World Series odds are getting a lot of attention
right now, so you may have missed the beginning of the NBA season, which tipped
off Tuesday night with a massive matchup between Boston and Cleveland. Last
year’s MVP, the Cavaliers’ LeBron James, got off to a big start, and everyone
figures that the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and the Heat’s Dwyane Wade will be the
ones to challenge James, but who are the darkhorses?
Carmelo Anthony,
Denver
Chauncey Billups is probably the MVP of the Nuggets, but if
Anthony can continue to learn from Billups, his talent will have him in the MVP
running. There may not be a better offensive talent to watch than Anthony, who
was eighth in the league in scoring last year and makes it look so effortless.
He just needs to show more consistently on the glass and the defensive end of
the floor to boost his NBA MVP odds in your sportsbook.
Chris Paul, New
Orleans
After finishing second to Bryant in the 2007-08 MVP race,
Paul’s Hornets were hurt by injuries and last year didn’t go as planned. But
Paul could be an annual candidate for this award because, quite frankly, the
Hornets will not do ANYTHING without him on the floor. Paul led the league in
assists and steals while finishing seventh in points, and he’s easily the best
in the league at arguably the most important position. If the Hornets get back
up near the top of the West, Paul will get MVP votes.
Brandon Roy, Portland
Now that Andre Miller is in town to run the point, that
frees up Roy to do what he does best, and that’s score. Roy was 10th
in the league last year, and you can expect that number to go up, and his
ability to go to the hole (and finish) with either hand gives him an advantage
over most defenders. He’s also improving as a defender, which is crucial at the
two-guard spot. He’s also underrated from long distance, which stretches the
defense. The Trailblazers are one of the trendy sports picks
to be a sleeper in the West, and Roy is the main reason why.
Kevin Garnett, Boston
KG is the only player on this list to already have an MVP
award, as he won in 2004. However, we saw how valuable his knee gave out in
February and he missed virtually all of the second half as well as the
playoffs. The Celtics dearly missed his defensive intensity, which was the
reason they won the championship two years ago. If KG comes back healthy, and
the Celtics finish first in a tough and top-heavy East, online betting players
should run to bet the farm on Garnett.
Kevin Durant,
Oklahoma City
This is the longshot of them all, because chances are, your
team has to make the playoffs and Durant’s Thunder probably won’t do that. But we
all can’t wait to see the next evolution of Durant, who finished sixth in the
league in his second season, while his rebounds and steals went up while
playing less games. Durant could easily lead the league in scoring and no one
would bat an eye, as he can score from literally anywhere on the floor (see his
win in the All-Star Weekend HORSE competition for proof). If the Thunder
somehow manage to squeeze their way into the playoffs, Durant will get MVP
consideration, and it’ll also set off a barrage of Washington Nationals World Series
picks for next year.