- Luka Doncic (+375) and Nikola Jokic (+400) are favored to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award
- Anthony Edwards (+1200) averaged 27.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in last year’s postseason
- The 2024–25 NBA season will tip off a full 82-game schedule begin on Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Luka Doncic won the league’s scoring title (33.9 PPG) last season before dragging his Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals. The 25-year-old Slovenian has been named to five All-NBA 1st Teams in six years and is a slight favorite to capture his first-career NBA MVP over three-time winner Nikola Jokic.
Before we examine the 2025 NBA MVP Betting Odds, be sure to check out the best NBA Basketball Betting Sites.
2025 NBA MVP Award
Doncic or Jokic?
Luka Doncic (+375) hit a career pinnacle in the Western Conference finals, averaging 32.4 points, 8.2 assists and 9.6 rebounds against Minnesota. But. the media quickly turned on him in the NBA Finals, criticizing his conditioning, effort and defense. The Mavericks didn’t do much to bolster their roster in the offseason and only five MVP winners have come from a club that didn’t finish first or second in its conference since 1985.
Nikola Jokic (+400) is one of only nine players who have won three MVPs or more. To tie LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain with four, the Serbian will have to stave off voter fatigue after capturing three of the past four trophies.
Luka Doncic splashed the game-winner while putting up his 5th postseason TRIPLE-DOUBLE to give the Mavs a 2-0 series lead in the West Finals 🐴
🔥 32 PTS
🔥 13 AST
🔥 10 REB
🔥 5 3PM pic.twitter.com/eSlZftBef6— NBA (@NBA) May 25, 2024
SGA in the mix
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+450) finished runner up to Jokic in MVP voting last season. The 25-year-old Canadian led Oklahoma City to No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. He also showed off his defensive prowess, pacing the NBA with 150 steals.
With his young Thunder team poised to be among the upper echelon of championship contenders once again, SGA is a strong bet to capture the hardware in 2024-25.
Other top MVP contenders
Giannis Antetokounmpo (+700) averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and a career-high 6.5 assists in 2023-24. While the two-time MVP winner is still at the height of his powers, his Milwaukee Bucks are no longer championship contenders with an aging Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard.
Joel Embiid (+700) is the only man other than Jokic to claim an MVP in the past four years. With pressure mounting on him to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs for the first time in his career, he should have a big season playing alongside Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. However, Steve Nash is the only player over age 30 to win MVP in the past quarter century.
Joel Embiid receives his first-ever Olympic gold medal for Team USA 🇺🇸 🥇 pic.twitter.com/Zwz3wvkjFa
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 10, 2024
Best Longshot
Anthony Edwards (+1200) averaged 27.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in last year’s playoffs. While those marks don’t quite put him on the level of Jokic or Doncic, the 23-year-old could easily take another leap in his fourth season after playing with the best players in the world on Team USA.
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