2022-23 NBA MVP Odds: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic Still Lead NBA MVP Race
With now the third week of the power rankings, we saw no movement in the odds placement, but rather the lines moving. Kade Kimble takes a look at the early NBA MVP winner odds.
Kade Kimble - November 6, 2022, 3:37 PM EST
5 min2022-23 NBA MVP Odds: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic Still Lead NBA MVP Race
With now the third week of the NBA power rankings, we saw no movement in the NBA MVP odds placement, but rather the lines moving. It makes sense, though, as we’ve seen all these players continue to string together solid games while the other candidates down the list haven’t done anything to stop them.
NBA MVP Odds
Odds | Player | Stock Watch | Implied Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
-2000 | Joel Embiid | Neutral | 95.24% |
+1200 | Nikola Jokic | Neutral | 7.69% |
+1400 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Neutral | 6.67% |
+50000 | Jayson Tatum | Neutral | 0.2% |
+50000 | Luka Doncic | Neutral | 0.2% |
NBA MVP Power Rankings
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (+320) Bet $100 to collect $420. Click here for the best odds, available at DraftKings
Giannis, after a solid week last week, took even another jump in the odds. So from the past two weeks, we’ve seen Giannis climb from +750 to +320. The only reason I am skeptical of Giannis winning the award is because of voter fatigue. He’s a two-time MVP and a Finals MVP in his young season. He could easily have two to three more MVP-worthy seasons and not get that respect simply because we’re so used to it. Similar to what we’ve seen from LeBron.
Giannis is second in league scoring with 33.6 points per game and he adds on 12.7 rebounds per game. Those are incredible numbers and along with his defense, it’s clear why he’s the MVP.
2. Luka Doncic (+400) Bet $100 to collect $500. Click here for the best odds, available at DraftKings
There’s been this stigma with Luka that he’s been an MVP player, but he needs that first real season, and we’re here. He’s coming off an impressive Western Conference Finals appearance and he’s putting up insane numbers this season with around 36 points per game, around 9 rebounds per game, and around 9 assists per game. Those numbers are insane, and he’s the first player since 1963 to have scored 30+ points in each of his first seven games of the season.
If Doncic brought the same impact, or even better than he has an impact on the defensive side of the ball, he would be hands down the very best candidate for the award. Because his impact is greatest on offense and average-at-best on defense, his offensive workload has to carry his MVP case, and that gives Giannis a boost, even though they’re essentially 1a and 1b in these rankings.
3. Jayson Tatum (+800) Bet $100 to collect $900. Click here for the best odds, available at DraftKings
Though Tatum slides back odds-wise, he doesn't really move much this week. He remains a steady 30 points, per-game scorer, on the season while pulling down 8 rebounds. His defensive play shouldn’t be underestimated, either, and that adds to his case as well. If his team was winning at a slightly higher clip, his odds should’ve stayed where they were, but that will come for the Celtics and Tatum will get that eventual boost.
4. Ja Morant (+1200) (Bet $100 to collect $1300. Click here for the best odds, available at FanDuel
The former second-pick took a slight dip in his odds but remains firm in fourth place for the MVP odds. He’s fallen a bit in his consistency, but he’s still averaging 31.4 points per game. The Grizzlies are 3-2 in their last five games played, so if he could have had big games in each of those five games, he should have been able to keep his odds rather high. Injuries could be a reason he’s just barely scraped past 20 points in a few of those games, which is by no means a bad game, but with as many stars starting off with a great season, Morant can’t slack off if he wants to hold his position.
5. Joel Embiid (+1600) Bet $100 to collect $1700 Click here for the best odds, available at FanDuel
While Embiid also saw his odds slip this week, he’s had an impressive week. Though his counting stats for the season aren’t eye-popping, his impact has been, and we’ll see that continue. He’s averaging 27.2 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game, which if he can maintain on the season, could be MVP-like numbers. In the 76ers' last four games, they’ve gone 2-2 but Embiid has looked very good in those games.
Unfortunately, the 76ers will be without James Harden for the next month, so Embiid, with Tyrese Maxey, will have to carry the load of the offense. We saw Embiid in this position for the majority of last season, so this could prove a huge opportunity for him to improve his MVP case if they can flip around their record into a winning one.
