NBA MVP Odds, Picks, Winners 2025: Tatum Climbs, Doncic Falls

• The favorite to win MVP in 2025 is Nikola Jokic

• The top contender to win MVP in 2025 is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

• The 2024 NBA MVP was Nikola Jokic

The 2025 NBA MVP award race is heating up, as a familiar face claims the favorite position after Week 3 of the regular season. The top contenders have been firm in their play this season, and no other player has been able to challenge their place in the odds table. At WSN, we’re locked in on the race for Most Valuable Player, offering the latest odds, predictions, and analyses for the 2024-25 NBA season!

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After a spectacular week that saw the Nuggets climb into the top four of the Western Conference, Nikola Jokic claims the favorite spot in the MVP odds table. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander falls to second, though not due to any fault of his own. Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum remain in the odds table after massive performances last week. And the dark horse for MVP, Anthony Edwards, continues to impress.

Let's check out the bets!

2025 NBA Most Valuable Player Odds

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2025 NBA Most Valuable Player Pick

• My Pick: Nikola Jokic to Win 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player (+175) at Caesars

The Denver Nuggets are still struggling to find consistency this season, but the pillar that supports their team is Nikola Jokic. Without Jokic in the fold, the Nuggets may be a bottom-third team in the West. Instead, he’s carried the team through injury issues to keep them in the top six through the early season. Jokic’s production seems limitless, and the more he props up the Denver Nuggets, the closer he’ll come to winning his fourth MVP.

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Who Is the Favorite to Win the NBA MVP in 2025?

Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets (+175) at Caesars

Nikola Jokic is the favorite to win MVP in 2025, the fourth time he’d earn the award. Jokic played just one game last week, putting up an incredible 37 points, 18 rebounds, and 15 assists in a two-point win over the Dallas Mavericks. Ruled out of the Nuggets’ last two games due to personal reasons, Denver failed to find victory. It’s clear the Nuggets’ success depends on Jokic, so for their sake in the West, he can’t return soon enough.

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Who Are the 2025 NBA MVP Contenders?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder (+275) at Caesars

One of the top scorers in the NBA, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has stepped up further after the absence of starting center Chet Holmgren. The Thunder guard averaged 34.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.3 steals in three games last week. His best performance came in a win against his former team, the LA Clippers, putting up 45 points, nine assists, and five steals in a six-point win. Resting atop the Western Conference, Gilgeous-Alexander’s individual and team success could see him finally claim MVP.

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Jayson Tatum - Boston Celtics (+450) at Caesars

Jayson Tatum continues his redemption and Championship defense season around the NBA after a disappointing run during the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The Celtics were 2-1 last week, where Tatum averaged 26.7 points, 9.0 assists, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.0 threes per game. While it wasn’t his highest-scoring match of the week, he starred in a 24-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist effort that saw him hit the game-winner in overtime after failing to hit at the buzzer during regulation. If not for the Cavaliers’ incredible start to the season, Tatum and the Celtics would be taking headlines with their performances.

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Luka Doncic - Dallas Mavericks (+800) at Caesars

Luka Doncic is nursing a knee injury that must be managed if the Mavericks hope to compete for the Western Conference this season. In the last week, Doncic averaged 28.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 7.0 rebounds on 47.1% from the field and 28.1% from three. Despite the loss, Doncic’s best performance was in a win over the Jazz, putting up 37 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Missing his last game due to injury, the Mavericks have a crucial stretch coming up that could help or harm Doncic’s MVP claim based on their standing.

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Who Is the Dark Horse to Win 2025 NBA MVP?

Anthony Edwards - Minnesota Timberwolves (+1000) at Caesars

Anthony Edwards has led his Minnesota Timberwolves to a strong start this season; it’s just that the hyper-competitive Western Conference has kept them out of the top spots. Anthony Edwards was excellent last week, putting up 28.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.3 threes per game despite his side going 1-2 through that stretch. To dethrone the incredible production of his rivals, Edwards must maintain his scoring pace while also working the Timberwolves back into the top four in the Western Conference.

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Who Was the 2024 NBA MVP?

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets won the 2024 NBA MVP Award. Jokic is among seven international players to win the NBA's highest individual prize. The 2024 NBA MVP Award was the third of Jokic's career, along with the prizes he earned in 2021 and 2022.

Through the 2023-24 NBA season, Jokic led his Denver Nuggets to the second seed in the Western Conference and the Western Conference Conference Semifinals in the NBA Playoffs - eventually losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games. In his MVP-winning season, Jokic posted averages of 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals on 58.3% from the field and 35.9% from three-point range.

Jokic emerged as the clear winner of the 2024 NBA MVP Award. Through the voting process, Jokic accumulated 79.0 first-place votes compared to the runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 15.0 first-place votes. The season's top three in MVP voting were Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Doncic. An international player has won Most Valuable Player for the sixth straight season.

NBA MVP by Year

Does the NBA MVP Receive a Prize?

The winner of the NBA MVP Award doesn’t receive a prize per se. The Maurice Podoloff Trophy is awarded to the winner, but in terms of cash incentives or bonuses, there are none.

Many player contracts stipulate a bonus upon receiving the award, but that is subject to the terms of the team agreement and not the NBA organization.

In a less direct sense, the NBA MVP winner in the current climate would receive much more exposure, the opportunity for endorsements, and nationally broadcasted matches for his team. The most authentic prize for the NBA MVP Award winner is that their name is written in history as one of the greatest ever to play the game.

Does Fan Vote Determine the NBA MVP?

No, fans of the NBA do not have a say in who will win the NBA MVP. Unlike All-Star voting, the NBA MVP Award is voted upon by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters across the United States and Canada.

The NBA All-Star Game considers fan voting, where they make up 50% of the total. Votes by current NBA players and a panel of media members account for 25% each.

The voting process for the NBA MVP Award is as follows: Media members can award a player of their choice a “vote” from first place, worth ten points, to fifth place, worth one point. The player with the highest points total wins the award.

Has There Ever Been a Unanimous MVP?

In 2015-2016, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. It was the first time in history that the NBA MVP was decided unanimously. A unanimous vote means that Curry received all available votes among the voting parties.

Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 and LeBron James in 2013 fell one vote short of a unanimous MVP selection.

When Will the NBA MVP Award Winner Be Announced?

The NBA’s Most Valuable Player is named upon the conclusion of the regular season and Play-In Tournament. The league or winner’s team usually makes the announcement again during a broadcast of Inside the NBA.

Who Won the First NBA MVP Award?

The first-ever winner of the NBA MVP was forward-center Bob Pettit in 1956, who played for the now-defunct St. Louis Hawks.

Pettit, an LSU alumnus and the second overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft, won the NBA MVP Award in just his second season in the NBA. He won the award again in 1958 when he led the St. Louis Hawks to the NBA Championship.

Bob Pettit was the original interior presence in the NBA. Pettit’s career stats are up there with the best of all time. His career averages of 26.4 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on 43.6% shooting from the field justify his hall-of-fame place.

Which Position Wins the Most MVP Awards?

Position in the NBA has a fluid definition over the course of NBA history. As times have changed, styles have changed as players succeeded in eras defined by the type of play. The positional success of players to the MVP award significantly represents this.

Point Guard (11)

Winners: Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook

The point guard position has won the second-most MVP award. Defined by their ability to distribute the ball, point guards are primarily responsible for their team's success. Generally talented in accumulating assists, players like Steve Nash, Bob Cousy, and Magic Johnson wowed fans and critics with their ability to lift the play of their teammates.

Newer stars like Stephen Curry and Derrick Rose added to the primary playmaking responsibilities of the point guard by becoming elite scorers. Their ability to distribute and score at will drove the success of their squads and garnered their votes.

In a league of their own, Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook are the only players to average a triple-double in a season – separated by 53 years. The two were terrors across the court, dangerous from every position and transcendent to basketball.

Shooting Guard (8)

Winners: Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, James Harden

The positional title defines the players who have won the MVP award at shooting guard. Shooting guard is the position with the least NBA MVP wins. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are two of the league’s best-ever scorers, and they built the success of their teams.

While Allen Iverson failed to win an NBA Championship, the diminutive guard’s ability to score was transcendent for a player of his size. James Harden is also one of the league’s most creative scorers, breaking records set by his predecessors and ushering in a score-first mentality not seen since Bryant.

Small Forward (9)

Winners: Julius Irving, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Kevin Durant

The do-it-all nature of its players has defined the Small Forward position. These players could do it all by scoring, defending, playmaking, and rebounding.
There has been a rise in the use of small forwards in recent history as skill level has significantly increased. Julius Irving and Larry Bird were excellent scorers in their way and filled the stat sheet every night.

The entry of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo into the fold defined an almost new position. Small forwards in body but point guards in ability dominate opponents on each end of the court, with little drawback to their game.

Don’t forget a player with the skills of Kevin Durant. Durant may not be the playmaker, rebounder, or defender these other winners are, but he shows that scoring in the game of basketball is still paramount. 6-11 with a monstrous wingspan and a feathery shooting touch, Durant is one of the best scorers of all time

Power Forward (11)

Winners: Bob Pettit, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki

Size matters in the NBA, whether in terms of height or strength. The power forward position took a long time to see growth. Power forwards like Bob Pettit, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone were excellent scorers in the low post. Being of more diminutive stature, Barkley showed off guard-like skills, while Malone benefitted from fantastic interplay with his teammates.

Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are famed for their defensive intensity. The two could not be more opposite regarding their personality, but their contributions to the court are immense. The two NBA Champions’ ability on the defensive side defined their team’s success, on top of their ability to score.

Dirk Nowitzki was the first of his type in the NBA. A lanky seven-footer from Germany made his name on the perimeter rather than in the post. While criticized early in his career, Nowitzki’s uniqueness made him the most unguardable player in his prime.

Center (28)

Winners: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Nikola Jokic

Remember when we said size matters in the NBA? The center position epitomizes that. It is by far the most successful position in terms of winning the NBA MVP Award, doubling its closest competitor as of 2022.

An easy basket nearest to the rim is what coaches want, and when you tout the sheer size, skill, and strength of Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar there are few, if any, that can stop them.

As the last defense for an NBA team, the center position is also saddled with responsibility should his teammates fail. Bill Russell, Wes Unseld, and Moses Malone showed that stopping a team from scoring or getting second chances was as valuable as scoring the ball.

Centers used to define the game of basketball, but the game's direction has changed to the perimeter. Despite having the most winners by position, it was a 21-year gap between Shaquille O'Neal winning MVP in 2000 and Nikola Jokic winning in 2021.