posted October 29, 2009 at 13:40 EST in NBA Props
2009-10 NBA MVP Odds – James, Bryant, Wade and More
The 2009-10 NBA season is just under way in and thanks to the oddsmakers at BetUS.com, NBA betting fanatics everywhere can cash in on another fun-filled season-long NBA Futures.
This time, avid BetUS sports betting fanatics can cash in by correctly picking the winner of this season’s NBA MVP award.
With the 2009-2010 NBA season already under way, its time to profile the contenders.
Past MVP Winners
- 2008-09 LeBron James
- 2007-08 Kobe Bryant
- 2006-07 Dirk Nowitzki
- 2005-06 Steve Nash
- 2004-05 Steve Nash
- 2003-04 Kevin Garnett
- 2002-03 Tim Duncan
- 2001-02 Tim Duncan
- 2000-01 Allen Iverson
To Win MVP Award Odds
My Top Ten Contenders – I’m going on record right now to say that one of these guys will win this season’s MVP award.
Carmelo Anthony +1000
Anthony averaged 22.8 points per game last season, his lowest average since his second season in the league. But ironically, he earned a lot more respect from basketball fans, analysts and coaches for his new commitment toward defense. If the Nuggets shine again this season and Anthony continues playing hard at both ends of the floor, the MVP award could happen.
Chris Paul +1000
Paul finished second in MVP voting in 2007-08 and fifth last season, but may take another step backwards in the MVP voting race as the New Orleans Hornets are expected to struggle a bit more than they have in recent seasons in the strong Western Conference. However, Paul is so good, it’s certainly not out of the question.
Dirk Nowitzki +1200
Nowitzki won the award in 2006-07 and finished 10th in MVP voting last season – and could be right back at the top of the barrel if he has another fantastic season statistically and helps turn the Mavericks into legitimate title contenders.
Dwight Howard +800
Howard finished fourth in MVP voting last season and could climb even higher this season if the Orlando Magic contend for another NBA title like I expect them to. Howard won the 2008-09 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award and will undoubtedly have a have a chance to win his first MVP award this coming season.
Dwayne Wade +500
Wade finished third in the race for last season’s MVP award after putting up 30.2 points per game to win last season’s scoring title. The only thing that kept him from winning the league’s MVP award was the fact that the Miami Heat were mostly mediocre as they continued their rebuilding process around Wade, which will be the same scenario this coming season. Still, Wade will have a chance – if his body doesn’t break down first.
Kobe Bryant +350
Bryant won the MVP award in 2007-08 and finished second in the voting process last season and will be right back in the mix to win the MVP award this season with the Lakers trying to defend the NBA title they won last season. Bryant has finished in the top five in MVP voting in a whopping seven consecutive seasons while finishing in the top three on three of those occasions.
LeBron James +275
James won the first MVP award of his short career last season and will undoubtedly be in the running to win it again as the Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to be a title-contending team once again this coming season. James is undoubtedly the best all-around player on the planet and will likely have multiple opportunities to win the league’s annual MVP award until the day he decides to hang up his sneakers.
Tim Duncan +1200
Duncan is a two-time MVP winner (2002-03) but hasn’t finished in the top five in voting in three consecutive seasons despite remaining an annual all-star player. I’m not sure that Duncan is ever going to be an MVP-caliber player again as he is closer to the end of what has been a Hall of Fame career. Still, if the San Antonio Spurs challenge the Lakers for the Western Conference crown and Duncan is the leading factor in their return to prominence, he will undoubtedly get his share of votes.
Brandon Roy +1500
In three seasons in the league, Roy has now established himself as a perennial all-star shooting guard and his next step is to move into superstar status. After finishing ninth in the MVP voting last season, Roy should be able to make a move up in the voting process with another standout season, but winning the award may be asking a bit too much.
Kevin Garnett +3000
Garnett won the league’s MVP award in 2003-04 and finished third in 2007-08, but didn’t crack the top ten last year as his season was ended by a knee injury. Garnett could get his share of votes if he can lead the Celtics back to the promised land this season, though it’s more likely he’ll be in the running to defend his 2007-08 Defensive Player of the Year award.
Tony Parker +1600
Parker finished eighth in the MVP voting race last season, but like Duncan, could rise even higher if the Spurs vault back into championship title contention and Parker is the biggest reason why.
The Rest
- Amare Stoudemire +3000
- Carlos Boozer +3000
- Chris Bosh +3000
- Danny Granger +3000
- Deron Williams +2000
- Gilbert Arenas +2500
- Joe Johnson +5000
- Kevin Durant +3000
- Pau Gasol +3000
- Paul Pierce +3000
- Shaquille O'Neal +2000
- Steve Nash +3000
Analysis: I think this year’s MVP race will basically boil down to another three-way fight to the finish between LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, with Carmelo Anthony possibly in the mix as well depending on how well the Denver Nuggets do in the Western Conference.
However, in the end, I think it’s going to come down to a two-man race between James and Bryant with each player leading his team into title contention once again.
This time around, I like Bryant to take back the MVP title as he continues to display the total all-around game he showed last season as he lowered his scoring average in an effort to help include and improve all of his teammates in their title quest.
While James will undoubtedly have a chance to win this season’s award, I believe he may struggle a bit initially as he tried to adjust to the idea of playing with aging center Shaquille O’Neal who will want his share of touches in the low post despite his advancing age.
Prediction: Kobe Bryant
