The NBA regular season is getting started and markets are populated at top books. NBA MVP odds are up with Nikola Jokic (+300) as the favorite. Other top names include Giannis Antetokounmpo (+500), Luka Doncic (+550), Jayson Tatum (+800), and Joel Embiid (+1000).
Find live NBA MVP odds below.
NBA MVP odds
Here are the latest NBA MVP odds.
Nikola Jokic (+375)
The Joker fell just shy of averaging a triple-double (24.9 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 9.9 APG) during the regular season and narrowly missed out on winning a third straight MVP. Then he turned in a historic postseason run with averages of 30 PPG, 13.5 RPG, and 9.5 APG, and won Finals MVP, so he opens the offseason as the favorite to win another MVP, and the Nuggets (+475) are favored to repeat as champions.
Luka Doncic (+550)
While Doncic has opened the past two offseasons as MVP favorite, he fell short in the 2021-22 season and this past season ended in spectacular disaster after the Mavs sacrificed defense and depth to acquire Kyrie Irving. Luka is averaging 29.4 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 8.5 APG over his last four seasons.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (+500)
Giannis was dominant after returning from a knee injury in January and the Bucks surged to the best record in the NBA. But then the Bucks flopped in the first round against the feisty Heat. Milwaukee’s roster is going to have a much different look this season following the blockbuster deal to land Damian Lillard while Jrue Holiday was moved to the Portland Trail Blazers. Expect a new scheme under head coach Adrian Griffin, which could lead to even more production from Antetokounmpo.
Joel Embiid (+850)
Embiid won his second straight scoring title and took home his first MVP with voters clearly looking to shift off Jokic and Antetokounmpo after both players had won consecutive MVP awards. Philadelphia also brings in a new coach, Nick Nurse, who tends to play his starters a ton of minutes. But Embiid might want to pace himself to avoid another playoff letdown, and the new rules require players to log 65-plus games to be eligible for postseason awards.
Jayson Tatum (+900)
Uncertainty surrounds the Celtics roster with Jaylen Brown eligible for a Super-Max extension. Or, he could potentially be traded for a veteran who might fit better alongside Tatum. When Boston started hot last season, Tatum was the de facto MVP favorite, but his team slowed down considerably in the second half.
Kevin Durant (+1300)
The Suns have formed a super team with Devin Booker (+1800) and Bradley Beal (+7500) to help Durant in what could be one of the most efficient offenses in basketball history. On the other side of the floor, KD will take on a much bigger burden as a wing defender and rebounder.
Steph Curry (+1400)
Draymond Green has opted out of his contract and his absence could hurt Curry’s production. But the best shooter of all time continues to age like fine wine and he should put up eye-popping numbers regardless of his supporting cast.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+1500)
Coming off his first All-NBA selection, SGA is primed for another big season with the Thunder on a skyward trajectory thanks to their talented young corps and a war chest of draft assets.
Damian Lillard (+2000)
Lillard is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, the current NBA championship favorite. His MVP potential will improve playing with fellow superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Anthony Edwards (+2000)
The Timberwolves have clearly become Edwards’ team with D’Angelo Russell gone and Karl-Anthony Towns available in trade discussions. Edwards is coming off consecutive impressive playoff performances and is one of the brightest young stars in the game.
LeBron James (+2500)
Now the all-time career scoring leader, James enters his 21st season as a viable MVP candidate if he can stay healthy and play 65 games.
Donovan Mitchell (+2800)
In his first season with the Cavs, Mitchell averaged 28.3 PPG on 48.4% FG shooting to earn second-team All-NBA status. His offense was just what the Cavs needed during a solid regular season.
Trae Young (+3000)
Swapping Nate McMillan for Quinn Snyder as head coach should help Young post even better offensive numbers in a fast-paced system. His defensive effort also improved over the final months of last season.
Kawhi Leonard (+3500)
When healthy, Leonard remains one of the most efficient players in basketball. Yet he’s played 60 games or fewer in five straight seasons and seems unlikely to be eligible for any postseason awards next year.
De’Aaron Fox (+3500)
The recipient of the first Clutch Player of the Year award should have another top-notch season for a Kings team that led the league in offensive efficiency. His running mate, Domantas Sabonis (+4000), was equally important during Sacramento’s breakout campaign.
Anthony Davis (+3500)
Davis was a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate before he missed some time in the middle of the season. If he can stay on the court, he could make a huge impact on that end of the floor and push for some hardware.
Zion Williamson (+3500)
After playing 61 games in the 2021-22 season, Zion was shut down after 29 impressive performances this season. He’s been mentioned in trade rumors and could use that as motivation to get healthy and stay on the court for 60-plus games next year for whichever team garners his services.
Jamal Murray (+4500)
If Jokic were to suffer an injury, Murray would step up as Denver’s player with the highest usage rate. Now fully recovered from his ACL surgery, Murray proved that he’s one of the best players in the world this past postseason.
Jimmy Butler (+6000)
The ultra-competitive Butler is always a candidate for All-NBA teams and a potential MVP candidate if the Heat can string together wins during the regular season.
Jaylen Brown (+7000)
If Brown winds up getting traded, he could post huge numbers as the top option on another team. Unless he improves his ball-handling and shooting, he might not have as high of a ceiling with the Celtics.
Jalen Brunson (+8000)
Brunson averaged 24 PPG and 6.2 APG while single-handedly turning the Knicks into a viable contender in his first season with the woebegone franchise.
Lauri Markkanen (+8000)
The Most Improved Player of the Year last season, Markkanen broke out with averages of 25.6 PPG and 8.6 RPG on 64% true shooting.
Tyrese Haliburton (+10000)
Haliburton finished second in the NBA in APG (10.4) and was only shut down late in the season because the Pacers weren’t interested in a playoff spot. He should get a full shake this season with Indy set to improve.
How NBA MVP odds changed
Below we will examine how NBA MVP odds changed over the course of the season.
| Player | NBA MVP Odds June 21 | NBA MVP Odds September 27 | NBA MVP Odds October 24 (Opening Night) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokic | +475 | +450 | +300 |
| Luka Doncic | +500 | +500 | +550 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +550 | +550 | +500 |
| Joel Embiid | +600 | +650 | +1000 |
| Jayson Tatum | +900 | +900 | +800 |
| Kevin Durant | +1300 | +1300 | +1100 |
| Steph Curry | +1400 | +1400 | +1500 |
| LeBron James | +1900 | +1900 | +2500 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +2000 | +1600 | +1500 |
| Trae Young | +2000 | +2000 | +3000 |
| Damian Lillard | +2200 | +2200 | +1500 |
| Donovan Mitchell | +2500 | +2500 | +2800 |
| Kawhi Leonard | +3500 | +3500 | +6000 |
| Anthony Davis | +3500 | +3500 | +3000 |
| Zion Williamson | +3500 | +3500 | +4000 |
| Anthony Edwards | +4000 | +3000 | +2500 |
| De’Aaron Fox | +4000 | +4000 | +3500 |
| Jamal Murray | +4500 | +4500 | +4000 |
| Jimmy Butler | +6000 | +6000 | +6000 |
| Jaylen Brown | +7000 | +7000 | +7500 |
| Jalen Brunson | +8000 | +8000 | +5000 |
| Lauri Markkanen | +8000 | +8000 | +10000 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | +10000 | +10000 | +7500 |
Futures Betting on NBA MVP
The NBA MVP award is usually fairly easy to predict, but with the league currently loaded with super-duper-stars, we saw a relative longshot win in 2021. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic captured his first league MVP award, as he averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game that season. The Joker had the 12th lowest odds to win the award at FanDuel Sportsbook ahead of the season at +3600.
Jokic wound up going back-to-back, as he won the pro basketball Most Valuable Player award again in 2022. The Serbian sensation had around +1400 NBA MVP odds prior to the start of the 2021-22 season. Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid narrowly missed out on winning the award. Embiid had around +1000 MVP odds prior to the start of the season. Luka Doncic was the consensus favorite to win in the pre-season last year with +400 odds.
NBA Over or Under Win Totals
Betting on the MVP winner is one of the more popular options for outright bets known as “Futures,” which are usually wagers on a season-long outcome such as the NBA champion, NBA division winner, or individual award winners. It’s also possible to bet Over or Under on Team Win totals, i.e. the number of games a team is expected to win during the regular season.
If you’re looking to bet on NBA lines for today go here.
Best NBA MVP betting site
Where you can bet on the MVP legally
Online sports betting is currently legal at a regulated sportsbook in the following states:
| State | Law Passed? | Launch Date | Mobile Launch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Sports Betting | Yes | September 2021 | September 2021 |
| Arkansas Sports Betting | Yes | July 2019 | NA |
| Colorado Sports Betting | Yes | May 2020 | May 2020 |
| Connecticut Sports Betting | Yes* | September 2021 | October 2021 |
| Delaware Sports Betting | Yes | June 2018 | Pending |
| Florida Sports Betting | Yes* | Pending | Pending |
| Illinois Sports Betting | Yes | March 2020 | August 2020 |
| Indiana Sports Betting | Yes | September 2019 | October 2019 |
| Iowa Sports Betting | Yes | August 2019 | August 2019 |
| Louisiana Sports Betting | Yes | October 2021 | January 2022 |
| Maryland Sports Betting | Yes | Pending | Pending |
| Michigan Sports Betting | Yes | March 2020 | January 2021 |
| Mississippi Sports Betting | Yes | August 2018 | September 2021 |
| Montana Sports Betting | Yes | March 2020 | March 2020 |
| Nevada Sports Betting | Yes | 1949 | 2010 |
| New Hampshire Sports Betting | Yes | August 2020 | December 2019 |
| New Jersey Sports Betting | Yes | June 2018 | August 2018 |
| New Mexico Sports Betting | No* | October 2018 | NA |
| New York Sports Betting | Yes | July 2019 | January 2022 |
| North Carolina Sports Betting | Yes | March 2021 | NA |
| Ohio Sports Betting | Yes | January 2023 | January 2023 |
| Oregon Sports Betting | No* | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Pennsylvania Sports Betting | Yes | November 2018 | May 2019 |
| Rhode Island Sports Betting | Yes | November 2018 | September 2019 |
| South Dakota Sports Betting | Yes | September 2021 | NA |
| Tennessee Sports Betting | Yes | November 2020 | November 2020 |
| Virginia Sports Betting | Yes | January 2021 | January 2021 |
| Washington, D.C. Sports Betting | Yes | May 2020 | August 2020 |
| Washington Sports Betting | Yes | September 2021 | NA |
| West Virginia Sports Betting | Yes | August 2018 | August 2019 |
| Wyoming Sports Betting | Yes | September 2021 | September 2021 |
Legislation is on the table in a number of states with more states sure to legalize sports betting in the upcoming years.
Residents of Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia have access to online sportsbooks, including the platforms created by industry titans DraftKings and FanDuel. William Hill and other online books also offer great opportunities to bet on NBA games and Futures.
In order to bet on MVP, users can click on the NBA tab and find the tab labeled “Futures” and move to “Player Futures.” Regular Season MVP should be one of the categories along with Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and more postseason awards.
Previous winners and trends
Only three MVP winners in the “modern era” have come from teams that won 50 games or fewer. This past season’s winner, Jokic, was one of them as his team won 48 games. Additionally, since 1985 only three MVPs have come from teams that failed to finish at least second in their conference.
So the starting point for choosing a good bet is finding the best player on a winning team. Denver was not one of the top two teams but Jokic more or less single-handedly willed them to the playoffs. The Nuggets were a top 6 seed in the West as were the Sixers in the East.
Remember that the MVP is a regular season award, so players that historically have come up short in the postseason, like Jokic and Harden will always still have a seat at the MVP table.
That said, because the award is voted upon by sportswriters, a players’ body of work tends to put them over the top. Only four MVP winners were younger than 23 and the last rookie to win the MVP was Wes Unseld back in 1969.
Scoring is Critical to win NBA MVP
Scoring is a key criteria for MVP, as the NBA’s leading scorer has won the award in four of the past five years.
While the Center position is fading in today’s small-ball NBA, that position leads the way in MVP awards with 27, although 22 of those came in the first 28 years of the award.
Over the last 15 years, guards have won the award eight times, signifying how the NBA has transitioned to a faster-paced, higher-scoring game. The past four guards to win (James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, and Derrick Rose) are not particularly renowned defenders. Posting gaudy offensive numbers can be enough to sway voters.
Shooting guards have won the fewest awards (eight) in the history of the MVP and Michael Jordan snagged five of those trophies.
Since the 1975-76 season, only three players have been named MVP in a season where their team failed to win 50 games. That includes Russell Westbrook in 2016-17, but it has become a rarity for a player from a mediocre team to win the award.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is voted upon by a panel of 100 media members who are not affiliated with any NBA franchises. Each member of the panel casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each vote counts incrementally towards a players’ total, with first-place votes netting 10 points and fifth-place votes counting for only 1 point.
In the history of NBA MVP voting, only Curry (2015-16) has received every first-place vote from the entire panel to be named MVP unanimously. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record six times and LeBron has won four MVP awards, which makes him the leader among active players.