2019 NBA MVP Odds: Luka Doncic Continues to Rise; Giannis Still the Favorite

Congratulations to those gamblers who put MVP bets on Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic before he started taking over the league.

As B/R Betting shared, Caesars Sportsbook opened betting on Doncic's MVP prospects at +1,800 (bet $100 to win $1,800) before the odds rose to +4,000 at one point. He is now listed at +250, behind only Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo's +180 mark.

There is plenty working in Doncic's favor.

For one, his Mavericks are winning at 13-6 on the season. That is good enough for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and just one game behind the second-seeded Denver Nuggets. Considering Dallas missed the playoffs the last three seasons, battling near the top of the Western Conference with the second-year playmaker leading the way is notable.

He is also stuffing the stat sheet and is averaging 30.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.5 steals a night through 19 games even though he is the primary focus of the opposing defense every time out.

Doncic has scored more than 40 points in three of his last seven games, taking significant strides as a scorer and someone who can extend his game beyond the arc or attack the basket. His willingness to facilitate to teammates when opposing defenses collapse has also helped the Mavericks remain in playoff position in the early going.

His role as the clear-cut top option could also work to his advantage. LeBron James (with Anthony Davis) and James Harden (with Russell Westbrook) are splitting crunch-time opportunities with co-stars.

Antetokounmpo is in a similar situation as the only superstar in Milwaukee and will be difficult to dethrone as the reigning MVP, but Doncic is off to an ideal start for bettors in his corner.