In 2020, Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player to win back-to-back NBA MVP awards since Steph Curry in 2015 and 2016. The Greek Freak will now be looking to make even more history as he seeks a 3-peat. No player has won three MVPs in a row since Celtics legend Larry Bird in the mid-1980s.

Understanding NBA MVP odds Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. Antetokounmpo was a huge favorite last season, so his odds were listed with a minus (-) sign. A game after he put up 33 points in an 119-117 win over the Clippers, Bradley Beal leads the Washington Wizards (14-20) on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies (16-16) on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. Heading into the All-Star Break, Joel Embiid is the new betting favorite to win the 2021 NBA MVP at +200 odds, slightly ahead of LeBron James. Luka Doncic, the preseason consensus favorite to win MVP, saw his MVP odds slip to +1200.

Giannis was among the favorites to win the award entering the 2020-21 season but wasn’t THE favorite. That honor went to Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who was +400 at DraftKings Sportsbook at the start of the season. Other players in the mix to win basketball’s most prestigious hardware at the start of the campaign were Steph Curry (+800), Anthony Davis (+900), LeBron James (+900), Kevin Durant (+1200), Damian Lillard (+1600) and Jayson Tatum (+1600).

Here is a look at the current NBA MVP odds from the top US sportsbooks.

NBA MVP odds 2021

NBA MVP futures report (March 4)

NBA MVP odds posted below are from DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Favorites

Joel Embiid (+225): The Sixers are 1-5 with a -9.2 net rating in games Embiid has missed this year and they’re atop the ECF thanks to his dominant numbers (29.8 PPG, 11.3 RPG) when active. They’ve been better against winning teams lately and his performance in those high-profile matchups should dictate his candidacy in the eyes of voters.

LeBron James (+225): LeBron is doing his best to carry the Lakers with Anthony Davis (Achilles) out and several other key players in and out of the lineup. He’s playing 35.5 MPG and averaging 26.6 PPG over his last 12 appearances, but the Lakers are 6-6 during that span and falling out of the race for first place in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

Nikola Jokic (+450): The Nuggets offense has caught fire and Jokic is clearly the main reason with his averages of 27.3 PPG, 11 RPG, and 8.6 APG on 57% FG shooting this season. The MVP tracker at Basketball-Reference.com lists Jokic as the overwhelming favorite with a 50.6% chance to take home his first MVP trophy.

The Contenders

Luka Doncic (+1200): The Mavs came out of their 10-day break due to the climate disaster in Texas with a renewed defensive focus and have won 3 of their last 4 games. Doncic continues to percolate with averages of 31.7 PPG, 8 APG, 7.6 RPG while shooting 46.5% from 3-point range over his last 10 appearances.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (+1600): The Bucks lost 5 straight with Jrue Holiday out due to league COVID protocols and bounced back with 5 straight home wins. Giannis is putting up typically impressive numbers (29.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 5.8 APG) but Milwaukee’s inconsistencies and poor record in close games against quality opponents will make it tough for voters to give him a third straight MVP.

Steph Curry (+1600): Curry enters the All-Star Break in a bit of a shooting slump per his lofty standards. He’s still averaging 26.7 PPG but his shooting 38.4% from the floor and 31.6% from 3-point range over his last 6 outings and the Warriors are 3-3 in that stretch.

Damian Lillard (+2000): With C.J. McCollum (foot) and Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) out, Lillard has carried the Blazers to 6 straight wins. And he’s regained his mantle as the most clutch player in the league with the most points (82), and best FG% (63.2%), while going 100% at the FT line and leading Portland to a 12-3 record in close games.

James Harden (+2500): The sharp money should be on Harden for MVP right now with the Lakers, Sixers, and Nuggets all showing inconsistencies, all while the Nets just keep winning. Brooklyn won 10 of their last 11 before the ASB with Harden averaging 27.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 10.6 APG while shooting 46% from 3-point range in that span. He leads the league in APG and has 7 triple doubles this season, including the first since 1978 with 30+ points, 15+ assists, and 0 turnovers.

Kawhi Leonard (+3300): The Clippers simply can’t close out games without Leonard, who is averaging 26.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 4.9 APG on 51.1% FG shooting this season. He’s been more durable than in years past, but has still missed 8 games and his Clippers are just 8-11 against winning teams.

Kevin Durant (+4000): In addition to missing several games due to COVID protocols, Durant has been out 9 games to rest his ailing hamstring. In the meantime, James Harden (+3300) has completely carried the Nets to success and he’s clearly a far better candidate for MVP with appealing odds.

Donovan Mitchell (+10000): If the voters decide to go with the “best player from the best team” route, Mitchell could definitely earn MVP consideration. Utah has been on fire since the first two weeks of the season, but voters could simply crown Rudy Gobert (-200) as Defensive Player of the Year to give the Jazz their due.

Chris Paul (+25000): Devin Booker (+15000) is getting better odds than CP3 to win MVP, but the Suns are on a torrid streak because of Paul’s veteran leadership. If they keep up their league-best performance in the second half and win the West, Paul will be on plenty of ballots.

NBA MVP as a futures bet

Betting on the MVP winner is one of the more popular options for outright bets known as “Futures,” which are usually wagers on a season-long outcome such as the NBA champion, NBA division winner, or individual award winners. It’s also possible to bet Over or Under on Team Win totals, i.e. the number of games a team is expected to win during the regular season.

Odds for futures bets are set during the preseason, but can change throughout the season based on news and results.

For the purposes of MVP betting, players will be listed in order of the favorites. So, Luka Doncic (+410 at FanDuel at the beginning of the season) was considered the favorite to win the award.

These odds refer to the potential payout if the bet is successful. So, a $20 bet on Doncic would only profit $82, whereas a $10 bet on a longshot such as Joel Embiid (+3000) would pay out $310.

Best NBA MVP betting site

Where you can bet on the MVP legally

Sports betting is currently legal at a regulated sportsbook in the following states:

Arkansas
Colorado
Delaware
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Mississippi
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Nevada
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia

Legislation is on the table in a number of states with more states sure to legalize sports betting in the upcoming years.

Residents of Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have access to online sportsbooks, including the platforms created by industry titans DraftKings and FanDuel. William Hill and other online books also offer great opportunities to bet on NBA games and Futures.

In order to bet on MVP, users can click on the NBA tab and find the tab labeled “Futures” and move to “Player Futures.” Regular Season MVP should be one of the categories along with Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and more postseason awards.

Previous winners and trends

As mentioned above, only two MVP winners in the “modern era” have come from teams that won 50 games or fewer. Additionally, since 1985 only two MVPs have come from teams that failed to finish at least second in their conference.

So the starting point for choosing a good bet is finding the best player on a winning team. Heading into the 2019-2020 season, sportsbooks regarded the Clippers (+325), Lakers (+425), Bucks (+650), 76ers (+700) and Rockets (+800) as the top five contenders for an NBA championship.

But we’re looking at a regular-season award, so consider that the Nuggets (+425) and Jazz (+425) were considered two of the most likely teams to finish first in the Western Conference.

Based on Team Win Totals, the Bucks (56.5), Clippers (56.5), Sixers (53.5), Jazz (53.5), Rockets (52.5) and Nuggets (52.5) were the teams expected to finish the season with over 50 wins and thus have a legitimate MVP candidate.

Because the award is voted upon by sportswriters, a players’ body of work tends to put them over the top. Only four MVP winners were younger than 23 and the last rookie to win the MVP was Wes Unseld back in 1969.

Scoring is a key criteria for MVP, as the NBA’s leading scorer has won the award in four of the past five years.

While the Center position is fading in today’s small-ball NBA, that position leads the way in MVP awards with 25, although 22 of those came in the first 28 years of the award.

Over the last 14 years, guards have won the award eight times, signifying how the NBA has transitioned to a faster-paced, higher-scoring game. The past four guards to win (James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, and Derrick Rose) are not particularly renowned defenders. Posting gaudy offensive numbers can be enough to sway voters.

Shooting guards have won the fewest awards (eight) in the history of the MVP and Michael Jordan snagged five of those trophies.

Since the 1975-76 season, only two players have been named MVP in a season where their team failed to win 50 games. That includes Russell Westbrook in 2016-17, but it has become a rarity for a player from a mediocre team to win the award.

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is voted upon by a panel of 100 media members who are not affiliated with any NBA franchises. Each member of the panel casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each vote counts incrementally towards a players’ total, with first-place votes netting 10 points and fifth-place votes counting for only 1 point.

In the history of NBA MVP voting, only Curry (2015-16) has received every first-place vote from the entire panel to be named MVP unanimously. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record six times and LeBron has won four MVP awards, which makes him the leader among active players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks have dominated the NBA regular season in the past two years and that brought the Greek Freak back-to-back MVP awards. Plenty of superstars will be eager to steal the prize next season and it should be an epic battle.

The odds for the 2021 NBA Most Valuable Player are out. With many offseason trades now completed, so it’s time to explore the top contenders and evaluate their chances in the battle for the prestigious prize.

The top online betting sites have no clear favorite and there are plenty of likely winners of the MVP award for this season.

Nba Mvp Race Odds Ncaa Basketball

Luka Doncic and Giannis are leading the way, but at least five more players should be in contention.

Let’s take a look at them.

Top Contenders for the 2021 NBA MVP Award

I’ve split the athletes into three groups based on their chances to earn the award. The first one consists of the three most likely winners.

What Luka Doncic did in his second NBA season was out of this world for a guy who’s only 21. He averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game on solid efficiency during the regular season.

His insane numbers helped the Dallas Mavericks qualify for the playoffs and Luka carried his team to two wins against the Clippers in the first round, without the injured Kristaps Porzingis.

The Slovenian prodigy is arguably among the best players the NBA has ever seen at his age and even a slight improvement would be enough to win the MVP award. I would argue that he could’ve fought for the prize last season too, if it wasn’t for several injuries. Just look at his highlights!

Doncic will likely lead the Mavericks to the playoffs once again and he should go on breaking record after record. On top of that, the hype around him is real and his popularity could certainly help.

If the Slovenian is fit, he is my top favorite and the early NBA MVP odds for 2021 suggest the same.

The Bucks might have been disappointing in the NBA Playoffs last season, but I’m sure they will dominate the regular season once again. The organization traded for Jrue Holiday and added several more players in an attempt to support Giannis.

The Bucks hope that the star will sign the supermax and the early signs look good. The Greek Freak should have more help from Holiday who’s an excellent playmaker, shooter, and defender.

We know that coach Bud’s system works well in the regular season too, so I expect a strong performance from the team. Giannis should be once again the main man and that puts him in a good position for the MVP award.

One of the problems I see is that no player has won the regular season MVP three times in a row since Larry Bird did in the 1980s. In fact, only three players have done that in the entire NBA history, as you can see below.

You can find several reasons for that and one of the most obvious ones is that staying so consistent and healthy is hard. I don’t think that Giannis will struggle with that, but there’s another factor here.

The public gets tired of seeing the same winner for so long and that certainly influences the panel that picks the winner.

I also believe that at least several players will likely have a strong case to replace Giannis. If the final decision is close to a coin toss between Giannis and Luka Doncic, for example, it’s likely that the Slovenian will get the award because most people will want a fresh face.

And yet, the Bucks superstar remains a strong contender and I won’t be surprised if he is once again the Most Valuable Player in the 2020-21 NBA season.

Many thought that the Golden State Warriors might be title contenders again next season and for a good reason. Unfortunately, Klay Thompson tore his Achilles and is out of the campaign which changes the situation dramatically.

I don’t think it’s realistic to expect wonders from the team under such circumstances, but fighting for the playoffs should be the goal. Steph Curry is back and he’s the kind of guy that can orchestrate the offense of a team almost on his own.

Who Is Leading The Mvp Race In The Nba

The point guard is the best sharpshooter ever and he should have the help of Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, the second pick from the 2020 NBA Draft James Wiseman, and new boy Kelly Oubre Jr.

I see enough talent here for a place in the postseason. If the Warriors finish in the top 8 and Steph has insane numbers, he will be a legitimate contender for the regular season MVP.

Curry’s won it twice in the past and he’s still in his prime, so the point guard is one of the favorites for the award in 2020-21.

Dark Horses for the 2021 NBA MVP Race

There are a couple of other superstars with a legitimate opportunity of becoming the NBA MVP next year, but their chances are slimmer than the guys I already discussed.

I’ve decided to group up Anthony Davis and LeBron James because I believe their chances are on approximately the same level. Both are exceptional players who have the talent to win the MVP award and will likely deliver the required production.

I see two main problems backing any of them, though. The first one is that they are on the same team. There is no clear number one option in the LA Lakers which is great for the organization, but it hurts both players’ chances to win the award.

On top of that, the early start of the season might be a problem too. I won’t be shocked to see AD and LeBron on minute restrictions for the first month or even two, so that could be a negative in the MVP race.

I believe that the NBA Regular Season MVP odds reflect the same concerns and I’m not sure that backing any of the Lakers superstars is a good option if you are going to bet on that market.

It’s hard to grasp on the concept that James Harden hasn’t won an MVP award already, considering his insane numbers in the past couple of years. The man broke a bunch of records and won multiple scoring titles, but he’s been unlucky to compete with a beast like Giannis.

I’m sure that Harden will be excellent next season as well and the big question is if he will be on a team that can help him shine. The shooting guard wanted a move to the Nets, but it seems like both the Beard and Westbrook are staying in Houston for now.

The team will be going through way too many change, so I don’t expect anything special during the regular season. Even if Harden moves, there aren’t many good destinations that would put him in a position to win the regular season MVP.

Still, the superstar is one of the best offensive players in the history of the NBA and that makes him a potential candidate for the award.

Another former regular season and Finals MVP deserves a spot in the conversation. Kevin Durant will finally return after an Achilles injury and he is expected to form a formidable duo with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn.

The Nets have plenty of role players too, so if the two superstars click, we could expect a strong performance in the Eastern Conference.

The main issue with Durant is that many players are not the same after such a gruesome injury. If he can display the same production and efficiency as before the problem, there’s every chance he will be a candidate for the regular season MVP.

NBA MVP Sleepers for the 2020-21 Season

The MVP regular season odds for 2020-21 suggest that the rest of the league doesn’t have much of a chance, but I see several sleepers that deserve your attention.

Joel Embiid should finally have enough spacing to blossom and I expect a strong season from him and the 76ers. The center is an absolute beast on both ends of the floor and he could win the MVP award if he stays healthy.

Another guy that might upset the odds is Damian Lillard. The guard is one of the best players in the NBA offensively and if he carries the Trail Blazers to a good seed in the stacked West, that could be enough for the honor.

The young guns Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, and Nikola Jokic weren’t far off last year. They are all the primary option on strong teams, so it won’t be a complete shocker if one of them is up there.

The odds for the NBA 2020-21 Most Valuable Player might suggest that only four or five players have a realistic shot at the award, but I see at least a couple of other potential winners. Do you agree with my suggestions or do you think I’m forgetting someone?

Nba Mvp Race Vegas Odds

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