Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James reportedly became the latest player to become the betting favorite to win MVP in most sportsbooks for the 2020-21 season. According to Doug Kezirian of ESPN, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook was the first to list James as the frontrunner with a 4-1 odds of landing the league's top individual honor.

This came after his stellar performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. He posted 46 points on 7-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc along with eight rebounds and six assists. His production led the Lakers to a 115-108 victory and tighten their grip on the top spot in the Western Conference.

SuperBook head NBA oddsmakers Jeff Sherman also bared that James playing at an advanced age of 36 years old would help sway more votes in his favor, considering that he lost out on the award last season.

“People have to be more in awe of what he's doing the older he gets. I think that has to play in some voters' minds. I think that could sway some people who didn't vote for him last year,” Sherman told ESPN.

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James is currently averaging 25.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists through 18 games played thus far. The decreased production of Anthony Davis along with his occasional absences in games ultimately helped James gain more ground in the betting proceedings.

“The expectation was that he was going to miss some time and take it easy and get ready for the playoffs. Him not doing that has changed the complexion of the odds,” Sherman said. “Anthony Davis has missed time and kind of just been going through the motions and underperformed. That has helped LeBron's case.”

Another prominent betting outlet in DraftKings currently lists James alongside Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic as co-favorites with 5-1 odds. In addition, James has not won the award since the 2013 season, and him winning the MVP honors this year would place him as the oldest player to ever do so.

LeBron James would also be joining an elite club composed of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and Bill Russell as the only players to have successfully won the award at least five times in their respective careers.