2024 Men’s Olympic Basketball Odds: LeBron James Favored Over Kevin Durant for Tournament MVP

LeBron James is the current favorite to win the MVP in the 2024 Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament.

United States star Lebron James (6) reacts after a play in the third quarter. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Team USA is widely expected to take home the gold medal in basketball at the 2024 Olympics, sitting as a massive -500 favorite.

Because of that, the Americans naturally are expected to have the Tournament MVP on their roster as well, but that market is a lot more interesting from a betting perspective.

USA Men's Basketball is -500 @DraftKings to win gold at the Olympics. Here's why @peterdewey2 thinks they'll do it. pic.twitter.com/IK3Iv606M6

— SI Betting (@SI_Betting) July 28, 2024

After Team USA dominated Serbia in its opening pool play matchup on Sunday, LeBron James has moved to the favorite to win the Tournament MVP at +120 odds. He's followed by Kevin Durant, France superstar Victor Wembanyama and Stephen Curry.

Wemby had a big showing in France's opening pool play victory as well, but the French aren't nearly as talented as this edition of Team USA.

James had a massive showing in the opener, but could there be value on the board in the latest odds?

2024 Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament MVP Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• LeBron James: +120
• Kevin Durant: +400
• Victor Wembanyama: +1300
• Stephen Curry: +1300
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: +1500
• Anthony Edwards: +1800
• Nikola Jokic: +2000
• Jrue Holiday: +2500
• RJ Barrett: +3000
• Josh Giddey: +3000

LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant: Who Will Win Tournament MVP?

After missing all the build up to the Olympics due to a calf strain, Durant returned to action on Sunday -- coming off the bench -- and showed why he is the all-time leading scorer in USA Men's Basketball history.

Durant shot 8-for-8 from the field in the first half and finished the game with 23 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.

The all-time leading 🇺🇸 #USABMNT scorer keeps on adding to his tally.#Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/19SI6WKlxp

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 28, 2024

Even though he only played 17 minutes, Durant was magnificent, helping Team USA break out of an early hole (Serbia started the game on a 10-2 run).

However, as great as KD played, James was right there with him.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar had 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists while shooting 9-for-13 from the field in the win. James also played the most minutes of anyone on Team USA -- something that should benefit him when it comes to putting up the necessary numbers to win this award.

Even though Durant was the leading scorer for Team USA, James certainly has the inside track to MVP right now based on the odds and the fact that Durant is still working himself back from injury. Team USA isn't going to want to push him too much in pool play, especially since the toughest game in Group C (against Serbia) is already out of the way.

A lot could change in this market over the next few games, so I wouldn't fault bettors for staying away from James at nearly even money. However, if you're looking to bet on Team USA to win gold, taking an MVP pick may be a better way to wager on the Americans rather than laying the -500 price on their team future.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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