{"id":647474,"date":"2026-01-10T15:32:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T14:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/?p=647474"},"modified":"2026-01-10T15:32:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T14:32:31","slug":"nba-mvp-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/nba-mvp-odds\/","title":{"rendered":"2025-26 NBA MVP Odds: Favorites, Best Bets and Longshots\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we are two months into the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander has pulled as the MVP favorite with -450 at FanDuel. Luka Doncic, who was leading the charts a few days into the season, has slipped to second position with +740 odds. Cade Cunningham sits in the third spot with +1800. The market has significantly shifted into the last few days after recent stretches and injury impacts. <\/p>

Here, we talk about the latest 2025-26 NBA MVP odds, analyze top contenders to win the award and see the longshots who stand a chance to occupy a spot up in the standings with a promising campaign. Voters usually reward players with elite individual campaigns, combined with the team’s success. Hence, current trends are based on stats and recent storylines. <\/p>

2025-26 NBA MVP Odds: Top Contenders <\/h2>
Player <\/td>Team <\/td>Best Odds <\/td>Implied Probability <\/td>Notes <\/td><\/tr>
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander <\/td>OKC Thunder <\/td>-450<\/a><\/td>81.82%<\/td>Reigning MVP, entered the season as favorite<\/td><\/tr>
Luka Doncic <\/td>LA Lakers <\/td>+750<\/a><\/td>11.76%<\/td>Led as favorite for a few weeks. <\/td><\/tr>
Cade Cunningham <\/td>Detroit Pistons <\/td>+1800<\/a><\/td>5.26%<\/td>12th best scorer, Pistons leading East<\/td><\/tr>
Jaylen Brown <\/td>Boston Celtics <\/td>+7500<\/a><\/td>1.32%<\/td>Led Celtics in scoring in Jayson Tatum’s absence<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

Odds from FanDuel, accurate as of Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 7 am ET. Lines may move as the season progresses. <\/em><\/p>

Favorites to Win the 2025-26 NBA MVP <\/h2>

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC Thunder (-450<\/a>)<\/h3>

Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander entered the season as the reigning regular-season MVP as well as NBA Finals MVP. He was also the favorite to repeat his heroics in the beginning of the season, but slipped to the second spot as Luka Doncic came on top. SGA is averaging almost 32 points per game, and is the second-leading scorer in the league, behind Doncic. The Thunder are seeded on the top of the standings with a 32-7 win-loss record. <\/p>

At -450, the price feels short considering the Thunder’s favorable campaign as well as SGA’s scoring efficiency. <\/p>

Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+750<\/a>) <\/h3>

Luka Doncic, playing his first full regular season with the Los Angeles Lakers, has been guiding the side to a favorable season with his efficient offensive prowess. Being the NBA 2025-26 MVP favorite for a few weeks since the beginning, Doncic is the leading scorer in the league, dropping 33.7 points per game. The Lakers, however, have currently been struggling with six losses in the last ten games. He is a clear favorite in the market, but the gap between him and SGA is huge, and he wouldn’t want it to further widen. <\/p>

At +750, there is some long-term value if Doncic continues his form and the Lakers emerge in top two or three West seeds. <\/p>

Contenders With Betting Value <\/h2>

Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (+1800<\/a>)<\/h3>

Cade Cunningham is amongst the league’s top 15 leading scorers, scoring an average of 26.7 points<\/a>. The Pistons are also having a promising campaign, currently leading the Eastern Conference with a solid 28-9 win-loss record. Considering his form, momentum and the Pistons’ rise in the East gives him a strong narrative. <\/p>

At an implied probability of 5.26%, Cunningham’s real chances are closer to 8-10%, a better mid-range value plays on the board. <\/p>

Longshot Picks and Sleepers <\/h2>

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics (+4000<\/a>)<\/h3>

Jalyen Brown came forward and took his team’s scoring responsibility as the team missed Jayson Tatum. After a few initial hiccups, he brought his team to where they belonged, amongst the top in the East. Brown has been consistent with his scoring, and is dropping near to 30 points with multiple stand-out performances. <\/p>

If Brown remains consistent, or better, if pushes himself and the Celtics remain in the top, the narrative could shift from him being a longshot pick to a favorite. <\/p>

This is a <5% probability and it looks good if the Celtics start playing at an elite level and finish at the top of the Eastern Conference with a solid margin. <\/p>

2025-26 NBA MVP Odds Movement and Market Storyline <\/h2>

The MVP market opened with a tighter race between hotshots of the league including Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, reigning MVP – Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander. Jokic was the favorite to win with +220, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the second spot with +250, followed by Luka Doncic in the third and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the fourth spot. <\/p>

As the season progressed, Doncic emerged at the top, while SGA occupied the second spot for most of the time. Cade Cunningham surpassed multiple stars to occupy a higher spot, while players such as Antetokounmpo and Jokic were soon out of the race due to prolonged injury layoffs. <\/p>

As of now, SGA has gained the top spot, while the Slovenian star follows him at the second spot. The Thunder are leading the league with another favorable campaign, while the Lakers’ recent struggles proved to be a key reason in Doncic’s fall despite him dominating in terms of offense. <\/p>

The next couple of months will be crucial, considering if the Thunder stumble and drop a few games, or if the Lakers get back into momentum, we could see a switch in the top two positions, or maybe a tightened race. Promising players and longshot players need to have a monster run to come on top in the favorites basket. <\/p>

How We Are Betting the 2025-26 NBA MVP Right Now <\/h2>

Best Bet: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win MVP at -450- Best value in the top tier if the Thunder remain consistent with their wins and SGA keeps dominating offense. <\/p>

Contenders with Betting Value: Cade Cunningham at +1500- A favorable mid-range value with payout potential if Detroit stays at top in the west. <\/p>

Historical Trends and Past Winners <\/h2>

Over the last ten seasons, guards or wins have been the MVP winners most of the time. Only two centers, including Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have broken through in that span. Voters have generally favored the stars who display impactful offensive prowess and guide their teams to win. <\/p>

As per records, voters have leaned towards players who have combined elite individual performance with their teams’ outstanding campaign and successful seasons. It is the reason the longer shots need to have a massive late surge. <\/p>

Recent NBA MVP Winners <\/h2>
Season <\/td>Winner <\/td>Team <\/td>Notes <\/td><\/tr>
2025 <\/td>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander <\/td>OKC Thunder <\/td>Historic individual campaign <\/td><\/tr>
2024 <\/td>Nikola Jokic <\/td>Denver Nuggets <\/td>3rd Time MVP <\/td><\/tr>
2023<\/td>Joel Embiid <\/td>Philadelphia 76ers <\/td>First MVP for Embiid, elite defense<\/td><\/tr>
2022 <\/td>Nikola Jokic <\/td>Denver Nuggets <\/td>Back-to-back MVP title for Jokic <\/td><\/tr>
2021 <\/td>Nikola Jokic <\/td>Denver Nuggets <\/td>First MVP, carried Nuggets to playoffs.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

NBA MVP Award Betting FAQs<\/h2>