The Betting Favorites for the NBA’s MVP Award This Season

The current NBA season has passed its halfway point in terms of fixtures played, and just a few players have built a level of form to fight for the reputable MVP award.

The award recognizes the league’s standout individual performers in the regular season each year. Typically, a player who is one of the league’s most prolific scorers claims the award, and that is certainly reflected in the NBA betting markets at this stage.

Betting Favorites for NBA’s MVP Award (2024)

Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic won his first NBA championship last season and this year he is one of the frontrunners to add the greatest individual award to his trophy cabinet. The Serbian won the Finals MVP award in 2023, but Joel Embiid beat him to the regular season accolade.

Jokic is this year’s outright favorite across most major sportsbooks, for example, Bet365 offers the Joker as slim as +110 to be this year’s MVP.
Canada Sports Betting compares the odds available at a wide variety of sites, and there is a recurring theme in that Jokic is predicted to comfortably win the prestigious award.

The sports betting news Canada section details how Jokic has impacted the betting markets with his recent performances.

He faced an MVP rival in Giannis Antetokounmpo in January – a 25-point triple-double from the Serbian helped guide the Denver Nuggets to victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jokic’s consistency throughout the season has caused his lead in the odds to constantly grow further, and the win against Antetokounmpo certainly benefited his cause.

Nikola Jokić: “To be honest, that’s why we play. I mean, that’s why I play. To play this kind of game. To play under the pressure. To play tight games. I think that’s what every player’s dream is.”

“I love to play under those circumstances.” pic.twitter.com/X2q5yk6c67

— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) January 30, 2024

Jokic’s team is also a championship favorite, which gives him the edge over his fellow MVP contenders. Playing for one of the league’s leading teams usually benefits players when it comes to the voting process for the individual award.

The Joker’s average of 26.3 points over his first 47 appearances of the season has seen him lag behind some of his fellow league leaders. However, being the star player in a spectacular Nuggets team could help him to get over the line this year.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a surprise MVP candidate after putting up his greatest season on record so far.

Over his opening 46 games, he recorded an incredible range of scoring stats in the NBA. He put up an average of 31.3 points on a shooting percentage of 54.7%. Such impressive and consistent form has made him one of the most fancied to potentially beat Jokic to the prize.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had 7 straight 30-point games for the Thunder ⚡

37 PTS – 10-of-18 FG
31 PTS – 13-of-20 FG
31 PTS – 10-of-21 FG
32 PTS – 9-of-15 FG
33 PTS – 10-of-24 FG
33 PTS – 10-of-22 FG
31 PTS – 8-of-15 FG

SGA leads the NBA in 30+ point games with 35 games! pic.twitter.com/ji766vaqZI

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 30, 2024

The Canadian point guard is offered at +350 in the outright odds at Bet365. However, he will probably have to take his form to an even higher unprecedented level, if he is to beat the range of stellar names up against him.

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid is undoubtedly the most likely prior winner of the MVP award to claim the illustrious prize again in 2024. He has arguably performed even better than last year this season, and the improvement of his opposition could be all that costs him.

Furthermore, he averaged 36 points and 11.4 rebounds over his opening 33 games of the current season. He has recorded remarkable figures, although persistent injuries could affect his MVP eligibility shown in Sports Illustrated.

The Cameroonian will need to maintain impeccable fitness and form until the season is over if he is to defend his 2023 MVP crown. He is currently offered as a slight outsider at +450 to secure back-to-back Michael Jordan trophy awards.

Ultimately, it is tough to look beyond Jokic when it comes to this year’s standout individual award. The Serbian ticks all the boxes of a typical MVP. He is putting up impressive numbers, playing a starring role for a contending team. He is a huge name who is always on the lips of fans and the media alike, Gilgeous-Alexander and Embiid will be there to create a shock if any hurdles emerge in Jokic’s path. Surely only fitness issues or a huge Nuggets drop in form could prevent his path to becoming a three-time MVP champion.