The 2022-2023 NBA season is in full swing, and NBA MVP candidates have started to separate themselves from the pack. Two-time defending MVP Nikola Jokic is among the favorites to win the award again this year, but he will face several strong candidates looking to earn the award for themselves. Here, we look at the favorites to win the award, along with some deserving longshot candidates.
2022-2023 NBA MVP Odds
| Player |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doncic | +400 | +750 | +700 | +850 | +950 |
| Embiid | +600 | +350 | +225 | +300 | +330 |
| Antetokounmpo | +700 | +650 | +700 | +750 | +800 |
| Durant | +1000 | +10000 | +9000 | +9000 | +9000 |
| Jokic | +1000 | -135 | -145 | -145 | -135 |
| Morant | +1300 | +5000 | +3500 | +4500 | +5000 |
| Tatum | +1300 | +1300 | +1200 | +1200 | +1400 |
| Curry | +1500 | +12500 | +9000 | +9000 | +13000 |
| James | +2500 | +5000 | +3500 | +4500 | +5500 |
| Williamson | +2500 | +20000 | +20000 | +50000 | +24000 |
| Leonard | +2700 | +50000 | +75000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Booker | +4200 | +50000 | +30000 | +50000 | +39000 |
| Young | +4200 | +50000 | +40000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Edwards | +6000 | +50000 | +75000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Butler | +6000 | +50000 | +30000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Mitchell | +6500 | +15000 | +15000 | +25000 | +16000 |
| George | +6500 | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Lillard | +6600 | +15000 | +12500 | +15000 | +16000 |
| Harden | +8000 | +50000 | +20000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Irving | +10000 | +50000 | +40000 | +50000 | +50000 |
NBA MVP Award Favorites
There is a pack of five or so players who top the list of NBA MVP odds. These five players are all at better than +1000 to win the award, with several players in this group already having won the award in their careers. While there is no guarantee the MVP will come from this group, it is going to be hard for another player to get around all five of these elite players.
Luka Doncic currently tops the list of MVP favorites. Doncic just led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals last season and his NBA MVP odds reflect the level of play he has sustained so far this season. He has a 60-point triple-double to his name, which is one of many highlights that has underlined his candidacy to win this award.
Joining Doncic is the aforementioned Jokic, along with Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jokic, Durant, and Giannis have all won this award in the past. Meanwhile, Tatum is leading the team with the best record in the NBA. All four of these players could easily usurp Doncic for the MVP award.
NBA MVP Award Dark Horses
Outside of the clear top five in the list of NBA MVP odds, there are several players who have a shot to win from longer odds. Joel Embiid has been in the MVP race for each of the last few years, while players like Donovan Mitchell and Ja Morant have been the engines behind some of the most underrated teams in the NBA thus far.
There are two questions worth asking when going with a candidate at over +1000 to win MVP. The first is whether their team will win enough games to improve their NBA MVP odds over the course of the season. The second is whether their statistical output will be good enough to help them vault over the favorites mentioned above.
NBA MVP Award Longshots
There are some interesting longshot bets out there for the NBA MVP award, specifically on the perimeter. Devin Booker is at long odds to win, as he has been off the court due to injury. But the Suns have struggled without him, underscoring his value. Pascal Siakam is also a huge longshot, on a Raptors team that would be well outside of the playoff hunt if not for his contributions.
Longshot betting on something like the MVP award can be fun and rewarding if it goes well. But in a league like the NBA, parity is a rarity. It may just be worth finding value in the first two categories of this breakdown rather than trying to reinvent the wheel with a pick out of left field.
