NBA Futures: Best Bets to Win the Most Valuable Player Award in the 2022-23 Season

With the NBA season now two weeks away, we're running through some bets we like on player award futures. The last one on our list is the Most Valuable Player award, which is the most prestigious of all of them. We already did our Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player betting previews, but now we're getting to the one that most people will be looking to bet on. 

Read below as we break down the very best bets to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player award. 

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NBA Futures: Best Bets to Win Most Valuable Player in the 2022-23 Season

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

It's only a matter of time before Luka wins an MVP award, as he's been putting up stupid numbers since the second he stepped foot on an NBA court. Last season, the Slovenian averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game for the Mavericks, and he then averaged 31.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in the postseason.

A legitimate argument can be made that Luka is the best player in the entire league right now, and that's especially true on the offensive end. He's the engine of an elite Mavericks offense that doesn't have anything close to elite talent around him. And that's actually why we like him to win at these odds. 

Without Jalen Brunson on the team, Luka will be asked to do more than ever for this Dallas team. And if the group ends up with home-court advantage in the NBA playoffs, it's going to be hard to argue that anybody was as important to their team as Luka was to his. Dallas asks the world of this 23-year-old and all he does is go out and deliver. 

Bet: Doncic at +475 with Caesars

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies ended up with the second-best record in the Western Conference last season, which came as a surprise to many. Morant missed time during the regular season, which is part of the reason he wasn't at the forefront of the MVP conversation. But if he can stay on the floor for most of this year, he'll surely be in the mix this time around. All it will take is another successful regular-season campaign for Memphis.

Last year, Morant averaged 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game for the Grizzlies. Those are MVP-worthy numbers and it also helps that Morant has an exciting style of play. He makes more plays above the rim than anybody in the league, which is actually important when it comes to an award like this. Morant rarely goes a night without making a huge impact on the highlight reel, which means he's always a topic of conversation. 

It's just a little surprising to see such an impressive offensive talent with odds as favorable as these, especially when we know how high his usage rate is destined to be. This is worth betting on just for the value alone. 

Bet: Morant at +1500 with Caesars

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron's days as the best player in the NBA are over, but he's close enough to the top to warrant a bet at +2500. He's still the most popular player in basketball, which absolutely matters when it comes to an award like this. At his age, he'd be the sentimental pick if it came down to a close decision between him and somebody else. 

LeBron also happens to be putting up big numbers still, as he averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game last year. Those averages are likely to decline a bit with Anthony Davis healthy and an improved supporting cast around him, but LeBron will still have some of the more impressive counting stats in the league when it's all said and done. 

This bet really comes down to whether or not the Lakers can finish in the top half of the Western Conference, but we definitely see it as a possibility. A lot of people have been quick to write off Los Angeles this offseason, but the team made some improvements and has guys that fit around LeBron and Davis. With that in mind, this bet is just too hard to pass up. 

Bet: LeBron at +2500 with Caesars

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Lillard tried to play through an injury early last season, but he ended up shutting it down and getting surgery after only 29 games played. Now, the Blazers star is fully healthy entering this season, and he has a much better group of guys around him. Portland added Jerami Grant in the offseason and also locked Anfernee Simons up with a big extension. 

The Blazers are going to have their work cut out for them if they are going to make the postseason in the Western Conference, but it's definitely a possibility that they will. And if they do, it would largely have to do with the play of Lillard, as it'll take his absolute best for them to reach that level. But this is a guy that has averaged 30.0 points and 8.0 assists per game in a single season, and it was only three years ago that he did that.

If Lillard comes close to touching those previously mentioned numbers and Portland somehow avoids a play-in scenario, you'd regret not holding a +6000 ticket. This play might not be likely to hit, but the number is just disrespectful to a guy that is arguably the best point guard in the league. For that reason, it's worth sprinkling a little on this one. 

Bet: Lillard at +6000 with Caesars