Joel Embiid now big favorite to win MVP over Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo

It appeared that the NBA MVP race was over and Nikola Jokic was going to win his third straight award, but the tides are turning and it’s Joel Embiid who is now the front runner with less than a month to play in the regular season.

After Jokic received 77 of 100 votes in ESPN’s MVP Straw Poll in the middle of February, signaling that he was on track to win the award, the Nuggets have gone on an extended slump, opening up the race for Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo to make a run at the award.

Embiid is now -220 to win his first ever Most Valuable Player award while Antetokounmpo’s odds have dropped to +450. Meanwhile, Jokic is +220.

NBA MVP odds

Joel Embiid favored to win first NBA MVP 

Embiid has been as dominant as ever this season, leading the league in scoring for the second straight season at 33.6 points per game on the now second place Philadelphia 76ers. Currently, the Sixers are on an eight game winning streak that has propelled them to a tie with the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division.

While the Sixers big man is playing his best, Jokic and the Nuggets have slipped. Despite still being tops in the Western Conference, the Nuggets are 6-6 since the All-Star break and have a negative net rating.

The last player in the mix is Antetokounmpo, who has already won two awards but is on the league’s best team in the Bucks, who have won 27 of 35 games since the beginning of 2023. While his numbers are slightly behind Embiid, the Bucks are very likely to finish the season with the best record, two clear of the Sixers with 12 left to play.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.