2, which figures to go up in the second half.
Yes, part of the problems with Durant lies with his age and durability. However, when he is in the lineup, Brooklyn elevates their game to the league’s top. That makes the Nets dangerous.
For the NBA MVP Prop Bets, consider that +3500 number now because it could drop quite a bit if Durant gets hot.
Granted, it’s not easy picking NBA MVP Prop Bets. There lie plenty of good choices out there and some unusually juicy odds. Why? This is simple enough. Everything is chaos. What do we mean? Bluntly, with injuries, load management, and so much talent, anyone can step in and go on a run. Now, players like Ja Morant and LeBron James have to be in the running along with Stephen Curry. Any of these three can turn up the heat on Jokic.
Morant intrigues us at +2800 on MyBookie. He averages just over 27 points and nearly eight assists a game while approaching six rebounds a contest. The 23-year-old talent matures right before our eyes and keeps getting better. Some think it is not fast enough, but it is coming.
It’s difficult to ignore Giannis Antetokuonmpo from Milwaukee. He is this generation’s Shaq. The forward averages 30.9, 11.9, and 5.3. When he is on, he is Jokic uncoverable and arguably more dangerous. At +1075, his number is probably the longest we see before the All-Star Break.
Choose more NBA online odds as our heart pick is Durant, but our head says Jokic.
Chris Wassel is someone who has covered a little bit of everything: business, writing, sports, food, grilling, the Olympics, injuries, politics, and more. He has climbed mountains like Mount Washington and Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California, and for those who don’t know, he is also big into food challenges. With friends like Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has tackled eating feats like finishing a 16-pound turkey or a 32-inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, he has focused on fitness, fishing, and sports while managing to fit in running, hiking, rock climbing, and even the occasional mini-triathlon. He can lift more than his body weight with ease and is the person you turn to when you want to know if a NASCAR rain delay means a Monday race. Over his career, Chris has worked at places like Amazon, USA Today, and various rumors and fantasy sports sites. He has been nominated for awards such as the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hockey Writer of the Year and has a collection of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings on display at home. With all this, Chris sums it up best with his motto: "Shut up and play."