Top Contenders to Win the 2022 NBA MVP Award

The top online sportsbooks have already started to release NBA futures odds for next season. The Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers top the list as +300 co-favorites to win the 2022 NBA Championship.

NBA Sportsbooks

The Milwaukee Bucks are third on that list as defending champions with +900 betting odds. The one thing that each of these three teams have in common is NBA star power. This is reflected in the NBA futures odds to win league MVP honors in the 2022 season.

Favorites to Win the 2022 NBA MVP Award

Realistically, any of the top five players on this NBA futures board (What Is a Futures Bet?) has a chance to win. Luca Doncic (+450) gets the slight edge as a rising star in this league. However, he would probably need to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a top seed in the Western Conference to secure enough votes.

Kevin Durant stands out as a +750 value pick playing for the Brooklyn Nets in the same way that LeBron James is always a factor for whichever team he is playing for.

The issue with Durant is a strong supporting cast that still has Kyrie Irving and James Harden on the roster. Last time I checked, they still play the game with just one basketball.

NBA Betting Lines

Coming off his MVP performance in the 2021 NBA Finals, Giannis Antetokounmpo adds value to his longer +700 odds. If the Bucks are going to have any chance to repeat, Giannis will once again have to play at a very high level to lockdown his third-career MVP title.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RlAcvefryN0

The most interesting player on the list is Stephen Curry as a +650 second-favorite to win. Curry garnered a pair of MVP trophies in 2015 and 2016 during the Golden State Warriors’ glory days in the league. I see Curry as an interesting pick but I do not like the value in his odds.

Out of the top five players on this list, Philadelphia front-man Joel Embiid could offer the best value. He made a strong run at this honor last season. If the 76ers do decide to part ways with Ben Simmons this offseason, Embiid would really have the spotlight to himself in 2022.

One to Watch

The value in the rest of the betting odds for this NBA futures bet is quickly drained. It is safe to say that one of the top five will capture most of the attention among the people that vote for this award. This makes it extremely difficult for another player to rise from the ranks.

If you were looking to take a flyer on a value pick at much longer odds, the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young at +1600 may fit the bill coming off a strong performance in this season’s playoffs.

Expert NBA Predictions

2022 NBA MVP Futures Betting Lines

Luka Doncic +450

Stephen Curry +650

Giannis Antetokounmpo +700

Kevin Durant +750

Joel Embiid +850

LeBron James +900

Damian Lillard +1200

James Harden +1400

Nikola Jokic +1400

Jayson Tatum +1600

Russell Westbrook +1600

Trae Young +1600

Devin Booker +2000

Anthony Davis +2800

Zion Williamson +2800

Paul George +3300

Bradley Beal +4000

Donovan Mitchell +4000

Ja Morant +4000

Kawhi Leonard +4000

Kyrie Irving +4000

Khris Middleton +6000

Chris Paul +6600

Jaylen Brown +6600

Jimmy Butler +6600

Julius Randle +6600

Karl-Anthony Towns +6600

Klay Thompson +6600

Ben Simmons +8000

Jamal Murray +8000

Zach Lavine +8000

Anthony Edwards +10000

Bam Adebayo +10000

Domantas Sabonis +10000

LaMelo Ball +10000

Brandon Ingram +15000

CJ McCollum +15000

DeMar DeRozan +15000

Tobias Harris +15000

Christian Wood +20000

DeAaron Fox +20000

Deandre Ayton +20000

Fred VanVleet +20000

John Wall +25000

Jrue Holiday +25000

Kristaps Porzingis +25000

Kyle Lowry +25000

Malcolm Brogdan +25000

Michael Porter Jr. +25000

Nikola Vucevic +25000

Cash in big this season by betting on NBA player props.