NBA MVP Odds & Betting Favorites For 2024-25

NBA odds are one of the most popular betting options available at the BetMGM online sportsbook. But even among those who don’t bet very often, the NBA Most Valuable Player debate is a popular and deeply accessible topic of conversation. 

Even casual observers of American professional basketball usually have opinions. Who’s overrated? Who’s up-and-coming? Who’s won too many, or too few?

The NBA MVP odds market offers a way to formalize your opinions and – with a little bit of luck – maybe even profit from them.

Here, I break down the full market, including many of the most popular names and candidates for the 2024-25 season.

NBA MVP Odds 2024-25

NBA MVP Prediction: Who Will Be Named NBA MVP For 2024-25?

Based on the current futures market, Nikola Jokić has an implied 33.3% chance to win NBA MVP in 2025.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+300, 25%) is the next most likely to win the award, followed by Jayson Tatum (+425, 19%).

Nikola Jokić NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets center, is currently +200 to win NBA MVP.

There’s a reason bettors are paying top dollar for a Jokić ticket. Jokić is the reigning MVP who has now won the award three times in the last four seasons. 

That said, there are real reasons to be concerned about where Jokić’s MVP stock goes from here. Voter fatigue seems likely to set in soon, and the Nuggets got worse this offseason while several other key contenders in the West stayed the same or got better. 

Perhaps Jokić will win a fourth MVP in 2025. Regardless of whether he does or doesn’t, though, it seems like the market will eventually prompt longer odds on him in the coming months. So far, 7.8% of tickets are interested in the reigning MVP.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder point guard, is currently +300 to win NBA MVP.

SGA was one of the big winners of the 2024 NBA playoffs. His team may have been eliminated in the second round by Dallas, but the largely untested point guard got to prove that his game still has real legs when the calendar flips to April and May.

That marked SGA as a potential MVP candidate for years to come, which is why he’s one of the most popular tickets at the BetMGM online sportsbook this offseason. So far, 8.9% of all MVP tickets are on Gilgeous-Alexander.

Jayson Tatum NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Jayson Tatum, the Celtics forward, is currently +425 to win NBA MVP.

After a strange offseason that included championship parades and Olympic snubs, Jayson Tatum has started the 2024-25 NBA season on fire.

After a playoff stretch that had many wondering if Jaylen Brown was the top player on the team, Tatum is averaging a nasty 30 points per game on 46% shooting in the opening stretch of the season. He’s chipping in eight rebounds and six assists per contest, too.

That’s an awfully strong presence from a player who could be playing on a huge chip on his shoulder after the last four months. 

I highlighted Tatum as a potential midrange NBA candidate in the offseason. He presented a lot of upside at +2000. 

Based on the CLV that some NBA futures bettors now have in pocket, it appears that Tatum read is paying off. Now, for the next question: Can he keep up this pace for 82 games?

Luka Dončić NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024

Luka Dončić, the Mavericks superstar, is currently +1000 to win NBA MVP.

Over the last three seasons, Dončić has led the Mavericks to one Western Conference finals and one NBA Finals. He’s one of the most cold-blooded scorers in the league, and his team signed Klay Thompson to aid with floor spacing this offseason.

It’s no wonder that Dončić is a popular offering in the MVP market. The 2024-25 cycle is young, but so far he’s attracted about 8.3% of all tickets at BetMGM. 

Anthony Edwards NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves guard, is currently +1000 to win NBA MVP.

Edwards, one of the most exciting young faces in the NBA right now, is understandably a popular MVP choice among bettors. The heir to Michael Jordan’s killer two-guard throne is responsible for 10% of all MVP tickets at BetMGM. That’s the third most among all players. 

It’s clear that Edwards has the talent, swagger, and momentum to be the next NBA MVP. Bettors must ask themselves this question: Will a new season with added scrutiny carry Edwards over the top? 

Or, like the 2024 Western Conference finals, will he and the Timberwolves stumble just as everyone has started to believe in them?

Anthony Davis NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Anthony Davis, the Lakers forward/center, is currently +1500 to win NBA MVP.

This year, it’s Davis – not LeBron James – who is commanding major attention in the NBA MVP odds race. He ranks top 15 in the NBA in field goal percentage, top 10 in rebounds per game, and No. 2 in points per game.

For years, NBA analysts and Lakers insiders have acknowledged that Davis would need to fulfill his ultimate potential as an unstoppable force near the basket for Los Angeles to successfully transition into LeBron’s elder statesman era. 

This year, even moreso than others, Davis appears to be meeting those expectations. If the Lakers can finish the year as a top seed in the West, Davis should be taken seriously as a potential MVP contender.

Donovan Mitchell NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers guard, is currently +3500 to win NBA MVP.

The Cavaliers are contending for the best record in the NBA, and Mitchell is a big reason why. While other names in Cleveland are excelling in their role, Mitchell is the go-to scorer and closer that ties everything together.

Cleveland’s hot start has attracted some small action on Mitchell in the MVP market, with 2.5% of all tickets at BetMGM backing him as of Nov. 20. That’s more than big names like Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid.

Still, with Donovan’s statistical profile in the good-but-not-quite-elite range, Cavaliers futures are probably a better bet than Mitchell’s MVP odds.

Giannis Antetokounmpo NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks superstar, is currently +4000 to win NBA MVP.

Besides Embiid and Jokić, Giannis is the only other player to have won an NBA MVP in the last seven years. But for many bettors, the Bucks feel like they may be past their contention expiration date with this current Giannis run. 

Since 2018-21, when Giannis won one title and two MVPs, Milwaukee has fired two different coaches. They’ve shipped out most of their top defensive players and rebuilt the roster around Giannis and Damian Lillard. The latter is 34. Khris Middleton, the other major remaining contributor, is 33.

Giannis will turn 30 this season, so he’s still got plenty of good basketball left in him. But the Bucks star may also be slightly more injury-prone than he was five years ago, which explains Milwaukee’s first-round playoff exits of the last two seasons. 

If Giannis has his foot off the gas this regular season for health reasons – which could be wise in the greater championship playoff picture – it’s difficult to imagine him emerging victorious in a crowded MVP race. 

Steph Curry NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Stephen Curry, the Warriors superstar, is currently +4000 to NBA MVP. 

Curry opened as a long shot as a nod to his talent levels and general greatness, but most bettors weren’t taking graybeards like Curry or James seriously in the MVP market. 

The opening weeks have changed that. Curry is averaging 23 points and six assists per game despite a decreased overall workload. The Warriors are overachieving after losing Klay Thompson to the Mavericks in free agency, and Curry’s efficient play remains a big reason why. 

More than 3% of MVP bets at BetMGM are on Curry, and he’s taken a big market adjustment down to +4000 from his much longer offseason price.

Victor Wembanyama NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs center, is currently +6000 to win NBA MVP.

The 2024-25 season may be just the second NBA campaign for Wembanyama, but the rookie results for the 7’4” Frenchman made it clear he’s a top-level threat on the basketball court. 

Wembanyama is already the odds-on favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, and many bettors are willing to take a chance he makes a run at MVP, too. He’s become the No. 2 most popular bet on the NBA odds board at BetMGM.

Jalen Brunson NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Jalen Brunson, the Knicks guard, is currently +8000 to win NBA MVP.

Brunson is the best player on one of the most popular teams in the NBA, playing in the biggest media market in the world, with his home games set in one of the most famous arenas in the world. If this is an award shaped by media and perception, handicappers could do a lot worse than Brunson.

He’s also an All-NBA talent who gave back tens of millions of dollars to help the Knicks build a more complete team. The Knicks should compete near the top of the East this season, which will put Brunson clearly in the spotlight for NBA MVP. 

So far, his immense popularity hasn’t translated to MVP betting buzz, with less than 2% of all tickets backing Brunson. 

Ja Morant NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

Ja Morant, the Grizzlies guard, is currently +15000 to win NBA MVP.

If MVP is a narrative-influenced award, Morant has quite the comeback story to tell. The explosive dunker and playmaker missed time in 2023 because of poor personal decisions, then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Jan. 2024. 

Morant is now cleared to play and will return to the NBA in a big way for the 2024-25 season. If he can jump Memphis back into the playoff mix and remain focused on the basketball court, Morant could be a decent value play. 

More than 3.9% of early MVP bettors agree and are chasing the return with Morant.  

LeBron James NBA MVP Odds To Win, 2024-25

LeBron James, the Lakers superstar, is currently +15000 to win NBA MVP.

James will turn 40 this season, which puts him in a historically unprecedented position as a major contributor. But from an awards perspective, the energy he would have to exert – and health he would have to maintain – make an MVP season very unlikely in 2025.

Like Curry, LeBron will attract some MVP tickets from fans who want to support the superstar with an elite potential return on the line, even if the fundamentals in play make the outcome virtually impossible. 

More than 2.8% of tickets at BetMGM are backing a LeBron MVP season.

List of NBA MVP Winners