FIBA Basketball World Cup Odds: Knicks' Jalen Brunson MVP Favorite?

Oddsmakers have high hopes for New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, which begins in Asia this week.

No one's sleeping on Jalen Brunson's MVP case this time around.

Following a breakout season in his first year on the New York Knicks' four-year, $104 million contract, the point guard is one of the star attractions of the United States men's national basketball team's bid for gold at Asia's upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup. The tournament tips off this week, with the Americans opening a three-game pool play slate on Saturday morning against New Zealand in Manila (8:40 a.m. ET, ESPN2).

Brunson broke out on another solid run in the Americans' five-game exhibition lead-up to the tournament, which will mark his first tour with the national senior team. Oddsmakers at BetOnline have high hopes for his maiden voyage, as the point guard currently holds the second-best chance to win the tournament's MVP award at 11-2. 

Only American teammate Anthony Edwards has better odds, as his 2-1 tops all participants. Team USA reps sweep the top five spots, with Brandon Ingram (8-1), Tyrese Haliburton (9-1), and Mikal Bridges (10-1) following behind them. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the top-rated non-American, posting 12-1 odds for Team Canada. 

Knicks representation lingers further down the MVP list: French star Evan Fournier is tied with teammate Rudy Gobert and Spain's Willy Hernangomez for third-best MVP odds amongst European competitors behind Slovenia's Luka Doncic and Serbia's Bogdan Bogdanović while Gilgeous-Alexander's Canadian teammate RJ Barrett is listed at 28-1.

Prognosticators are a little more optimistic about Barrett and Fournier competing for the international scoring title: Barrett and Fournier, whose countries do battle on Friday morning in Jakarta (9:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+) round out the top 10 alongside Ingram, the trio tied at 16-1. Brunson's 12-1 odds are in another three-way tie, this one for eighth with Jordan Clarkson (Philippines) and Karl Anthony-Towns (Dominican Republic). Gilgeous-Alexander is the leader for the scoring title at 13-4. 

Opening odds favor all active Knicks participants to move on to the knockout tournament round in their respective groups: Brunson's Americans, which also includes Josh Hart, is a heavy favorite in Group C at 1-22/-2200 ahead of Greece (8-1), New Zealand (40-1), and Jordan (80-1) while Barrett's Canadians (5-6/-120) edge out Fournier's French (1-1) in Group H, beating out Kristaps Porzingis-less Latvia (18-1) and Lebanon (150-1)

View the latest odds at BetOnline here.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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