If you're a betting man, put your money on Miami Heat superstar LeBron James to be the league's Most Valuable Player this season, the latest odds from a gambling site say.
As reported by the Palm Beach Post Wednesday, the gambling odds site Bovada says that James-who won the award last year on the way to the Heat winning the NBA Championship-is the odds-on favorite to win the award again this year, by a 9/5 spread.
The Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant-who led his team to the NBA Finals in a losing effort to the Heat-is ranked second with 15/4 odds.
And while Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is at No. 4 with 16/1 odds to take the trophy, three top members of the Los Angeles Lakers round out the top six spots as most likely to win the MVP.
Kobe Bryant, ranked No. 3, has 12/1 odds in taking the trophy, while new Lakers Dwight Howard and Steve Nash take the fifth and sixth slots, respectively-Howard and Nash both ranked with 16/1 odds.
Ironically enough, the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Love was ranked No. 8 with 20/1 odds to be the MVP, but he suffered a serious setback Wednesday when he broke his hand. The injury is expected to keep Love, a two-time NBA All-Star, out of action for 6 to 8 weeks.
Sixers' Bynum to Get Injection for Injured Knees
In the latest news of injured superstars in the NBA-move over, Dwight Howard, Ricky Rubio, Derrick Rose and Kevin Love-Philadelphia 76ers new stud in the middle, Andrew Bynum, is due to have an injection in both his knees to get him ready for the regular season.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday that Bynum is due to get an injection of Synvisc-One, a lubricant used for the treatment of osteoarthritis, a disorder related to wear and tear on a joint.
The chemical is described by the Inquirer as "a natural substance that lubricates and cushions the joints."
Bynum came to Philadelphia this past summer as part of a four-team megadeal that sent Dwight Howard from Orlando to the Los Angeles Lakers.
When asked if Monday if Bynum would be ready for the start of the season, Sixers head coach Doug Collins gave the Inquirer a cautious answer.
"A lot of that is going to be how he responds to increased activity," Collins said. "I know how important the home opener is, but we're not going to do anything silly and have another setback where it costs you and now you have to miss those kinds of games."