2023 NBA MVP Regular Season Predictions, Best Bets, Favorites to Win

• Get the most recent 2023 NBA Regular Season MVP odds!
• Luka Doncic opens as the favorite to win the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player Award!
• View stats and trends that will help you beat the sportsbooks!

With the 2023 NBA season on its way, fans and bettors are already looking forward to who might be the league’s top performer! After a fantastic run through the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic is the early favorite!

2023 NBA Most Valuable Player Odds

Odds taken from Caesars Sportsbook

The 2022 NBA season saw the league and its teams finally return to the NBA schedule that it knows and loves. The NBA regular season MVP has been named at the annual NBA Awards award show or on a specific date during the post season. Presented by the NBA in partnership with Turner Sports, the NBA Awards were held in late-June after the NBA Playoffs. Since the 1980-1981 NBA Season, a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from across the United States and Canada have decided the NBA MVP Award winner.

The winner of the 2023 NBA MVP Award will be the 28th in the history of the award. 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.

While individual ability is important, how well a player leads his team to success is also crucial in their evaluation for the award. Their star-like quality on top of their ability to lead a competitive team always helps their case.

(G) Luka Doncic – 6-7, 230 lb (201 cm, 104 kg) – Slovenia

To open the 2023 NBA season, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is the favorite to win the regular season Most Valuable Player Award. The Slovenian international is coming off of a season where he led his Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals!

The three-time All-Star put up season averages of 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in 65 games played. Always known to be an orchestrator on offence, Doncic averaged a career high in three-point shooting just to make his accomplishments even greater.

With the departure of Jalen Brunson, Luka Doncic is expected to have the ball in his hands more than ever. He is one of the league’s biggest offensive threats. If he can translate his production into wins and a title-threatening team, Doncic could take home the prize.

Who are 2023 NBA MVP Contenders?

(F) Giannis Antetokounmpo – 6-11, 242 lb (211 cm, 109 kg) – Greece

Former two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off of one of his best seasons in the NBA. Despite that, he was a distant third place in the 2022 NBA Most Valuable Player voting.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off of a season where he posted a career high in scoring with 29.9 points per game. He also maintained his overall play, averaging 11.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 blocks on 55.3% shooting from the field.

Despite finishing third in the Eastern Conference in 2022, the Milwaukee Bucks’ inconsistent play throughout the season played a big factor in Antetokounmpo’s MVP bid. If the Bucks can stay healthy, Antetokounmpo remains one of the league’s greatest players.

(C) Joel Embiid – 7-0, 280 lb (213 cm, 127 kg) – Kansas/Cameroon

Joel Embiid was close in his last attempt for the MVP award. He garnered 26 first place votes for the 2022 award, and he’ll be back in the running for the prize in 2023. After what was a disappointing year for the Sixers as a team, expect Embiid to improve on his already tremendous production.

The Cameroonian center posted career highs across the board in 2022. He posted averages of 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 68 games. He played in more games than ever through the 2021-2022 NBA season, a trend he must maintain if he wants to win MVP in 2023.

The Sixers will get a full training camp and season with their new core of Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. Embiid should be entering one of the most stable seasons of his career, enough to make him a real threat for the Most Valuable Player award.

(C) Nikola Jokic – 6-11, 284 lb (211 cm, 284 kg) – Serbia

A natural prospect amongst competitors for the Most Valuable Player award, the reigning two-time regular season MVP certainly won’t be kept out of the conversation. Jokic expects to enter the season with an improved Nuggets roster, something that should boost the playmaking big man’s production.

In Jokic’s second MVP-winning season, he improved on almost all of his statistics from his last MVP season. Due to injuries to key players, Jokic took on more of a scoring role than playmaking. He excelled in the role, establishing himself as one of the greatest to ever play.

How the Serbian big man adjusts to his new and improved Nuggets squad will determine if he can make a run for his third Most Valuable Player award. He could take a more passive role in order to be a creator for his team, but we all know that he’s got the quality to be the best in the league.

Who was the 2022 NBA MVP?

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets won his second NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2022. Jokic is the lowest drafted player to ever win MVP, having been drafted 41st overall in 2014, and the lowest to ever win the award twice!

In his MVP-winning season, Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists. In his fourth consecutive All-Star season, Jokic led his team to the NBA Playoffs. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.

Jokic won his 2022 NBA MVP award by narrower margins than his 2021 win. He won 65 first place votes, compared to 91 last year. He was still the clear winner, with second place’s Joel Embiid garnering 26 first place votes, and third place’s Giannis Antetokounmpo winning 9 first place votes.

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. They are awarded the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, but in terms of cash incentives or bonuses, there are none.

It is written in many players’ team contracts that they receive 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 in the current climate would be awarded much more exposure, the opportunity for endorsements, and nationally broadcasted matches for his team. The truest prize for the NBA MVP Award winner is the fact that their name is written in history as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Is the NBA MVP Determined by Fan Vote?

No, fans of the NBA do not have a say in who will be awarded 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.

Fan votes are reserved for the NBA All-Star Game, 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 are allowed to award a player of their choice a “vote” ranked 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 a player was unanimously voted the NBA MVP. A unanimous vote means that among the voting parties, Curry received all available votes.

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 MVP Award is usually announced during the NBA Awards show in mid-to-late June. Due to adjusted schedules and social distancing protocols, the award has gone unclaimed for longer than ever before.

There is no set date for when the award winners will be announced. However, with the NBA schedule now in place fans can expect to see the MVP named soon after the scheduled date for Game 7 of the NBA Finals (if necessary) – Tuesday, October 13.

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 proceeded to win 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 such certain players were highlighted in eras where they wouldn’t have been in others. The positional success of players in relation to the MVP award greatly represents this.

Point Guard (11)

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

The point guard position is tied for second as the most successful NBA position at winning the MVP Award. Defined by their ability to distribute the ball, point guards are largely responsible for the success of their team. 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 as well as score at will drove the success of their squads and garnered them votes.

In a league of their own, Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook are the only two 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 the game of basketball.

Shooting Guard (8)

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

The least successful position at winning the NBA MVP, shooting guards that have won the honor have been defined by their positional namesake. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are two of the league’s best-ever scorers and the success of their teams was built around them.

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 Small Forward position has been defined by the do-it-all nature of its players. Scoring, defending, playmaking, rebounding, these players could truly do it all.

There has been a rise in the use of small forwards in recent history, as skill level has increased greatly. Julius Irving and Larry Bird were excellent scorers in their own 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, these two dominate opponents on each end of the court. With little drawback to their game.

Don’t forget a player with the skill of Kevin Durant though. Durant may not be the playmaker, rebounder, or defender that these other winners are, but Durant shows that in the game of basketball scoring 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

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

Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are more famed for their defensive intensity. The two could not be more opposite in terms of their personality, but their contributions on 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 like in the NBA. A lank, seven-footer from Germany made his name on the perimeter rather than in the post. While criticised early in his career, Nowitzki’s uniqueness made him the most unguardable player in his prime.

Center (27)

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 direction of the game has changed to the perimeter and its been seen in the NBA MVP winners list. Despite having the most winners by position, the last time a center won NBA MVP was 2000.

Which NBA Franchises Have Won the Most NBA MVPs?