2023 NBA MVP Odds: Get In On Tatum Before It’s Too Late

We’re through roughly 20% of the 2022-23 NBA Season and there have been several shocking surprises.

In the East, projected contenders like the Nets and Heat are outside the top eight looking in. Out West, the World Champion Warriors are barely above .500 and the Luca-led Mavs are just below.

In the MVP race, though, pre-season favorite Doncic is still the favorite. But two two-time MVPs – and a new contender – lurk.

2023 NBA MVP Odds

Best time to bet on NBA MVP is right now

No matter who your NBA MVP favorite is, now is the time to bet on that player. As the NBA season rolls towards its halfway point, the odds on most legitimate candidates won’t get any better than they are right now.

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True NBA MVP favorites

Luka Doncic

NBA MVP odds have changed significantly since the preseason and only Doncic is in the same spot he started the year.

The odds on Doncic capturing MVP honors have shrunk +130. He’s averaging an incredible 33.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game.

He leads the league in scoring, is in the top ten in assists, and he’s close to the top 20 in rebounds. The Mavericks are currently under .500, but just barely. A small surge is more than enough to keep Doncic in front.

Giannis Antetekounmpo

The odds on Giannis Antetokounmpo winning a third MVP dropping is no surprise either. The Bucks have the second-best record in the NBA and are winning without injured All-Star Khris Middleton, mostly thanks to Giannis.

The Greek Freak’s return to MVP form has seen him average an incredible 30.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. That puts him fourth in scoring, sixth in rebounds, and in the top 30 in assists in the entire NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks have only lost a handful of games so far, and those only recently.

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If both of these players stay healthy, and the stat lines and team records hold through the halfway mark of the season, it will be no surprise to see Antetokounmpo leapfrog Doncic as the MVP favorite.

Either way, the current prices on these two superstars still offer some value, but only for a limited time. These two have proven to be the darlings of MVP voters in the past and the odds are only going to shrink.

More NBA MVP odds movers

Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid & Nikola Jokic

The odds on Jayson Tatum have dropped dramatically, while Joel Embiid’s have jumped somewhat. This clearly indicates that leading your team to wins matters in the MVP race.

The Celtics have the best record in the NBA as of mid-November and the 76ers are struggling to stay at .500.

Nikola Jokic’s move from +900 alternate favorite to +2500 also-ran can’t be blamed on team record, as the Nuggets are tied for second in the West and serious contenders.

It’s not a stats thing either, as he’s half a rebound and a little more than one assist from averaging a 20-point triple-double.

Instead, Jokic’s fall from grace in the MVP race can be blamed on others playing even better and oddsmakers thinking voters aren’t about to put The Joker in the company of three NBA legends.

Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird are the only three players to have won NBA MVP in three consecutive seasons.

Ja Morant, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant

Ja Morant’s odds have improved as he’s shown out on a pretty good Grizzlies team.

So have the odds on Stephen Curry, who’s second in the league in scoring and putting up absurd numbers on a Warriors team with a bit of a championship hangover.

In the meantime, Kevin Durant’s odds are going in the opposite direction as he’s failed to lead the clearly dysfunctional Nets.

Donovan Mitchell does it all

Finally, Donovan Mitchell finds himself in the top eight NBA MVP candidates. He’s a top 10 NBA scorer that may be the best player on a contending Cleveland Cavaliers team.

Mitchell would likely be an even bigger MVP favorite if the Utah Jazz team that traded him away weren’t also surprising the NBA by winning without him.

Before the season started, the odds on the NBA MVP winner looked like this: