Joel Embiid Overtakes Nikola Jokic As Favorite To Win NBA MVP
There might be some voter fatigue this season
Philadelphia 76ers fans and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey have been very vocal about Joel Embiid's MVP case, and they might get their wish.
Nikola Jokic has been viewed as the clear favorite following the All-Star break. The 28-year-old All-NBA center has helped keep the Denver Nuggets atop the Western Conference, and he has put up an absurd stat line of 24.7 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game and 10 assists per game through 61 games.
Embiid hasn't been a slouch, though. He leads the NBA in scoring with 33.5 per game, and he averages 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game through 55 games.
It's been a two-man race as the season nears its end -- sorry Boston Celtics fans, Jayson Tatum has taken a steep fall in the race -- and there has been a lot of debate on whether or not Jokic should win the MVP award for a third straight year, which no player has done since Larry Bird from 1984-87.
Jokic also would join the Celtics legend, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone as the only players to have won MVP three times.
It's certainly hard to put modern players in a historical context, especially since the Nuggets star still is in his prime. But that debate might not be had this season.
Embiid has overtaken Jokic as the favorite across major sportsbooks. Here are how the odds look as of Thursday morning, which coincidentally was the 76ers star's birthday.
Draftkings:
Embiid: -110
Jokic: +150
FanDuel:
Embiid: +100
Jokic: +160
Caesars:
Embiid: -105
Jokic: -105
BetMGM:
Embiid: -110
Jokic: +160
Caesars still has the MVP race as a tight one compared to other major sportsbooks that have a consensus on Jokic's odds.
FanDuel still has a very slight value on Embiid, but if you bought the dip on the 76ers star, you're liking the market movement seen Thursday morning. Conversely, if Jokic's odds dip enough, it might be worth betting on the Nuggets center to become a three-time MVP.
The decision is up the voters, and it's possible they might be fatigued enough to vote someone else other than Jokic as MVP. That would be tough since the star center won the award when Denver didn't achieve the same team success it has this season, so why should this season be any different, especially if Jokic ends the season averaging a triple-double.
But a strong last stretch of the regular season could be the difference-maker in swaying voters toward one side or the other.
