Subscribe to our newsletter

The best bets and resources to make you more profitable

NBA

2022-2023 NBA MVP Odds, Picks and Predictions: A Close Race for the League’s Best

<p>AP Photos</p>

AP Photos

The MVP award is the highest individual honor given out for the regular season and has a major impact on defining a player’s legacy. It is also directly tied to team success. Every player in the top 10 of odds made the playoffs last year, except for LeBron James. 

It looks like we can expect more of the same this year, as the MVP race is packed to the brim with contenders and the stars that are leading them.

The average OddsJam user earns $3,750 per month. Click here to start your 7 day free trial today!

Nikola Jokic is on the top of the leaderboard, as he makes his bid for his third straight MVP. Joel Embiid, after becoming runner-up to Jokic last year, is yet again right behind him in the odds.

Giannis Antetokounmpo — a two-time MVP — is also in the top three and should be in the mix for the award this season, while some new possibilities like Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum round out the top five.

2022-2023 NBA MVP Odds

PlayerOdds
Nikola Jokic-250
Joel Embiid+450
Giannis Antetokounmpo+700
Jayson Tatum+1500
Luka Doncic+1800
Ja Morant+6500
LeBron James+7000
Kevin Durant+15000
Damian Lillard+15000
Donovan Mitchell+25000
Odds via DraftKings

The Safe Pick: Nikola Jokic | -250 at DraftKings

As we reach the All-Star Break, and the final leg of the regular season, one thing is evident: both the media and the fans seemingly want Nikola Jokic to win his third straight MVP (a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Larry Bird), and he’s more than happy to deliver as he’s somehow, someway, still getting better at the game of basketball.

We’ll spare you the deep dives into his advanced stats, and the way he warps the court for his teammates — making their jobs easier and the jobs of every player who comes to Denver to beat the Nuggets all that much harder. Instead, let’s keep it simple: despite a slight drop in scoring and rebounding, Jokic is setting career highs in assists and is averaging 24.7/11.5/10.1 per game, an average that would lead to him replicating the feat of averaging a full triple double for an entire season (a feat that won Russell Westbrook his MVP award).

But it doesn’t end there: Jokic is putting up those numbers on .632/.822/.391 shooting splits. He’s arguably the best offensive player in the NBA this year, and there’s a chance he’s putting up the best offensive season of all time.

While there are concerns about his defense, the Nuggets have been the best team in the Western Conference for most of the year, and it’s due almost entirely to his dominance. The odds reflect it: Jokic is very likely going to win another MVP, and is the safe bet to do so.  

The Value Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo | +700 at DraftKings

After a glorious title run in the previous year, the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the second round by the Boston Celtics last, as a first-round injury to their main perimeter shot creator Khris Middleton hampered them in the playoffs.

The Bucks have been a regular-season juggernaut for a multitude of seasons now, finding a familiarity in star and team systems. They have surrounded Antetokounmpo with the appropriate talent and have been back in the mix this season; despite seemingly drawing very little media attention this year, the Bucks have won twelve straight and are the two-seed in a loaded Eastern Conference this year. 

BONUS BETS

Worth $150

BetMGM logo

Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets - Guaranteed! Must be 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

After already winning back-to-back MVP awards in 2019 and 2020, Antetokounmpo is showing no signs of slowing down. He is averaging 31.8 points (a career high), 12.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. If Nikola Jokic didn’t exist, Antetokounmpo would likely be the name on every basketball fans lists (despite being behind Embiid on the odds to win).

Antetokounmpo has continued to increase his spacial awareness on the floor, while improving his off the dribble offensive game. He continues to be the most terrifying threat in transition and is also a key cog in the defensive scheme. He has improved from not only reading defenses, but manipulating them to create shots for his teammates. 

The Bucks have a consistency in their roster that gives them an inherent advantage as we near the playoffs, and with a potential Defensive Player of the Year in Brook Lopez, they have a balanced system that few teams can recreate or handle for seven games. That said, playoff success doesn’t determine this award; it’s a regular season MVP, and it will be a tough task for Antetokounmpo to dethrone Jokic.

He is the best value pick for this season at +700. 

2022-2023 MVP Prediction: Giannis Antetokounmpo | +700 at DraftKings 

Against all good sense, and the likelihood of his victory, I’m picking against Nikola Jokic and am instead picking the Greek Freak to win the 2022-2023 MVP award in the NBA. Coming out of the All-Star Break, Antetokounmpo will be riding a twelve game winning streak and averaging over 30 points and 10 rebounds per game; with the Bucks only one game back of the Nuggets (41-18 vs 41-17) in their overall records, there’s a very real chance for Antetokounmpo to leapfrog Jokic if he takes another step or if Jokic falters at all to close out the season.

Beyond that, there’s the narrative question: will the NBA award voters really give a third straight MVP to a man who hasn’t yet played in a Finals game, despite that (supposedly) having no influence on regular season awards? Considering it prevented Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and other players from winning three straight, I say no — I think this discussion is going to shift for the final twenty games of the season, and the Bucks’ superstar will take over.


BONUS BETS

Worth $2,500

BetMGM logo

Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets - Guaranteed! Must be 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Fanatics logo

Get up to $1,000 Bonus Bets!

bet365 logo

$1,000 First Bet Safety Net!

DraftKings logo

Bet $5, Get $150 Bonus Bets Instantly!

FanDuel logo

Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins!

Bonus Bets in Virginia

BetMGM

BetMGM

Fanatics

Fanatics

bet365

bet365

DraftKings

DraftKings

FanDuel

FanDuel