Betting Advice for NBA MVP Futures Betting: Former MVPs Challenging Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid is the betting favorite at SI Sportsbook to be the NBA MVP, but former MVPs offer potential value for bettors.

The All-Star break is just days away and the favorites to win the title and the NBA’s individual awards are starting to separate themselves from the crowd. The Nets were the longtime favorite to win the title, but the Suns have supplanted them.

The MVP race has an even more clear favorite: 76ers center Joel Embiid.

If he were to win, it would mark the second season in a row a center won the award after Nuggets star Nikola Jokic captured it last season. Embiid has a strong case, largely leading Philadelphia by himself this season and leading the league in points per game. However, there are a few recent winners of the award who could challenge him as well as some dark horse candidates who could emerge.

Check the Latest NBA Odds and Spreads at SI Sportsbook

NBA MVP odds from SI Sportsbook

Here are the current odds at SI Sportsbook:

76ers center Joel Embiid +140
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo +333
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic +350
Warriors guard Stephen Curry +850
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant +1300

I asked a few of our writers to make their MVP bets and the answers varied.

SI Betting's Matt Ehalt:

I don't like taking favorites, but I just don't see value in any of the other options. Joel Embiid is the clear choice and he's about to get a new running mate in James Harden who can draw more defenders. Steph Curry seemed like a good bet earlier in the year, but the Warriors' funk isn't helping. Giannis and Jokic need to make up ground. I hate doing it, but let's take the favorite. It doesn't hurt that we're getting plus-odds at this juncture.

BET: Joel Embiid (+140)

SI Betting and Fantasy's Kyle Wood:

I agree with Matt. Embiid is my pick to win MVP for reasons that I’ll be explaining in greater depth in an article coming out tomorrow. But I’m going to go with a dart throw that presents great value who could see his odds decrease after his latest tear. It’s DeMar DeRozan. The Bulls' forward is averaging a career-best 27.9 PPG, fourth-best in the league, and he’s been the most available player for a Chicago team that’s tied for first place in the East. DeRozan wasn’t the only addition the Bulls made, but he’s been the most important for a team that went from missing the play-in tournament to title contender rather quickly. Sometimes for wild statistical achievements, we talk in “Non-Wilt Numbers” because the Hall of Famer’s stats (see: 100 points in a single game) are so hard to contend with. DeRozan has tied Chamberlain’s absurd mark of

six straight games with 35-plus points on 50% shooting

, as a jump shooter. He’s efficient as they come and deserves to at least be in the discussion.



BET: DeMar DeRozan (+2500)

SI Fantasy's Craig Ellenport:

I think the NBA gods were sending a message Tuesday as I started thinking about this question. While Joel Embiid and the Sixers were getting blown out by 48 at home against the Celtics, Giannis Antetokounmpo was scoring 50 for the Bucks. Message received. The 50-point game actually made Antetokounmpo the NBA’s current leading scorer, percentage points ahead of Embiid. When James Harden starts playing for Philly, it will make the 76ers a tougher out, but it might also make Embiid just a little less vital to the team’s success. Antetokounmpo’s importance to Milwaukee will not wane, and we’ve seen him rise to the occasion before.

BET: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+333)

Nick Wass/AP

SI.com's Ben Pickman:

Embiid, at this point, is justifiably the favorite to win take home this year’s MVP award, but if you’re looking elsewhere, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that Nikola Jokić has again been the NBA’s best player in 2021-22. Jokić leads the league in win-shares per 48 minutes,

according to Basketball Reference

, and is yet again No. 1 in

FiveThirtyEight Raptor player metric

. While the Nuggets have already equaled their loss total from last season, it’s not unreasonable to think that if, and that is a big if, guard Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. return sometime after the All-Star break that Denver will also be able to go on a second half run and vault up the Western Conference standings. If that happens and Jokic continues to produce the way he has, then he could certainly win a second consecutive MVP. At this juncture, he has the third-best odds on the board, which for perhaps being the best player in the sport right now, isn’t terrible.

BET: Nikola Jokic (+350)

SI.com's Robin Lundberg:

Joel Embiid is the favorite but Philadelphia's record and the looming arrival of James Harden on the court have me shying away from that pick. I really like Giannis Antetokounmpo at +333, as he has had a dominant stretch and now leads the league in scoring. As far as a dark horse, give me DeMar DeRozan at +2500 as he's had too many big fourth quarters on a Bulls team that has beat expectations to not get consideration.

BET: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+333)

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