The NBA schedule has entered the back half of the All-Star break, meaning the 2023-24 season will resume later in the week. It’s a good time to check in on the MVP race, which is looking like a forgone conclusion at this point. Here are the latest odds to win the league’s top individual honor for the regular season, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
NBA MVP odds
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Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic is set to win his third MVP honor behind another tremendous season. With Joel Embiid out of the picture, Jokic doesn’t have many challengers as he continues to rack up big numbers. He’s averaging 26.1 points, 12.0 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game, which puts him around his previous two MVP campaigns statistically.
There seem to be two challengers to Jokic, although only one appears to be legitimate enough to actually be worth betting. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points per game to carry his team to the top of the Western Conference, which is a good formula to win MVP. The best player on the best team in the conference should get more consideration. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to be a distant third according to the odds table, but the numbers tell a different story. Milwaukee’s forward is dropping 30-11-6 nightly and has his team near the top of the East. It’s going to be hard to ignore that production, especially if the Bucks go on a run over the final third of the season.
Best bet: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+210)
I do believe voter fatigue is real, and the matchup between Jokic and Embiid for the MVP award qualifies for that particular feeling. Embiid was set to repeat and that narrative might’ve been worthy of creating with both big men going back-to-back, but now that dream is dead. Picking a high-scoring Thunder guard who could potentially have his team win the West isn’t a bad alternative.
Gilgeous-Alexander has great teammates but it’s hard to consider any of them at the level of Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon just yet. If Oklahoma City does finish ahead of Denver, it’ll be difficult to justify voting Jokic ahead of Gilgeous-Alexander in this race. The odds might be stacked against him but the longer the season plays out like it is, the more the tide will turn towards SGA.