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Most people in Philadelphia are simply worried about Joel Embiid making it through a season with all his limbs healthy. Don’t tell that to the people putting their money down in Las Vegas, because Embiid is surging up the MVP betting odds list.
According to Bovada, Embiid currently sits at +5000 on the betting list, tied with Damian Lillard, Demar DeRozan, and Kyrie Irving on the chart. Here’s what that full list looks like:
2017-18 NBA MVP Odds (August)
| Russell Westbrook (OKC) | 350 |
|---|---|
| Russell Westbrook (OKC) | 350 |
| Kevin Durant (GS) | 450 |
| Kawhi Leonard (SAN) | 650 |
| LeBron James (CLE) | 750 |
| James Harden (HOU) | 800 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | 850 |
| Steph Curry (GS) | 1100 |
| Anthony Davis (NOP) | 1600 |
| Isaiah Thomas (BOS) | 2500 |
| Paul George (OKC) | 2500 |
| Chris Paul (HOU) | 2500 |
| John Wall (WAS) | 3300 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 3300 |
| DeMarcus Cousins (NOP) | 3300 |
| Blake Griffin (LAC) | 4000 |
| Nikola Jokic (DEN) | 4000 |
| Damian Lillard (POR) | 5000 |
| Demar Derozan (TOR) | 5000 |
| Joel Embiid (PHI) | 5000 |
| Kyrie Irving (CLE) | 5000 |
| Draymond Green (GS) | 6000 |
| Ben Simmons (PHI) | 6600 |
| Gordon Hayward (BOS) | 7000 |
| Carmelo Anthony (NYK) | 7500 |
| Jimmy Butler (MIN) | 7500 |
| Andrew Wiggins (MIN) | 7500 |
| Kyle Lowry (TOR) | 10000 |
| Kevin Love (CLE) | 10000 |
| Kristaps Porzingis (NYK) | 10000 |
| Kemba Walker (CHA) | 15000 |
| Marc Gasol (MEM) | 15000 |
| Paul Millsap (DEN) | 15000 |
| Mike Conley (MEM) | 20000 |
| Bradley Beal (WAS) | 20000 |
| Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) | 25000 |
| Andre Drummond (DET) | 25000 |
| Dwight Howard (CHA) | 25000 |
| Hassan Whiteside (MIA) | 25000 |
| Jeff Teague (MIN) | 25000 |
You’ll notice another important name on that list—Sixers rookie Ben Simmons, who is currently sitting at +6600 odds, ahead of All-Star caliber players like Jimmy Butler, Gordon Hayward, and yes, Paul “Who” Millsap. This is probably more of a reflection of how overzealous Sixers fans are right now, which you can infer by how many Timberwolves are on the list, too. Jeff freaking Teague is getting odds!
But hot damn, “The Sixers have two guys on MVP watch” is a pretty crazy sentence to type after years of being ignored by the public (unless it was to criticize the team’s plan). I wouldn’t count on either one of these guys winning the award this year, but this is the caliber of player and prospect the Process was all about, and it’s pretty damn sweet to see people taking notice.