With the NBA postseason in full flight, the discussion of who will be the NBA's Most Valuable Player begins. Get your bets ready as here are all the details:
Odds for MVP
The favorites to take home the Most Valuable Player trophy are as follows:
- Nikola Jokic -360
- Giannis Antetokounmpo +700
- Joel Embiid +700
- Jayson Tatum +3,000
- Luka Doncic +4,100
After an impressive regular season, the Denver Nuggets big man leads the odds with -360. However, Antetokounmpo and Embiid are strong contenders, being constant in the conversation for MVP.
The safe bet is with Jokic, but it's hard to bet against Antetokounmpo. Those looking for an upset may get lucky with Antetokounmpo. Tatum and Doncic are very good options, but it looks unlikely that they can overtake Jokic.
Trend to Consider
- Since 1985, only three MVPs have come from a team that finished worse than second in its conference during the regular season.
- The MVP award has been won by players who were 23 years old or younger on only four occasions.
- Wilt Chamberlain (1960) and Wes Unseld (1969) are the only players to win MVP honors as rookies.
- The MVP award has been won by the NBA's leading scorer four times in the last five years.
- Only three MVPs have averaged less than 17 points per game. They were Bill Russell (1961, 1963, 1965), Wes Unseld (1969) and Steve Nash (2005).
Based on these criteria, Jokic fits the profile, being the leading scorer of the season, his team finished in first place, and he is over 23 years old. In addition, he is not a rookie player so his experience is also a key factor in the minds of voters.
Trends to Consider Based on Position
The following position-based trends are worth considering:
- Centers won 22 of the NBA's first 28 MVP awards.
- The last 14 MVPs are split evenly between guards and frontcourt players.
- Michael Jordan personally won five of the eight NBA MVP awards ever given to shooting guards.
Based on these criteria, Jokic does not fit the profile. However, it is hard to omit the great campaign Jokic had this regular season.
The finalists for NBA MVP.
Who's your favorite? pic.twitter.com/waykhL0Kui- Ciro Procuna (@cprocuna) April 14, 2023
Most Recent MVPs
Here are the most recent MVPs:
- 2021 Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- 2020 Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- 2019 Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- 2018 James Harden (Rockets)
- 2017 Russell Westbrook (Thunder)
It is worth mentioning that the last time LeBron James won the MVP was in 2013. From there, the MVP award has been dominated by players with skill and good shooting. For example, Steph Curry won in 2015 and 2016. Although Jokic doesn't necessarily fill that profile, but he has proven to be the most dominant player over the past two seasons.
The odds favor Jokic. It remains to be seen if regular season success will translate into playoff success. At the end of the day an NBA title would be the icing on the cake of a successful season in every way.
