Reigning recipient Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+145) of the Oklahoma City Thunder continues to maintain his lead atop the betting odds leaderboard to repeat as NBA Most Valuable Player in 2026, but the gap between him and the field is diminishing as three-time winner Nikola Jokic (+165) closes in on the top spot. Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic (+300) isn't far off either.
Here's an updated look at where Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, Doncic, and all other 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 | +145 |
| Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | +165 |
| Luka Doncic | Los Angeles Lakers | +300 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | +3500 |
| Cade Cunningham | Detroit Pistons | +5000 |
| Tyrese Maxey | Philadelphia 76ers | +8000 |
| Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers | +20000 |
| Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs | +20000 |
| Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks | +25000 |
| Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | +25000 |
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | +40000 |
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | +75000 |
| Alperen Sengun | Houston Rockets | +75000 |
Odds as of December 1, 2025 at FanDuel Sportsbook
NBA Most Valuable Player Betting favorite: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
With the Thunder sitting pretty at 20-1, and Jalen Williams having only just returned to the starting lineup following offseason wrist surgery, it's hard to deny Gilgeous-Alexander as being the early favorite here. His numbers through 21 appearances are nearly identical (32.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.5 steals) to what they were during his 2024-25 MVP campaign (32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.5 steals), and Oklahoma City is one of only two teams currently sitting with a top-five offense and defense, with the latter being 6.7 points better allowed per 100 possessions than everyone else.
NBA Most Valuable Player Betting contender: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
It's easy to take Jokic's production for granted, and perhaps the basketball world is in the midst of a fatigue period in which everyone just accepts that he's perhaps the best player on the planet, and his ridiculous numbers are no longer special and just who he is. Don't let such a mindset cloud your judgement, though, because what Jokic is currently doing is well beyond the norm and truly the stuff of legend. He has 10 triple-doubles in 19 games, and currently ranks sixth in scoring (28.9 points), first in rebounds (12.4), and first in assists (10.9) for the 14-5 Denver Nuggets as of December 1.
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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.
