NBA MVP Odds & Betting Favorites For 2025-26

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?

Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander good enough to go back-to-back?

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 upcoming 2025-26 season .

NBA MVP Odds 2025

NBA MVP Prediction: Who Will Be Named NBA MVP For 2025-26?

Based on the current futures market, Nikola Jokić has an implied 31.3% chance to win the NBA MVP award in 2026.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+280, 26.3%) is the next most likely MVP, followed by Luka Dončić (+700, 12.5%). 

NBA MVP Odds: Nikola Jokic

 Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets center, is currently +220 to win NBA MVP.

The three-time MVP is favored to win a fourth trophy in 2026. The lofty positioning alongside SGA in BetMGM’s market-opening odds is a reflection of the two-legged race that dominated last season’s MVP race. 

Jokić opened at +260, but was shortened to +220 after Denver’s strong initial offseason signings. The idea here is that a better overall Denver team creates better MVP positioning for the Nuggets superstar.

Anecdotally, that’s backed up by the fact that many 2025 MVP voters cited the Thunder’s superior record as a differentiating factor down the stretch run of last season. 

Jokić might be a boring target for MVP voting, which could lead to lower betting interest outside of Colorado – especially at this short of a return. But the reality is that Jokić should be the favorite at the start of the 2025-26 NBA cycle. The only question is whether or not he’ll ever be available at a better price point during the season.

NBA MVP Odds: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder guard, is currently +280 to win NBA MVP.

With the 2025 season now wrapped, Gilgeous-Alexander is a league star, an MVP, an NBA champion, and a Finals MVP. That’s quite the resume line for the 27-year-old.

Barring an injury or scandal, SGA should remain in the thick of the MVP race for multiple seasons to come. 

NBA MVP Odds: Luka Dončić

Luka Dončić, the Lakers forward, is currently +700 to win NBA MVP.

A new ownership group has made it clear that LeBron James is the past and Luka is the future. For MVP bettors, that leads to an interesting series of questions. 

Perhaps at the top of the list: How heliocentric will the coaching staff allow Dončić to get? A superstar in his prime is something the Lakers haven’t had in 20 years or so, meaning a high-usage Luka could lead to major MVP buzz.

The viability of Dončić in the 2026 MVP race will depend heavily on his health and fitness, but also the quality of the Lakers team that’s put around him. If Luka is a great player on a middling franchise, it’s hard to see the glitz of the Lake Show iconography saving him.

NBA MVP Odds: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks superstar, is currently +1000 to win NBA MVP.

The Greek Freak, now approaching age 31, presents an interesting MVP profile for bettors. He’s one of the best players in the league, and he remains a multi-year MVP winner – something truly rare in the history of the league.

Even more powerful than all that, though, is the narrative power that Giannis and the Bucks can bring to the table for the upcoming season. 

Milwaukee has steadily degraded the quality of its team since winning the 2021 NBA championship, and next season’s team is unlikely to make any big strides back toward contention. Yet Antetokounmpo – widely seen as a threat to leave town next summer – could put the team on his back in a depleted Eastern conference, leading to a Last Dance-esque regular season run. 

This is an interesting value buy, if nothing else. Giannis and the Bucks will benefit from low expectations in a barren conference, which could be a successful formula for MVP relevance.

NBA MVP Odds: Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs center, is currently +1300 to win NBA MVP.

Here’s the simplest MVP handicap in the entire market: When do you think Wembanyama is going to pop?

To be sure, the 7-foot-3 French unicorn does things that no one else in the NBA can do. But he’s also 21, and he’s coming off a season where the Spurs sidelined him due to a deep vein thrombosis. It’s not like the reasons for skepticism don’t exist.

Still, Wembanyama will take over the league one day. His eventual MVP candidacy feels inevitable. At +1300, bettors are staking that it’s this season where the Spurs conquer the West. 

I think they might still be a year away, and I’d want a bit better return to go against my gut. But if you disagree, the nice price is sitting right there for you.

NBA MVP Odds: Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves guard, is currently +1400 to win NBA MVP.

Edwards is a popular name with a Jordan-esque aesthetic, and the Timberwolves have been to two straight conference finals. That explains why he’s this high in the table.

But as watchable and authentic as Edwards is, he’s on a team that struggled (by their standards) during last year’s regular season. Then, they got worse in the offseason, losing quality rotation players. In my opinion, he’s not a good buy at this price point, and I would think about the under in BetMGM’s NBA win totals market. 

NBA MVP Odds: Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson, the Knicks guard, is currently +3000 to win NBA MVP.

A hyperclutch, high-usage shotmaker, playing in the biggest media market in the world, spanning the gap to a new coaching regime? Who gave money off his contract to make the team better? And is playing in the East?

And he’s available at this price?

Yeah. It’s already in the betslip. 

NBA MVP Odds: Cade Cunningham

Cade Cunningham, the Pistons guard, is currently +4000 to win NBA MVP.

This position is a huge compliment to Cunningham, who is growing in both usage and effectiveness. 

I prefer Detroit team futures for 2026, but supplementing that position with an MVP bet could be an interesting add. 

NBA MVP Odds: Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers guard, is currently +5000 to win NBA MVP.

I’ve always liked Mitchell, but – fair or unfair – it’s going to be hard to wash the stink off these Cavaliers before next year’s playoffs start. 

At least for 2026, I can’t recommend betting on a second-tier guy like Mitchell without a better potential return. If the Cavs go 69-13 next year, the reaction is going to be, “Yeah, but call me when the playoffs start.” And that’s just too damaging for an MVP future at this price. 

NBA MVP Odds: Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry, the Warriors icon, is currently +6600 to win NBA MVP.

Curry will turn 38 next spring, but he’s a guard with a low-impact style of play, so that matters a bit less. 

Still, an MVP bet on Steph at this point in his career – and with this roster in San Francisco – feels about five years too late. 

NBA MVP Odds: LeBron James

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

Of course BetMGM offers the option to bet a LeBron MVP at age 41, and of course there will be LeBron stans that jump at the opportunity. 

Back here in reality, LeBron can’t win this award. I’m not even sure he would want to. He’d much prefer a championship at this point in his career, and the amount of energy he’d have to burn and injury risk he’d have to assume to play an MVP season at age 41 would be astronomical. 

Assuming James remains with the Lakers for next season, the most likely path forward is a workload that looks closer to 28 minutes a night, with some added rest days for good measure. That keeps him optimally healthy and ready to play in the postseason. 

An MVP at this stage isn’t just unlikely – it’s unnecessary. 

List of NBA MVP Winners