NBA MVP Odds, Picks, Winners

• Nikola Jokic is the favorite to win his third Most Valuable Player award.

• Luka Doncic is the top contender for Most Valuable Player after Jokic.

• View stats and trends that will help you beat the sportsbooks!

The race for Most Valuable Player remains intense, but a few players are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. Through individual performance and team success, the top MVP candidates have made their early claim to the prize known. Stay tuned for comprehensive coverage of the MVP race as we track the candidates in the coming weeks.

The usuals remain at the top of the MVP odds table, with Jokic, Doncic, and Embiid leading. But cracking the top ten are a pair of standouts from the East and West. Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves have led their teams to the upper echelon of their conferences, and the public is rewarding them.

Let's check out the bets!

2024 NBA Most Valuable Player Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out our list of the best NBA betting sites for more betting opportunities.

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Fans and bettors have enjoyed one of the NBA's most competitive seasons, headlined by some of the league's most impressive performers! Since the 1980-1981 NBA season, a panel of sportswriters from across the United States and Canada have decided on the NBA MVP Award winner. The NBA Most Valuable Player award will be named on an unannounced date during the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The official announcement will occur on a broadcast of Inside the NBA before a scheduled playoff game.

The 2023 NBA MVP Award winner will be the 28th in the award's history. The prize winner will be named once the regular season schedule has concluded. Last season saw Nikola Jokic win his second Most Valuable Player award in back-to-back seasons.

Individual ability and production are always essential in determining the Most Valuable Player, but the team's success is also crucial in the evaluation. Star-like quality and the ability to lead their team to a top seed through the regular season have always been the best way to make a case for the MVP award.

Let's answer some of the most critical questions about the NBA MVP Award!

Who Is the Favorite to Win the NBA MVP in 2024?

(C) Nikola Jokic - 6-11, 284 lb (211 cm, 284 kg) - Serbia (+190) at DraftKings

Jokic remains a dominating force in the NBA, leading his Denver Nuggets to the second seed in the Western Conference. While they’ve struggled to find consistency lately, going 5-5 in their last ten, Jokic has still put up fantastic numbers. In three games over the previous week, he posted 35.7 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 9.7 assists on 55.1% from the field and 40.0% from three. Unfortunately, his Nuggets were just 1-2 in that stretch, but you couldn’t ask much more of Jokic.

Who Are the 2024 NBA MVP Contenders?

(G) Luka Doncic - 6-7, 230lb (201 cm, 104kg)  - Slovenia (+550) at DraftKings

Despite falling off from their hot start to the season, the Dallas Mavericks remain at the top of the Western Conference. Behind their success is the leadership of Luka Doncic, who continues to show a near-unmatched all-around game. The Mavericks went 1-1 through the last week, defeating the Lakers but losing to the Clippers. Doncic averaged 30.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on 41.5% from the floor and 20.0% from deep.

(C) Joel Embiid - 7-0, 280 lb (213 cm, 127 kg) - Kansas/Cameroon (+650) at DraftKings

Joel Embiid and his Philadelphia 76ers have remained a severe threat in the East, but they’ve been outshined by the sudden rise of some Eastern Conference rivals. Playing in just two of the Sixers’ three games last week, Embiid posted averages of 32.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 10.0 assists on 51.5% from the field in their two victories. Despite that, his Sixers have fallen to fourth in the East.

(F) Jayson Tatum - 6-8, 210 lb (203 cm, 95 kg) - Duke (+850) at DraftKings

The Boston Celtics remain the top team in the Eastern Conference, but they’re not without their challengers. Leading the way has been Jayson Tatum, who has averaged 27.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.3 threes per game on 43.1% from the field and 28.0% from deep through the last week. His Celtics went 2-1 in that period, falling within a game of the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Who Was the 2023 NBA MVP?

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers won the 2023 NBA MVP Award. Embiid is the seventh international player to win the NBA's highest individual prize. Before his NBA MVP win, Embiid was twice the runner-up for the award.

Through the 2022-23 NBA season, Embiid led his Philadelphia 76ers to the third seed in the Eastern Conference and the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the NBA Playoffs - eventually losing to the Boston Celtics in seven games. In his MVP-winning season, Embiid posted averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 54.8% from the field and 33.0% from three-point range.

Embiid was far and away the favorite to win the MVP Award in 2023. Through the voting process, Embiid accumulated 73.0 first-place votes compared to the runner-up, Nikola Jokic's 15.0 first-place votes. The top three in MVP voting for the second season included Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo. An international player has won Most Valuable Player for the fifth straight season.

NBA MVP by Year

Does the NBA MVP Receive a Prize?

The winner of the NBA MVP Award doesn’t receive a prize per se. The Maurice Podoloff Trophy is awarded to the winner, but in terms of cash incentives or bonuses, there are none.

Many player contracts stipulate a bonus upon receiving the award, but that is subject to the terms of the team agreement and not the NBA organization.

In a less direct sense, the NBA MVP winner in the current climate would receive much more exposure, the opportunity for endorsements, and nationally broadcasted matches for his team. The most authentic prize for the NBA MVP Award winner is that their name is written in history as one of the greatest ever to play the game.

Does Fan Vote Determine the NBA MVP?

No, fans of the NBA do not have a say in who will win the NBA MVP. Unlike All-Star voting, the NBA MVP Award is voted upon by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters across the United States and Canada.

The NBA All-Star Game considers fan voting, where they make up 50% of the total. Votes by current NBA players and a panel of media members account for 25% each.

The voting process for the NBA MVP Award is as follows: Media members can award a player of their choice a “vote” from first place, worth ten points, to fifth place, worth one point. The player with the highest points total wins the award.

Has There Ever Been a Unanimous MVP?

In 2015-2016, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. It was the first time in history that the NBA MVP was decided unanimously. A unanimous vote means that Curry received all available votes among the voting parties.

Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 and LeBron James in 2013 fell one vote short of a unanimous MVP selection.

When Will the NBA MVP Award Winner be Announced?

The NBA’s Most Valuable Player will be named upon the conclusion of the regular season and Play-In Tournament. The winner’s team usually makes the announcement again during a broadcast of Inside the NBA.

Who Won the First NBA MVP Award?

The first-ever winner of the NBA MVP was forward-center Bob Pettit in 1956, who played for the now-defunct St. Louis Hawks.

Pettit, an LSU alumnus and the second overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft, won the NBA MVP Award in just his second season in the NBA. He won the award again in 1958 when he led the St. Louis Hawks to the NBA Championship.

Bob Pettit was the original interior presence in the NBA. Pettit’s career stats are up there with the best of all time. His career averages of 26.4 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on 43.6% shooting from the field justify his hall-of-fame place.

Which Position Wins the Most MVP Awards?

Position in the NBA has a fluid definition over the course of NBA history. As times have changed, styles have changed as players succeeded in eras defined by the type of play. The positional success of players to the MVP award significantly represents this.

Point Guard (11)

Winners: Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook

The point guard position has won the second-most MVP award. Defined by their ability to distribute the ball, point guards are primarily responsible for their team's success. Generally talented in accumulating assists, players like Steve Nash, Bob Cousy, and Magic Johnson wowed fans and critics with their ability to lift the play of their teammates.

Newer stars like Stephen Curry and Derrick Rose added to the primary playmaking responsibilities of the point guard by becoming elite scorers. Their ability to distribute and score at will drove the success of their squads and garnered their votes.

In a league of their own, Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook are the only players to average a triple-double in a season – separated by 53 years. The two were terrors across the court, dangerous from every position and transcendent to basketball.

Shooting Guard (8)

Winners: Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, James Harden

The positional title defines the players who have won the MVP award at shooting guard. Shooting guard is the position with the least NBA MVP wins. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are two of the league’s best-ever scorers, and they built the success of their teams.

While Allen Iverson failed to win an NBA Championship, the diminutive guard’s ability to score was transcendent for a player of his size. James Harden is also one of the league’s most creative scorers, breaking records set by his predecessors and ushering in a score-first mentality not seen since Bryant.

Small Forward (9)

Winners: Julius Irving, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Kevin Durant

The do-it-all nature of its players has defined the Small Forward position. These players could do it all by scoring, defending, playmaking, and rebounding.
There has been a rise in the use of small forwards in recent history as skill level has significantly increased. Julius Irving and Larry Bird were excellent scorers in their way and filled the stat sheet every night.

The entry of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo into the fold defined an almost new position. Small forwards in body but point guards in ability dominate opponents on each end of the court, with little drawback to their game.

Don’t forget a player with the skills of Kevin Durant. Durant may not be the playmaker, rebounder, or defender these other winners are, but he shows that scoring in the game of basketball is still paramount. 6-11 with a monstrous wingspan and a feathery shooting touch, Durant is one of the best scorers of all time

Power Forward (11)

Winners: Bob Pettit, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki

Size matters in the NBA, whether in terms of height or strength. The power forward position took a long time to see growth. Power forwards like Bob Pettit, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone were excellent scorers in the low post. Being of more diminutive stature, Barkley showed off guard-like skills, while Malone benefitted from fantastic interplay with his teammates.

Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are famed for their defensive intensity. The two could not be more opposite regarding their personality, but their contributions to the court are immense. The two NBA Champions’ ability on the defensive side defined their team’s success, on top of their ability to score.

Dirk Nowitzki was the first of his type in the NBA. A lanky seven-footer from Germany made his name on the perimeter rather than in the post. While criticized early in his career, Nowitzki’s uniqueness made him the most unguardable player in his prime.

Center (28)

Winners: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Nikola Jokic

Remember when we said size matters in the NBA? The center position epitomizes that. It is by far the most successful position in terms of winning the NBA MVP Award, doubling its closest competitor as of 2022.

An easy basket nearest to the rim is what coaches want, and when you tout the sheer size, skill, and strength of Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar there are few, if any, that can stop them.

As the last defense for an NBA team, the center position is also saddled with responsibility should his teammates fail. Bill Russell, Wes Unseld, and Moses Malone showed that stopping a team from scoring or getting second chances was as valuable as scoring the ball.

Centers used to define the game of basketball, but the game's direction has changed to the perimeter. Despite having the most winners by position, it was a 21-year gap between Shaquille O'Neal winning MVP in 2000 and Nikola Jokic winning in 2021.

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