NBA MVP Opening Odds: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic Lead Field for 2024-25 Season

Breaking down the opening odds to win the NBA MVP award in the 2024-25 season.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA Finals may have ended last night, but it's already time to start looking at the futures market for the 2024-25 season.

Oddsmakers have released opening odds for two key markets -- the NBA Finals -- and of course the league MVP award.

Nikola Jokic won his third NBA MVP in the 2023-24 season, edging out Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the award. Jokic's win kept a crazy trend going from the early 1980s. Since 1983, only Russell Westbrook (2016-17) and Jokic (2021-22) have won an MVP without being a top-three seed. They were both the No. 6 seed.

With the 65-game threshold in place for NBA awards for the second straight season, bettors may want to be careful about who they bet on to win MVP, as players like Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Donovan Mitchell and others failed to reach this threshold last season.

Jokic is once again the favorite to win MVP, but Doncic is right on his heels for next season. The Dallas Mavericks star nearly averaged 34 points per game and a triple-double this past season, and those numbers would immediately put him in the mix for MVP again next season.

NBA MVP Odds for the 2024-25 Season

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Nikola Jokic: +350
• Luka Doncic: +370
• Joel Embiid: +550
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: +600
• Giannis Antetokounmpo: +650
• Anthony Edwards: +1200
• Jayson Tatum: +1600
• Jalen Brunson: +1600
• Steph Curry: +5000
• Ja Morant: +5000
• Victor Wembanyama: +5000
• Kevin Durant: +6000

Personally, I won't bet on the MVP award until there are some more moves made this offseason, but one name stands out to me on this list: Victor Wembanyama.

The reigning Rookie of the Year faces an uphill battle to get his team into contention in the Western Conference, but he put up some historic numbers in his first season and should be a candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award again in the 2024-25 season.

I wouldn't be shocked to see his odds shrink as the offseason goes on, especially if the San Antonio Spurs are able to land him a running mate in the trade market. It may be a year or two early, but Wemby's name should be a mainstay in the MVP market for years to come.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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