NBA All-Star Game 2012 Odds to be Named MVP: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant Favorites

Belmont.com had the latest NBA All-Star Game 2012 odds to be named MVP with three co-favorites at 5/1 odds:  Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.  You can find these MVP odds and all wagering on this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend at Belmont.com here, and be sure to claim your 25 percent cash bonus when signing up. 

The NBA All-Star game is an entertaining show for fans as players extract themselves from playing defense and just go out there and have fun lobbing it up and making spectacular plays. This year will be no different, but the All-Star MVP is still a coveted piece of hardware among the players. To be the best of the best is something great to look back on when a career is over and Belmont.com has odds up on all the players.

While the list is too extensive to go through every player, here are a few that should deserve consideration from bettors:

Kobe Bryant (+500) – Bryant won the award last year and while he is always a major contestant for MVP honors, bettors should know that in the history of the NBA All-Star game (first was played in 1951) there has never been a player to win MVP honors in back-to-back season. There have been many players who won the award multiple times, but never in consecutive years, which should make Kobe one to avoid this year.

More Follows Below...

LeBron James (+500) – LeBron is having one of the best statistical seasons of all time (if not the best) and will likely claim MVP honors by season’s end. Why not punctuate it with an All-Star MVP award as well. He has won the award twice in his career already and a third would time him with the likes of Shaq and Jordan. LeBron has been known to look and compare himself to records like that and with the game being played in rival Orlando, he has the motivation to put up a spectacular performance in the building of a rival.

Kevin Durant (+500) – For all the things Durant has already accomplished in his young career, an All-Star MVP is still something he has yet to conquer but this could be his year. This season he has made a conscious effort to pass more and find open teammates, so what better stage to showcase those skills off now than an All-Star game? There is little doubt that an All-Star game MVP is in the cards for Durant’s career, so why not this year?

Blake Griffin (+1000) – Griffin is known for the spectacular and the All-Star game was his coming out party last year with the Slam Dunk competition. He is on a West team that has point guards (including his teammate Chris Paul) that will be more than willing to throw up lob after lob for him to throw down and do phenomenal things. He is considered somewhat as a longshot, but he could surprise some people this year.

- Matt Smith, Special to Gambling911.com