NBA MVP 2022 Odds: LeBron James, Chris Paul Are Best Long-Shot Bets

The 2022 NBA MVP race is heating up with less than three months left in the regular season. With no one player separating himself from the rest of the candidates, it’s possible for a long shot to make a real run at the award.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry are the co-favorites at BetMGM with +300 odds to win the MVP award. Joel Embiid (+325) and Nikola Jokic (+375) are not far behind in the race. Ja Morant (+1600) is an MVP candidate, while Kevin Durant’s (+3000) chances continue to slip as he misses more games with a knee injury.

Here’s a look at the best long-shot bets to win the 2022 NBA MVP award.

LeBron James (+3500)

Even in his 19th season, James might still be the best basketball player in the world. The 37-year-old has been on an absolute tear since dealing with minor injuries to start the season. James is averaging 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. James’ 1.6 steals and only 3.1 turnovers per game are his best averages since he last won the MVP award in 2013.

Trailing only Kevin Durant in the race for the scoring title, James has kept the Lakers afloat in the playoff race. James is the oldest player in NBA history to score at least 25 points in 18 straight games. He’s shooting 52.2% from the field.

The Lakers have been a disappointment in the first half of the season. With a 24-24 record, they are in the play-in field and two games out of the latest playoff picture. Anthony Davis’ absence and Russell Westbrook's struggles have hurt James' chances of returning to the Finals.

Davis returned to the team Tuesday in a 106-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets. If a healthy Lakers team can go on a run and earn a top-four seed, James’ candidacy might be hard to deny.

Chris Paul (+8000)

The best player on the best team is almost always in the NBA MVP conversation, making Paul’s odds all the more confusing. Paul is the leader of a Phoenix Suns team that has four fewer losses than anyone else and is on a 66-win pace. Paul’s 14.4 points per game isn’t exactly impressive, but he could score more points if he wanted to do so. The way Paul plays has allowed the Suns to win 80% of their games.

Paul’s 10.2 assists per game rank first in the league, and he only averages 2.4 turnovers per game. By comparison, James Harden and Trae Young are second and third in assists, but turn the ball over more than four times each night. Paul’s 90 steals are also a league high. The Suns are the NBA’s second-best defensive team.

Paul has played in every single game, picking up the slack in the seven games without Deven Booker and the 18 contests that Deandre Ayton has missed. Durant, Embiid, Antetokounmpo, Morant and James have all missed at least 10 games.

Shooting 48.7% from the field, Paul ranks third among all point guards. He runs the NBA’s fourth-most efficient offense. If Phoenix cruises to the No. 1 seed and Paul stays healthy, voters will have to at least consider Paul when filling out their ballots.