Whether Luka Doncic was the bookmakers’ favorite for the MVP trophy at the start of the regular season, he was quickly overtaken by Jayson Tatumbefore Nikola Jokic take the lead in the race in January.
With his Nuggets leading the Western Conference, and his “triple-double”, the Serbian pivot seemed to be heading for a third consecutive title. Except that things are not going so well in Denver since the All-Star Break. Best attack and 10th best defense before the break, Mike Malone’s squad fell to 10th place in attack and especially to 21st place in defense in the 11 games played since. Consequence: 6 wins for 5 losses over the period.
It could even have been worse because, between the miraculous victory against the Clippers and the controversial one against the Raptors, the results could be much less flattering.
A three-way sprint?
Is it, as DeMarcus Cousins explains, a natural relaxation after the All-Star Break of a team that prances at the top of its conference, with enough margin on its pursuers to no longer feel under pressure? Or something more disturbing? Response in the coming weeks, and especially in the playoffs.
In any case, this slowdown is felt in Las Vegas since at Caesars Sportsbook, 85% of bets last week, and 79% of the money wagered, were on Joel Embiid for the title of MVP!
As a result, the bookmakers have adapted and it is now the Cameroonian who is the overall favorite to clinch the Michael Jordan Trophy, although he remains tied with Nikola Jokic in some. At PointsBet for example, Joel Embiid’s odds are 1.87 while Nikola Jokic’s has dropped to 2.60.
“Money dictates the odds, and customers bet on Embiid”, explains Kevin LawlerHead of Transactions for PoinstBet. “Time will tell if they are right. »
As for Giannis Antetokounmpo, he is also getting closer with odds of 4.00, enough to make this race for the MVP a real three-way race, ultimately much more undecided than expected.
