The NBA season is only three weeks old, but Nikola Jokic has already moved noticeably ahead of the pack in the MVP race.
The latest: Jokic, who finished runner-up last year, is back in pole position to win for a third time in four seasons. Last year's vote was a three-horse race, with Joel Embiid slipping past both Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo to claim the award for the first time.
Check out the latest NBA MVP odds as of November 14.
NBA MVP odds
Check out the latest odds to win NBA MVP. Click linked odds to add selection to your betslip.
| Player | Odds (Nov. 14) | Odds (Nov. 5) | Odds (preseason) |
| Nikola Jokic | +225 | +300 | +400 |
| Luka Doncic | +450 | +400 | +600 |
| Joel Embiid | +700 | +1,000 | +1,000 |
| Jayson Tatum | +800 | +700 | +900 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +1,000 | +1,200 | +550 |
| Stephen Curry | +1,200 | +1,000 | +1,400 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +1,400 | +1,600 | +1,600 |
| Anthony Edwards | +2,000 | +4,000 | +4,000 |
| Devin Booker | +3,000 | +2,000 | +2,000 |
| Kevin Durant | +3,000 | +2,500 | +2,000 |
| Donovan Mitchell | +4,000 | +4,000 | +3,000 |
| Anthony Davis | +4,000 | +4,000 | +4,000 |
| Damian Lillard | +6,000 | +3,000 | +3,000 |
| LeBron James | +8,000 | +6,000 | +6,000 |
| Zion Williamson | +8,000 | +8,000 | +6,000 |
| De'Aaron Fox | +10,000 | +6,000 | +4,000 |
Best odds to win NBA MVP
If you thought Jokic should've won MVP last year, you have a completely justifiable case.
With 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game, Jokic was just a whisker shy of averaging a triple-double. The two-time MVP was also more efficient than ever before, posting a 66.0% effective field goal rate.
By stuffing the stat sheet across the board in ways that no one else does, Jokic profiles as an inevitability in the MVP conversation.
His second-place finish last year is a credit to Embiid's league-leading 33.1 points per game — and perhaps a bit of voter fatigue after the Serbian centre won in each of the prior two seasons.
If a lack of scoring is what cost Jokic last year, he's done his best to dispel that concern so far in 2023-24. Jokic is averaging a career-high 29.8 points on a career-high 19.8 shots per game.
Quite frankly, he looks like a steady and unstoppable machine. Jokic has 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in all 10 games while averaging 8.3 assists, too.
Other NBA MVP choices
It's very early, but Doncic is averaging an NBA-high 32.6 points per game so far. He's also on pace to average at least eight rebounds and eight assists for the fifth consecutive campaign.
Even with another ball-dominant guard as a teammate in Kyrie Irving, Doncic posted the third-highest usage rate in the NBA last year, per NBA.com. And he deserves it.
Another high-usage, high-scoring season from a point guard who assists and rebounds well is a great recipe for winning MVP.
And while Doncic chases Jokic in the MVP race, their teams are tied atop the Western Conference standings at 8-2 apiece.
Edwards has made a steady ascent through his three-plus seasons in the NBA, and for the first time, it looks like he'll be part of a larger MVP conversation.
The former No. 1 overall draftee has improved his points, rebounds and assists numbers on a per-game basis in each of his four seasons. This year, he's averaging 28.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting a respectable 48.7% from the floor.
Minnesota clearly trusts Edwards to run the show, evidenced by the fact that he leads the team in shot attempts (21.4/game). Karl-Anthony Towns is the only other player on the team who's attempting double-digit shots per game.
Edwards is as likely to dunk over you as he is to hit a step-back three. His athleticism and lack of fear are great for the highlight reel and the box score as a whole.