The NBA season is just a few weeks away from beginning, as media days have commenced and training camp is now underway across the league. While there was one last minute blockbuster before camp got started — Karl-Anthony Towns was traded to the Knicks in a deal that hasn’t been finalized just yet — the rosters in camp should be the rosters we see on the floor when the season starts.
Many fans start to really lock in on the upcoming season and try to predict what is going to happen right around now. For the betting inclined, that means taking a look at win totals, conference and title futures, and awards odds. Here, we’re going to look at awards odds and, more specifically, find the best odds possible for each player (or coach) in the consensus top 10 in each category.
Legal sports betting has seen a lot of books pop up, and shopping lines across multiple books is the one way for bettors to take advantage of a marketplace that is designed to put you at a disadvantage. In this space, we looked at awards odds from four major sportsbooks — BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and ESPNBet — and highlighted the place with the best odds for you, the bettor.
Most Valuable Player
Luka Doncic +370 (DraftKings)
Nikola Jokic +425 (BetMGM)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +500 (FanDuel, DK)
Joel Embiid +725 (MGM)
Giannis Antetokounmpo +1000 (MGM)
Anthony Edwards +1300 (MGM)
Jalen Brunson +1800 (DK)
Victor Wembanyama +2300 (FD)
Jayson Tatum +2500 (MGM)
Ja Morant +4000 (DK)
At the top, there are very slim margins (Doncic, for example, is +350 to +370 everywhere) but down the board you can find some pretty big discrepancies. The biggest on the MVP odds sheet is Jalen Brunson’s DraftKings number (+1800), when he’s consensus +1000 at the other three.
Rookie of the Year
Zach Edey +550 (DK, ESPNBet)
Reed Sheppard +750 (MGM)
Zaccharie Risacher +900 (FD)
Stephon Castle +1000 (DK, FD, ESPN)
Alex Sarr +1000 (MGM, DK, FD)
Matas Buzelis +1000 (MGM, DK, FD, ESPN)
Dalton Knecht +1300 (MGM, FD)
Bub Carrington +1500 (FD)
Donovan Clingan +2000 (FD, ESPN)
Rob Dillingham +2000 (FD)
The ROY odds feature the only consensus player across all of the awards odds in Matas Buzelis, of all players. The biggest edge on the board is at the bottom, where Wolves guard Rob Dillingham ranges from +1400 at ESPN to +2000 at FanDuel.
Defensive Player of the Year
Victor Wembanyama -160 (FD)
Rudy Gobert +1300 (MGM, DK)
Chet Holmgren +1600 (DK)
Bam Adebayo +1700 (FD)
Evan Mobley +2200 (FD)
Jaren Jackson Jr +2500 (FD, ESPN)
Anthony Davis +2500 (MGM, FD, ESPN)
OG Anunoby +3000 (MGM, DK)
Giannis Antetokounmpo +4000 (MGM)
Joel Embiid +5000 (MGM, FD, ESPN)
The only award with a player that is an odds-on favorite is DPOY, where you are laying money to bet Victor Wembanyama. Even so, there are -250s out there trying to take your money, so shop it to the -160 number if you’re so inclined. Because of Wemby’s status as favorite, there are some value plays down the board, including Bam Adebayo, who is as low as +1200 at MGM and +1700 at FanDuel.
Sixth Man of the Year
Malik Monk +575 (MGM)
Naz Reid +1100 (MGM)
Caris LeVert +1400 (MGM, FD)
Jordan Clarkson +1600 (FD)
Norman Powell +1700 (MGM)
Buddy Hield +1800 (FD)
Donte DiVincenzo +1800 (ESPN)
Alex Caruso +2000 (MGM, DK)
Bobby Portis +2200 (FD)
Jaime Jaquez Jr. +2500 (DK)
Sixth Man and MIP have the most volatile odds sheet, and if you’re betting anyone for either award, you best take your time to shop. Malik Monk is a consensus favorite, but he’s +425 at DK and +575 at MGM, so there are still edges to be found there. You can also find huge discrepancies down the board, with Jaime Jaquez being +2500 at DK but +1200 at FD and ESPN, while Alex Caruso is +2000 at MGM and DK but is as short as +800 at FanDuel.
Most Improved Player
Victor Wembanyama +750 (DK)
Jonathan Kuminga +1400 (DK)
Evan Mobley +1200 (FD, ESPN)
Jalen Johnson +1800 (DK)
Josh Giddey +1800 (MGM)
Jalen Williams +2000 (DK)
Brandin Podziemski +2500 (DK)
Immanuel Quickley +3000 (ESPN)
Scottie Barnes +3000 (MGM, ESPN)
Cade Cunningham +3400 (FD)
Jalen Green +3500 (DK)
MIP has a bit more of a consensus at the top with Wemby, Kuminga, and Mobley, but it also has some big swings down the board, where you can get Jalen Green at +3500 at DK when he’s +2000 at MGM.
Coach of the Year
Ime Udoka +900 (ESPN)
Tom Thibodeau +1000 (DK)
Taylor Jenkins +1400 (DK)
Jamahl Mosley +1500 (FD)
Nick Nurse +1500 (DK)
Chris Finch +1500 (DK)
Joe Mazzulla +1600 (MGM)
Mark Daigneault +1600 (MGM)
Gregg Popovich +1800 (DK, ESPN)
Erik Spoelstra +2000 (FD, ESPN)
The COY odds are a bit more like the MVP numbers, where there’s a closer consensus throughout, but you can find a few edges, even with the favorites. Thibs’ odds are +700 across three of the books, but DK has him at +1000 as the second favorite to Udoka.