Zion Williamson Might Be The Best Bet To Win The 2022-23 NBA MVP Award

As of this moment, the betting favorites to win the 2022-23 NBA MVP award are Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Steph Curry and Joel Embiid. The first four names on that list also happen to be pretty far ahead of the last. However, the season is still extremely young and there will be a lot of movement on the awards front. And one person that we're keeping close tabs on is Zion Williamson, who can be had at +5000 if you look hard enough — with FanDuel Sportsbook being one of the places offering him at that price. 

One of the most important things when looking for an MVP candidate is finding somebody on a good team, and the New Orleans Pelicans certainly qualify there. The Pelicans are currently in first place in the Western Conference and they don't appear to be slowing down soon. New Orleans has won each of its last seven games, and the team is also 9-1 in its last 10. This looks like a group that is ready to make some serious noise in the playoffs this year, with Zion being the main reason for that. 

Once you have the team success out of the way, you simply want a guy that is balling out on a regular basis. Zion is doing exactly that right now, as he's averaging 25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 32.8 minutes per game. Zion is also shooting a ridiculous 60.9% from the field, and he is also in the midst of a stretch that is seeing him playing his best ball of the season. In December, Zion is averaging 29.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and he is coming off a pair of 35-point performances against a very good Phoenix Suns team. 

💪 35 PTS
💪 8 REB
💪 7 straight @PelicansNBA wins@Zionwilliamson came up BIG for the Pels today! pic.twitter.com/VeZno7mpGl

— NBA (@NBA) December 12, 2022

Zion is just impossible for opposing teams to cover, as he looks the part of an NFL linebacker and has the quickness of an NBA guard. That gives the southpaw the ability to blow by bigger defenders off the dribble, or simply use his size to muscle smaller players out of the way. When you add in the fact that he can jump out of the gym, it isn't hard to see why Zion is just a tremendous threat to score when attacking the rim. He's also unstoppable when he has the rock in transition. 

As the 22-year-old continues to terrorize his opponents, the national media will start to cover him as an MVP candidate, but that's why we're imploring you to get in on the action now. Not only is Zion good enough to win the award on his own merits, but he is also a sentimental pick after having missed the entire 21-22 season with an injury. That type of stuff goes a long way when you consider the media's influence on awards like this one, so you're going to see these odds dropping rapidly once they start talking about him more. And truth be told, it's getting late early with this pick. 

Zion is also a player that was built for the SportsCenter Top 10, as he throws down awesome dunks almost every night. That might not sound like something that should matter when searching for the most valuable player in basketball, but sometimes voters can be a little influenced by players that bring joy to the game and the fans that watch it. Zion, who plays above the rim and also plays with a lot of passion, absolutely does that. 

If you aren't ready to throw a big chunk of your bankroll on Zion to win the MVP award, we completely understand. However, we do think you'll regret not having this when his odds are down in the +1000 to +1500 range in a few weeks. And the reality is that you can find plenty of sportsbooks that are willing to match your deposit and give you a risk-free play on a future like this one. And bets with huge payouts are what you want to be using your free plays on. 

Not everybody has the ability to use a risk-free bet of up to $1,000 on a +5000 shot, but you might want to think about making a $200 bet on Zion winning MVP as your first wager. That type of play could have you looking at a five-figure payout. You could also cash the bet out early if his odds drop and you're not willing to let it ride on him being the actual winner.