- Joel Embiid is the new MVP betting favorite at -110 odds while Nikola Jokic has dropped to second at +150.
- Embiid’s Sixers have won six straight games while Jokic’s Nuggets lost four in a row before Thursday’s win over the Detroit Pistons.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo is third at +350 but don’t count out the Greek Freak yet as his Bucks are looking strong to finish the regular season.
Suddenly, Nikola Jokic’s quest for a third consecutive NBA MVP award is in peril. At least according to the top NBA betting sites.
That’s because Joel Embiid has overtaken Jokic in the latest NBA MVP odds boards at the top NBA sportsbooks as of Thursday. According to the online sportsbook BetOnline, Embiid is now the -110 betting favorite to win the award while Jokic is now the second favorite at +150.
Just one week ago, sportsbooks had Jokic as the massive -400 favorite to win a third straight MVP award while Embiid was listed at +650 odds. The Denver Nuggets are the leaders in the Western Conference and Jokic is having a historic triple-double season.
So, what happened this week that caused the top NBA MVP odds boards to turning upside down?
Nuggets Lost Four in a Row
Before Thursday’s win over the Detroit Pistons, the Nuggets lost four straight games. Entering Thursday’s slate of action, Denver had the current longest active losing streak in the league at 4 games.
Aside from that, three of those four losses came against teams below the .500 mark: Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and Toronto Raptors. The other defeat during that stretch came against the post-trade deadline Brooklyn Nets who aren’t considered contenders after trading both KD and Kyrie.
With a 125-110 loss to the Raptors, the Nuggets now have the longest active losing streak in the NBA (four games). pic.twitter.com/AzS9riqmdX
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) March 15, 2023
The Nuggets were favored by 9 points versus the Bulls but lost the game by 21. They were a 12.5 against the Spurs and were beaten by 8 points. Denver was also a 9-point favorite against Brooklyn and lost by 2 points. In their game against Toronto, the Nuggets were 1.5-point favorites but lost by 15 points.
During that period, Jokic’s numbers weren’t bad as he was averaging 29.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game on 59.2% shooting. But the knock against Jokic and the Nuggets this week was that they were terrible on defense.
Against those four teams, the Nuggets allowed an average of 123 points per game and had a league-worst 125.2 defensive rating during that stretch. That losing streak enabled the Sixers to overtake the Nuggets in the overall NBA team standings. Before Thursday’s games, the Sixers were 46-22 and the Nuggets were 46-23.
In the Western Conference, the Nuggets saw their lead over the No. 2 Sacramento Kings cut down to 4.5 games and if their struggles continue, the Kings, who are 8-2 over their last 10 games played, might make the race more interesting.
Embiid is Now the Favorite to Win the MVP
While the Nuggets struggled this week, the Sixers are rolling. Philadelphia took Thursday off and will play the Hornets on Friday. Heading into that game, the Sixers have won six straight contests and are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played.
After starting the season with a mediocre 12-12 SU record, the Sixers have been 34-10 in their last 44 games. Philly is now just one game behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division and is only 3.5 off the Milwaukee Bucks.
Philadelphia began its winning streak with a 133-130 win over the Bucks who own the best record in the league. They also won in Minnesota as +3 point underdogs.
In their most recent win, the Sixers defeated the 44-28 Cleveland Cavaliers who are next to them in the East team standings. Philly is 5-1 SU in their last six games played at home.
🚨 Joel Embiid is now the favorite to win MVP 🚨
(Via ESPN, DraftKings, PointsBet and BetOnline) pic.twitter.com/DsYQpyxw8r
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 16, 2023
While the Sixers are streaking, Embiid is having a career season. The 28-year-old is averaging 33.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game this year. Embiid’s current scoring average and shooting percentage of 54.1% are career highs for him and he is also the NBA’s current scoring leader.
Perhaps more importantly, Embiid outdueled Jokic as the Sixers defeated the Nuggets in Denver in a nationally-televised game last January.
In that matchup, Embiid dominated Jokic with an imposing inside game, on his way to scoring 47 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. Then there is also the narrative that Embiid finished second in the MVP voting in each of the last two seasons.
Don’t Forget the Greek Freak
While Embiid and Jokic are neck-and-neck in the latest MVP odds boards, don’t count out former back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo who is currently listed at +350 to win 2023 NBA MVP honors at Bet365 US. Looking at his body of work, Antetokounmpo also has a strong case to win the award this year.
The Greek Freak is having his own MVP-caliber season but isn’t talked about as often as Jokic and Embiid. Antetokounmpo ranks 4th in the NBA in scoring at 31.5 points per game and is second overall in rebounding at 11.9 boards grabbed per contest.
Over his last 10 games played, Giannis is putting up 33.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 56.5% from the floor and 2.9% from the foul line.
Antetokounmpo also finished second behind Jokic during the last MVP straw poll conducted last month. His team has won 21 out of their last 23 games played overall and is looking strong to finish the season.
Milwaukee is 8-2 SU in their last 10 games played. The Bucks have overtaken the Boston Celtics in the race for both the East and the top seed in the entire 2023 NBA Playoffs. Before Thursday’s games, the Bucks stood at 50-19 and were two games ahead of the Celtics.
Giannis and the Bucks are also the new betting favorites to win the 2023 championship at online sportsbook BetOnline at +325 odds. The Celtics have dropped to second at +350 odds. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have the 4th best odds to win it all this season at +700. Embiid’s Sixers are 6th at +1200 odds.
