NBA MVP odds have seen a change at the top of the board, with Denver Nuggets triple-double machine Nikola Jokic being overtaken by Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
Jokic is the two-time defending NBA MVP and appeared well on his way to a third straight trophy. But the Nuggets had a recent four-game skid, while the Sixers have won six in a row.
That’s gotten people’s attention. FOX Bet’s Tieme Wesselink and BetMGM Nevada’s Scott Shelton helped dive into the NBA MVP odds flip-flop.
Let’s jump into the big shift in odds.
Recent Form
As noted, Denver went on a four-game slide, and it’s not like the slump was to some of the NBA’s best. The breakdown, in order:
A 117-96 home shellacking at the hands of Chicago, which is among the worst teams in the East.
A 128-120 loss at San Antonio, one of the worst teams in the NBA.
A 122-120 loss home loss to Brooklyn, which, while still in the playoff picture, is a shell of itself after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
A 125-110 loss at Toronto, which has got talent but is sub-.500 at the moment.
Conversely, Philadelphia is on a 6-0 run entering Friday’s game at Charlotte. And Embiid’s stat line is impressive. He’s scored 31 points or more in all six games, including a double-double of 36 points and 18 rebounds in Wednesday’s 118-109 win at Cleveland.
And in the win that started the streak, a 133-130 victory at Milwaukee, Embiid had 31 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.
“We saw Jokic pull away late from Embiid and Giannis in last season’s race. We might see a role reversal this year,” Wesselink said. “Who would have predicted the Nuggets’ four-game losing streak? It allowed Embiid, with the Sixers on a six-game win streak, to surpass Jokic. Embiid looks destined to hold on to the NBA scoring [lead], with Doncic out of action.”
Indeed, Embiid is averaging 33.5 points per game, a half-point ahead of Doncic, who missed three games with an ankle issue.
Time for Nuggets to panic as Joel Embiid becomes new MVP favorite over Nikola Jokić
Watch as Nick Wright says it is panic time for the Nuggets, then explains why Embiid deserves to win MVP at the current rate.
Big Man’s Big Move
Back in January, Embiid had a foot injury that caused him to slide to +2000 or more with some oddsmakers. But he has since steadily climbed back into the MVP race.
On March 6, BetMGM had Embiid at +650, tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo as…
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