As the regular season came to a close in April, we knew it was pretty much a two-horse race for the NBA MVP award. Sure, Kawhi Leonard put himself in the conversation, but this season was all about Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
Both players put up historic seasons with mind-boggling numbers:
- Westbrook: 31.6 points, 10.4 assists, 10.7 rebounds
- Harden: 29.1 points, 11.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds
Their back-and-forth season was supposed to culminate in a close, heated MVP race full of debate and speculation -- but apparently this thing is a done deal. According to Bovada, Westbrook is a gigantic favorite to take home the MVP trophy during the NBA Awards Show on Monday night.
2016-17 NBA MVP odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
Russell Westbrook | 1/50 |
James Harden | 6/1 |
Kawhi Leonard | 33/1 |
For those not familiar with gambling, that means if you bet $50 on Westbrook, you'll make just $1 if he wins. Safe bet, for sure, but likely not worth the trouble.
Here are the odds for the other awards that will be presented on Monday night.
2016-17 NBA Rookie of the Year odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
Malcolm Brogdon | 1/4 |
Dario Saric | 3/1 |
Joel Embiid | 9/1 |
2016-17 NBA Coach of the Year odds
| Coach | Odds |
|---|---|
Mike D'Antoni | 1/11 |
Gregg Popovich | 7/1 |
Erik Spoelstra | 7/1 |
2016-17 NBA Sixth Man of the Year odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
Eric Gordon | 1/7 |
Andre Iguodala | 6/1 |
Lou Williams | 6/1 |
Under normal circumstances Brogdon, D'Antoni and Gordon would be considered huge favorites as well, but with that number next to Westbrook's name you have to keep everything in perspective.
