Luka Doncic’s assault on the NBA record book also had a major impact on his pursuit of a first league Most Valuable Player award.
Doncic posted career highs of 60 points and 21 rebounds, dished out 10 assists and converted a put-back with one second left to force overtime in the Dallas Mavericks’ 126-121 win over the visiting New York Knicks on Tuesday.
In the hours after the first 60/20/10 performance in NBA history, oddsmakers reacted by shortening Doncic’s MVP odds.
Entering the game, Doncic was being offered a +450 at DraftKings along with Denver’s two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. After the historic performance, Doncic vaulted past Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (+400) and is now behind only Boston’s Jayson Tatum (+250) as the new year approaches.
Jokic continues to lead the way at the sportsbook with 18 percent of the money bet on the MVP market. However, Doncic leads by a wide margin with 26 percent of the total bets – more than double that of Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid at 13 percent. Doncic is also second with 12 percent of the money backing him.
Doncic has also been the most popular MVP choice at BetMGM, where he leads the way with 13.5 percent of the total bets and 17.0 percent of the money at +400 along with Jokic behind only Tatum at +275.
Jokic beat out Embiid and Antetokounmpo last year to become the 13th player in history to earn consecutive MVP awards.
BetMGM release action reports on Wednesday for several individual NBA honors:
Regular Season MVP
Highest Ticket%: Luka Doncic 13.5%
Highest Handle%: Luka Doncic 17.0%
Biggest Liability: Zion Williamson
Odds Leader: Jayson Tatum +275
Rookie of the Year
Highest Ticket%: Jaden Ivey 24.7%
Highest Handle%: Paolo Banchero 41.2%
Biggest Liability: Jaden Ivey
Odds Leader: Paolo Banchero -700
Sixth Man of the Year
Highest Ticket%: Normal Powell 14.4%
Highest Handle%: Jordan Poole 20.2%
Biggest Liability: Norman Powell
Odds Leader: Russell Westbrook +160
Most Improved Player of the Year
Highest Ticket%: Zion Williamson 14.4%
Highest Handle%: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 19.4%
Biggest Liability: Zion Williamson
Odds Leader: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -175
Defensive Player of the Year
Highest Ticket%: Rudy Gobert 9.1%
Highest Handle%: Giannis Antetokounmpo 17.9%
Biggest Liability: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Odds Leader: Brook Lopez +175
Coach of the Year
Highest Ticket%: Willie Green 24.9%
Highest Handle%: Joe Mazzulla 33.7%
Biggest Liability: Willie Green
Odds Leader: Joe Mazzulla +200
–Field Level Media
