There are so many ways to bet on the NBA during the season. You can bet on all 2,460 regular season matchups. But can also bet on future bets.
The future market is different than betting on a particular game. If you bet on a particular game, you’ll know if you won or lost the bet once that game is over.
However, when it comes to futures, you’ll have to wait for the end of the season to know if you’ve won your wager.
One of the more common future markets at NBA betting sites is the MVP Award. Sports bettors love to sweat out an MVP bet and root for their player.
What Is the MVP Award?
The MVP award is an award that goes to the NBA’s best player. It’s voted on by a panel of 100 voters who are selected by the NBA.
Essentially, you’re not betting on any stats. You’re voting based on what you think the panel of 100 people believes. There’s always some kind of controversy when it comes to awards. Someone is left out or snubbed, and that’s just how it goes.
This year, the NBA made players aware that they can only qualify for the MVP Award with 65 or more games played. This is because the NBA was tired of seeing their star players take load management days and missed multiple games during the season when they were healthy.
Below we’ll discuss, in detail, how to bet on the NBA MVP Award.
Where To Bet On The NBA MVP?
If you’re new to sports betting, you will first need to:
- Open an account with any of the main sportsbooks and deposit money into the account after you verify your information.
- Once you’re logged into your account, go to the sportsbook’s NBA section.
- In the NBA section, in-season, you’ll find game lines, all kinds of different props, team futures, wins/playoff futures, and awards.
- You’ll want to look at the awards section. In the Awards section, you’ll see multiple markets to bet on.
There’s the Rookie of the Year and the NBA MVP.
In this market, there are countless players with odds. You’ll find favorites like Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic at the top and you’ll even be able to bet on players like Julius Randle and Pascal Siakam, who ultimately have no chance at winning the award.
But it shows you how many options there are when it comes to betting on the MVP.
Ranking NBA MVP candidates right now:
10. Tyrese Haliburton
9. Jayson Tatum
8. Kevin Durant
7. Kawhi Leonard
6. LeBron James
5. Luka Doncic
4. Nikola Jokic
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Joel Embiid
1. Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderFull story ➡ https://t.co/VSwW3qy3x0
— SB Nation NBA (Click the pic to read 🔽) (@SBNationNBA) January 3, 2024
Once you find the player you want to bet to win the MVP, look at his odds and decide if there’s value in the play. You can also shop around different books, including offshore, to find the best odds for a certain player.
Value Shopping
Let’s say you want to bet on Devin Booker to win the MVP. He might be +6500 at one book but could be bought at +9000 at another.
If you bet $100, you’d earn $6,500 on +6500 and $9,000 on +9500 for the same exact bet. So make sure you’re getting the best line. Once you know you’ve got the best odds for your player, type in the amount you want to wager and submit the bet.
You’ll have to wait it out all season long. You’ll be hoping your bet-on player doesn’t get injured and puts up career bests.
Odds Are Always Changing
If a player has a crazy good game, he’ll move up the odds board as the likelihood that he wins the MVP is higher than before.
However, if a top player has a poor shooting game, there’s a higher probability that that player will drop down on the odds board.
Most of the time, sportsbooks don’t put too much weight into one game in the NBA. After all, there are 82 games on the slate. But a week or two of struggles will affect a player’s chances to win the MVP Award.
Reasons To Bet a Player
Don’t just bet your favorite player. If you really want to win the award, consider that shooting guards ultimately don’t win the MVP. The center position has won the MVP 42.6% of the time over the last 68 seasons in NBA history.
Meanwhile, the average age of an MVP is about 27 years old over the last 15 seasons. 14 of the last 15 MVPs have been 24-to-28 years old.
Finally, making the playoffs definitely helps players win an MVP. The last three MVP winners have come from teams seeded third, sixth, and third. So you don’t have to be the best player on the best team. But you need to still make the playoffs.
After all, voters love a good story. That always sells and reaches voters’ hearts.
