Pacers maintain championship odds, Paul George out of MVP race?

The Indiana Pacers have steadily moved their way up as the season has progressed as NBA Championship contenders odds makers. Back at the beginning of the New Year, the Pacers were 7/2 favorites to win the NBA Championship, and despite playing less then stellar ball in the 2014 portion of the regular season, the Pacers have maintained the league's top record even sitting on a pair of losses, with Bovada.lv having Indiana at 5/2 odds as the league enters its final 20 games.

The 5/2 odds are currently second best in the NBA, no surprise they trail the Miami Heat, who hold favorable 11/5 odds to complete their third straight championship run. Out West, six teams follow the top two teams in the East, with the Oklahoma City Thunder holding the best odds of any Western Conference team at 15/4, followed by the San Antonio Spurs (11/1), Los Angeles Clippers (12/1), Houston Rockets (16/1), Golden State Warriors (20/1), and Portland Trail Blazers (20/1).

The Pacers are also seen as the second biggest favorite to emerge from the Eastern Conference, posting 11/10 odds, trailing Miami, who sits at 10/13. It's no surprise the Heat and Pacers are so far ahead of the rest of the Eastern Conference in terms of championship expectations, as the Chicago Bulls post distant championship odds of 50/1 and conference championship odds at 25/1.

Despite Indiana remaining a stout championship contender and oddsmaker favorites, Paul George has slipped out of the MVP race according to Bovada, who post odds for only LeBron James and Kevin Durant to take home the hardware. It's no real surprise George has essentially been removed from the MVP picture; especially considering Durant's monster success sans Russell Westbrook and even more following James's career best 61 points earlier this week.

George's shooting numbers have been down across the board since the first two months of the season and his case was surely hurt by him posting a season worst two points on 0-9 shooting on Thursday night against Charlotte. As for the race itself, Durant is seen as a 1/3 favorite with James making his own case at 2/1. Elsewhere, the NBA Rookie of the Year race has also taken a local flare with Victor Oladipo jumping ahead of Michael Carter-Williams as the favorite. Oladipo sits at 5/7 odds with Carter-Williams posting 1/1 odds.

Check out other odds, including division odds and odds of teams making or missing the playoffs:

Odds to win 2014 NBA Championship

Miami Heat                           11/5

Indiana Pacers                         5/2

Oklahoma City Thunder              15/4

San Antonio Spurs                    11/1

Los Angeles Clippers                12/1

Houston Rockets                      16/1

Golden State Warriors               20/1

Portland Trail Blazers                 20/1

Chicago Bulls                          50/1

Brooklyn Nets 66/1

Dallas Mavericks 66/1

Memphis Grizzlies 66/1

Toronto Raptors 66/1

Phoenix Suns 75/1

Washington Wizards 100/1

Atlanta Hawks 250/1

Cleveland Cavaliers 250/1

Detroit Pistons 250/1

Minnesota Timberwolves 250/1

New York Knicks 250/1

Charlotte Bobcats 500/1

Boston Celtics 750/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Eastern Conference

Miami Heat                           10/13

Indiana Pacers                         11/10

Chicago Bulls                          25/1

Toronto Raptors                        28/1

Brooklyn Nets                           33/1

Washington Wizards                  50/1

Atlanta Hawks                          100/1

New York Knicks                       100/1

Cleveland Cavaliers                   125/1

Detroit Pistons                        125/1

Charlotte Bobcats                     200/1

Boston Celtics                        400/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder              5/4

San Antonio Spurs                    9/2

Los Angeles Clippers                11/2

Houston Rockets                      15/2

Golden State Warriors               9/1

Portland Trail Blazers                 9/1

Memphis Grizzlies                     28/1

Dallas Mavericks                      33/1

Phoenix Suns                           40/1

Minnesota Timberwolves            100/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Atlantic Division

Toronto Raptors                        1/4

Brooklyn Nets                           5/2

Odds to win 2014 NBA Northwest Division

Oklahoma City Thunder              1/7

Portland Trail Blazers                 4/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Pacific Division

Los Angeles Clippers                1/7

Golden State Warriors               9/2

Phoenix Suns                           15/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Southwest Division

San Antonio Spurs                    1/5

Houston Rockets                      3/1

2013-14 NBA MVP

Kevin Durant (OKC)                   1/3

LeBron James (MIA)                  2/1       

2013-14 Rookie of the Year      

Victor Oladipo (ORL)                 5/7       

Michael Carter-Williams (PHI)      1/1

Odds to make Playoffs

Will the Atlanta Hawks make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes      1/6

No        4/1

Will the Detroit Pistons make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes      4/1

No        1/6

Will the Dallas Mavericks make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes      1/4

No        5/2

Will the Phoenix Suns make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes      5/7

No        1/1

Will the Memphis Grizzlies make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes      1/1

No        5/7

Will the Minnesota Timberwolves make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes      2/1

No        1/3