Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen's MVP Odds Revealed

So you’re saying there’s a chance for the Utah Jazz star?

The oddsmakers continue to release their future bets for the upcoming season, with Utah Jazz players being dark horses to bring home any sort of award. The latest is from DraftKings, who listed All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen with 80-1 odds to win the 2024 NBA MVP award, while shooting guard Jordan Clarkson is 200-1.

Marrkanen is coming off the heels of winning the Most Improved Player in 2023. In his first year in a Jazz uniform, he averaged a career-high 25.6 ppg while hauling 8.6 rebounds. Those numbers were enough to make Markkanen a starter in his first All-Star game, but apparently, the oddsmakers see him as a long shot to be the 2024 MVP.

DraftKings has 32 players having a better chance than Markkanen to bring home the award, while three players are seen as equals. Jalen Brunson, Zach LaVine, and Mikal Bridges were the players that were also given 80-1 odds.

Clarkson is no stranger to awards, as he won the Sixth Man of the Year in 2021. However, it’s somewhat of a surprise that the oddsmakers gave him a chance to win the NBA’s most prestigious award, although Clarkson did help his cause by posting career-high numbers for the 2022-23 season in points (20.4) and assists (4.4).

If Markkanen or Clarkson have any shot of bringing home the MVP, the Jazz will need to be one of the top seeds in the Western Conference. Although it’s an individual award, it’s given to players on teams that do well in the regular season. The oddsmakers currently have the Jazz slated to win 35 games this year.

The only Jazz player to ever bring the MVP award back to Salt Lake City was Karl Malone in 1997 and 1999.

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