2019 NBA MVP Odds: James Harden Favorite After Dropping 44 on Warriors

Houston Rockets guard James Harden propelled himself atop the MVP race with a single shot.

Bleacher Report Betting shared the latest NBA MVP odds from SuperBook USA, and Harden was the favorite at plus-175 (bet $100 to win $175). He checked in ahead of Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (plus-250) following Thursday's incredible performance against the Golden State Warriors.

The reigning MVP capped off a triple-double performance of 44 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds with a game-winning three-pointer over two defenders in the final seconds of overtime to give his team a 135-134 victory.

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The shot came after officials missed a call on the Warriors' previous possession that saw Kevin Durant go well out of bounds to save a ball before Stephen Curry hit a go-ahead jumper.

It was the second time Harden played the hero role in crunch time, as he drilled a three-pointer in the final minute of regulation to tie the contest against the defending champions and force overtime.

Harden has been a regular in the MVP discussion of late, winning the coveted trophy last season and finishing in second place in voting in 2016-17 and 2014-15. He is in the middle of a red-hot streak that has seen him score more than 40 points in five straight games and more than 30 points in 11 straight. He also has four triple-doubles and a 50-point showing in the last 11 contests.

As a result, the Rockets are 11-1 in their last 12 and have moved from outside the Western Conference playoff picture into the fourth seed and just 3.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the top spot.

If Harden continues to play like this, he will take home back-to-back MVP awards and serve as the primary threat to the Warriors come playoff time.