There’s a new sheriff in town. Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has enjoyed a healthy run holding the top spot in the 2024-25 MVP race, but he's been overtaken by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of 2025. There’s not much separating the pair of Western Conference stars. Voter fatigue and a clear drop in quality of team play have been affecting Jokic, who has already won two MVP awards. SGA, on the other hand, is enjoying the hype of being the ringleader of the young teams that appear to be next up.
SGA (+125) is a narrow odds-on favorite at BetMGM. He leads all players in points (960), steals (60), and free throws made (216) at the time of this writing. He’s been able to power his team’s offense efficiently while helping lead one of the NBA’s best defensive units. No team gives up fewer points per game (103.3) than OKC and only the Cleveland Cavaliers can top their 26-5 record. He finished second to Jokic in the MVP race last season. Voters and fans alike seem ready for someone new to claim the prestigious award. Jokic won’t be fought off easily, though.
Jokic’s MVP odds are +130 at BetMGM. The do-it-all center is inside the top five in points, rebounds, assists, and steals this season despite having missed three games. The Nuggets are far from mediocre with their 18-13 record, but their quality of play as a team has been up and down. Denver has uncharacteristically lost to a few bad teams in matchups that have been easy wins in recent years. That’s not Jokic’s fault, though. He’s averaging career highs in points (31.0) and steals (1.8) per game while shooting 49.2% from long range. Basketball fans have become used to excellence from him and his team.
There’s no best bet to make in what’s looked like a two-horse race so far. Giannis Antetokounmpo (+500) leads the league in points per game (32.7), but will have to do a lot to enter the conversation. Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic seem poised to lead the way as long as they’re healthy, but the former has an edge because of the intrigue of a new face and the Thunder’s swift rise to the top of the league with him at the forefront.
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