Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the betting favorite to be named the 2026 NBA Most Valuable Player at -220, but the gap between him and the field atop the leaderboard in his repeat bid is shrinking over the likes of Nikola Jokic (+300), Cade Cunningham (+2000), and Luka Doncic (+2000).
Here's an updated look at where all contenders currently find themselves in the race to take home the Michael Jordan trophy.
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2026 NBA Most Valuable Player Odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder | -220 |
| Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | +300 |
| Cade Cunningham | Detroit Pistons | +2000 |
| Luka Doncic | Los Angeles Lakers | +2000 |
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | +4000 |
| Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | +15000 |
| Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks | +25000 |
| Tyrese Maxey | Philadelphia 76ers | +50000 |
| Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers | +50000 |
| Kawhi Leonard | Los Angeles Clippers | +100000 |
| Kevin Durant | Houston Rockets | +100000 |
Odds as of February 9, 2026 at FanDuel Sportsbook
NBA Most Valuable Player Betting favorite: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Having the best player on the best team in basketball be favored for MVP is reasonable, especially when factoring in the injuries the Thunder have had to overcome this season to the likes of Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein. Gilgeous-Alexander is now dealing with an abdominal injury of his own, and will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break. His current numbers (31.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.3 steals) aren't too far off from what they were a year ago (32.7 points, five rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals) when he first won MVP, and his true shooting efficiency being at 67 percent is by far the best of his young career.
NBA Most Valuable Player Betting Favorite: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
The risk of wagering on Jokic in this future remains incredibly high, as the three-time winner of this award can only afford to miss one more game before finding himself ineligible due to the league's 65-game minimum for end-of-season hardware. Take that criterion out of the equation (which is hard to do, mind you), and Jokic's numbers alone would put him in the driver's seat. He's averaging a triple-double of 28.9 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 10.7 assists through 37 appearances, and is currently converting a career-best 42.7 percent from 3-point range. His 16-game absence due to a knee injury was the longest of his career, and hopefully that's in the rearview mirror moving forward.
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Past 10 NBA Most Valuable Player Winners
| Year | Player | Team | Opening Odds (Pre-Season) | Closing Ends (End of Regular Season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder | +400 | |
| 2024 | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | +300 | -4000 |
| 2023 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | +600 | -201 |
| 2022 | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | +1600 | -285 |
| 2021 | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | +2500 | -8500 |
| 2020 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | +210 | -950 |
| 2019 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | +475 | -1100 |
| 2018 | James Harden | Houston Rockets | +1100 | +175 |
| 2017 | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | +200 | -700 |
| 2016 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | +650 | -400 |
Who has won the most NBA Most Valuable Player Awards?
| Player | # MVP Awards Won | Winning Team of MVP |
|---|---|---|
| Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar | 6 | Milwaukee Bucks (3), Los Angeles Lakers (3) |
| Bill Russell | 5 | Boston Celtics |
| Michael Jordan | 5 | Chicago Bulls |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 4 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| LeBron James | 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers (2), Miami Heat (2) |
| Moses Malone | 3 | Houston Rockets (2), Philadelphia 76ers (1) |
| Larry Bird | 3 | Boston Celtics |
| Magic Johnson | 3 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Nikola Jokic | 3 | Denver Nuggets |
NBA Teams with the Most Most Valuable Player Winners
| Team | # MVP Awards Won | Most Recent Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 10 | Larry Bird (1986) |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 8 | Kobe Bryant (2008) |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 7 | Joel Embiid (2023) |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 | Derrick Rose (2011) |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 5 | Giannis Antetokounmpo (2020) |
| Houston Rockets | 4 | James Harden (2018) |
NBA Most Valuable Player Winners by Position
| Position | # MVP Awards Won |
|---|---|
| Center | 30 |
| Point Guard | 11 |
| Power Forward | 11 |
| Small Forward | 9 |
| Shooting Guard | 8 |
NBA Teams With Zero Most Valuable Player Winners
The following eight teams have never had a player be named MVP throughout their history: Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and the Brooklyn Nets.
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How To Read NBA MVP Odds
When you visit your NBA betting site of choice, you’ll notice 2025-26 NBA MVP odds laid out like this:
- Nikola Jokic +350
- Luka Doncic +380
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +550
- Giannis Antetokounmpo +550
Unlike a moneyline bet where favorites are shown by the minus sign (-) and underdogs have a plus sign (+), the player with the lowest odds with the plus sign (+) is the fave. In this scenario, Nikola Jokic is favored. If you were to bet $100 on Jokic in the NBA MVP betting odds and it hits, you would win $350 – your $100 is returned and you would get $350 in profit.
If you were to bet on which player will be named MVP, you would make a futures bet.
What Is A Futures Bet?
This is a bet made on events that will happen in time. In this case, it’s MVP. To make a futures bet, you would first use the handicapping info on this page to make your decision. Our Odds Calculator can give you an idea of how much you’d win based on the MVP odds and the amount of money you bet.
