The Suns and Joel Embiid are the favorites to win the NBA Title and MVP, respectively. But should you back them or a sleeper pick?
Today, we’re talking about basketball. No pro games will be played until next Thursday as the league takes its mid-season hiatus for All-Star Weekend festivities in Cleveland, but there’s stil plenty to discuss.
With teams off for almost an entire week, it’s the perfect time to take stock off where things stand in the NBA. Who’s the favorite to win it all? Is there a runaway MVP candidate? Where does the Defensive Player of the Year race stand? I answered all of that and more in my NBA betting futures series and made the case for a few players or teams for each category.
Without further ado, let’s do that basketball (and a little bit of NFL and fantasy football).
NBA Action
Embiid Listed as Favorite to Win First MVP
Matt Slocum/AP
76ers center Joel Embiid has been carrying the team all by himself to a top-three record in the East. That was with no Ben Simmons in the first half of the season and no James Harden yet. Embiid went into the All-Star break on a high note, hanging 42 points on the Bucks in a win. Still, former MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are bearing down on him and a few sleeper candidates like Ja Morant, DeMar DeRozan and Luka Doncic are gaining steam. Read the betting case for the favorite, a value bet and a sleeper to win MVP.
Suns, Nets Lead Championship Betting Field: Phoenix is the favorite to not only get back to the Finals but to win the whole thing this time around, and Brooklyn isn’t far behind. Which teams stand in their way and which sleeping giants could pose a threat?
Gobert in Search of Fourth DPOY Award: Jazz center Rudy Gobert is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and he’s the betting favorite to win the award once again. The field for this honor is muddled with Antetokounmpo and a couple of first-time contenders who should also be considered.
Morant Locked in as Most Improved Favorite: The leap Grizzlies guard Ja Morant took from Year 2 to Year 3 is nothing short of incredible. He became an All-Star starter and he’s expected to be named Most Improved Player. Morant isn’t the only player that upped his game, though. One of his teammates is even putting together a respectable case for the honor.
Tony Gutierrez/AP
No. 3 Pick Mobley Has Best ROY Odds: Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley was integral to the quick turnaround in Cleveland and he has fit right in during his first year in the league. Some flashier players are making their case, but Mobley is heavily favored to win the award.
Herro Making History in Sixth Man Race: Heat guard Tyler Herro is in the process of doing something that’s only been done a few times in NBA history: average 20 PPG off the bench. In doing so, he’s staving off the competition for best player off the bench.
What Stood Out in the First Half of the Season: Chris Herring highlights the good and bad around the NBA ahead of the All-Star Game including Embiid’s dominance, the Lakers’ uninspiring play, the Grizzlies’ ascent to the league’s upper echelon and more.
NFL and Fantasy Football
SI’s Mock Draft 1.0: Jags Pick First, Again
Mark Long/AP
The first iteration of The MMQB’s NFL mock draft is out! The Jaguars, Lions and Texans own the top three picks in a draft with limited top-end quarterback talent and no indisputable No. 1 pick. See how picks 1-32 shake out.
NFL Draft Team Needs: To get an early idea of how the 27 teams with first-round picks will be drafting in late April, Matt De Lima laid out each team’s positional needs. For some of the teams picking at the top of the draft, just about everything is a need.
Projecting McDaniel’s Impact on Dolphins’ Offense: New Miami head coach Mike McDaniel comes over from San Francisco, where he worked with Kyle Shanahan. How will his coaching affect the fantasy viability of Jaylen Waddle, Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of the Dolphins’ skill position players? De Lima has the answers.
That’s all for today. Enjoy your weekend and Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game.