NBA MVP Odds: Did Straw Poll Favor Gilgeous-Alexander Or Jokic?

A few games remain for each team in the NBA season, which means the time for making an MVP case is coming to a close. In 2024-25, things have narrowed to a two-horse race in NBA MVP odds: three-time winner Nikola Jokic vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Which player is expected to come out on top of NBA MVP odds? A recent ESPN MVP poll reveals the answer.
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Final MVP Straw Poll Favors Gilgeous-Alexander
According to the voters, this race is a wrap. There’s essentially nothing Jokic can do to catch the high-scoring Gilgeous-Alexander. Here’s how the voting shook out:
Player | Polling Points | First-Place Votes |
---|---|---|
S. Gilgeous-Alexander | 931 | 77 |
N. Jokic | 769 | 23 |
G. Antetokounmpo | 381 | 0 |
J. Tatum | 363 | 0 |
D. Mitchell | 93 | 0 |
Jokic did his best, but this is a foregone conclusion. On Tuesday, the big Serbian set a career-high with 61 points on 18-for-29 shooting. As strong as a 61-point triple-double is, the fact the Nuggets lost to the Wolves in that game hints at perhaps the biggest reason for Gilgeous-Alexander’s likely victory.
While the Nuggets struggle to maintain a top-three seed — they’re just a half-game ahead of the Lakers — OKC has a stranglehold on the No. 1 overall seed. Basketball Reference projects them to finish with 69 wins, giving them the best record in the NBA.
Advanced metrics like them even more. According to Cleaning The Glass’ net ratings, OKC has one of the best differentials in history at +14.2. A player leading the entire NBA in scoring whose team is laying waste to the league like that is generally a shoo-in for MVP.
The fact that Jokic has made it a race is a testament to his historic stats. Unfortunately for fans of the Joker, he looks headed for his second runner-up finish in the past three years.
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