With the NBA All-Star Game in the rearview mirror, it’s time to focus on the second half of the season and who will capture the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
Last year’s winner Joel Embiid, will fall short of the minimum games played of 65 to be eligible for the award due to a knee injury. The 76ers center is averaging 35.3 points per game and 11.3 rebounds per contest, which were both higher than last year’s MVP numbers.
Two-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is the current betting favorite at -130 odds, according to BetMGM. Jokic has strong numbers across the board, including per-game averages of 26.1 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 8.9 assists.
Jokic has missed only two of Denver’s 55 games this season, while leading the defending champions to a 36-19 record.
Top NBA MVP odds
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets -130
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder +210
- Luka Doncic, Mavericks +900
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks +900
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics +2500
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers +6600
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks +8000
Odds via BetMGM (as of Feb. 20)
However, Denver’s division rival, Oklahoma City, has been by far the biggest surprise in the league at 37-17. One of the main reasons for the Thunder’s burst toward the top of the Western Conference is guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is third in the NBA in points, averaging 31.1 per game.
SGA posted 31.4 points per game last season in leading Oklahoma City to the play-in tournament, but the former Kentucky guard has improved his rebounding and assists numbers, along with his field goal percentage and 3-point shooting.
Currently, Gilgeous-Alexander is listed at +210 odds behind Jokic for the MVP. He is looking to become the first Thunder player since Russell Westbrook in 2017 to garner the league’s top honor.
The other two players in the running for MVP are Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (9/1) and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (9/1), but it will likely take an injury to Jokic to vault these two players into serious contention.
Gilgeous-Alexander is no longer an under-the-radar player as he has turned into a star and Oklahoma City into a contender. At a plus-money price, SGA is worth a look in the case that the Nuggets lose Jokic at some point.
