Tag: 2023 nba mvp

Stephen A. Smith thinks Vegas is wrong about Nikola Jokic as the NBA MVP favorite

Jokic is still the frontrunner, but Joel Embiid is closing the gap.

Nikola Jokic is the betting favorite to win his third-straight MVP award this season, with -200 odds at BetMGM. But if you ask ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, smart money is on the player with the next best odds.

“I know Vegas is saying something different. I don’t want to hear anything about Jokic being the frontrunner for the MVP right now, the way Denver has tailed off,” Smith said Monday on ESPN’s First Take. “Joel Embiid … that man has got to be right up there, if not No. 1.”

Indeed, Embiid’s odds to win the award have jumped to +225 from +650 last Tuesday, as Jokic’s odds have dropped from -400 in the same time.

Smith gives Embiid the edge due to a recent rough patch for the Denver Nuggets, who have lost three straight games, including two to teams with losing records.

However, even with the skid, Denver still holds first place in the Western Conference and has one more win than the Philadelphia 76ers. Jokic is also averaging 30 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists during the losing streak.

Still, there’s no denying Embiid has closed whatever gap existed. During a five-game winning streak for the Sixers, he’s averaging 37 points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal.

Embiid also leads the league in scoring at 33.4 points per game, while averaging 10 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.6 blocks and also being a defensive force in the paint. Jokic averages a triple-double at 24.7 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

There isn’t really a wrong choice here. But the MVP does seem to be boiling down to these two with less than a month left in the season.

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2022-23 NBA MVP Ladder, Vol. 6: Joel Embiid makes a push after showcase against Nikola Jokic

Embiid has been going off.

It never gets easier trying to figure out the best 10 names to place on a ranking of MVP candidates, but somebody has to do it.

This time around, the snubs were as difficult as ever, as Ja Morant fell off the ladder for the first time all season amid a rough stretch of basketball for the Memphis Grizzlies. Tyrese Haliburton also fell off from the last ladder from four weeks ago.

Morant will be back, but I’m also looking forward to seeing LeBron James, Jimmy Butler and Damian Lillard make a push.

The top of this list, while not nearly as hard to compile, leaves plenty room for debate too. Let’s get into it.

(Odds via BetMGM)

ESPN straw poll brings the NBA MVP race into focus for bettors

There’s a steep drop-off after the top two of the MVP race.

If you’re looking for an edge in NBA MVP betting, ESPN just dropped one in the form of a straw poll conducted from Sunday to Tuesday.

One hundred league insiders cast their ballots on who they would vote for, and Jayson Tatum came out as the early favorite with 47 first-place votes and 759 total points. He was followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who received 36 first-place votes, and Luka Doncic with 10 first-place votes.

The top three matched For The Win’s latest MVP ladder, though there are slight deviations after that. Stephen Curry, who was recently ruled out for several weeks with a shoulder injury, was fourth in the poll and Nikola Jokic was fifth.

The top three also matches MVP odds at BetMGM where Tatum leads the way at +250, followed by Antetokounmpo at +300 and Doncic at +350.

There’s a steep drop from there, though. Joel Embiid, who was is 10th in both the poll and FTW’s rankings, has the next best odds at +900. Jokic is fifth at +1400.

Six through nine of ESPN’s poll are Ja Morant, Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson and Devin Booker. Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Davis and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also received votes.

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2022-23 NBA MVP Ladder, Vol. 3: Stephen Curry emerges as Dubs continue to roll

The Warriors are rolling, and Curry is the reason why.

I am so happy the Golden State Warriors are winning again, because it would have felt criminal to leave Stephen Curry off another MVP ladder…but I absolutely would have done it.

There are so many players performing at a high level right now, and many of them are playing for teams that simply aren’t winning much. It makes you wonder how low the win threshold can get for an MVP. But I’m a firm believer that the MVP has to do a reasonable amount of winning (sorry SGA).

I also believe over time, the cream rises to the top. So I was never worried that Curry wouldn’t eventually crack this list, just like I’m not worried about Joel Embiid’s inevitable return with more games under his belt.

I am worried about Luka Doncic, however. His numbers remain otherworldly, but he fell a few spots on this ladder because the Mavericks are skidding. I’m afraid they may not be good enough for him to stay afloat for long. Here’s where things stand today, with odds from BetMGM.

(Stats are prior to games on 11/28)

2022-23 NBA MVP Ladder, Vol. 2: Giannis’ time off clears way for a new leader

There’s a shake-up at the top.

With all due respect to the players doing incredible things on .500 teams, but winning games is important when it comes to naming an MVP.

So while I think it’s possible for players like Kevin Durant, De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton to make this list in the future, or even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — who did make Vol. 1 — their play isn’t impacting winning enough yet. It took a monster 59-point outing for Joel Embiid to get a spot.

Luckily for everyone, we’re just four weeks into the season, so there’s still plenty of time to make MVP cases. These are the players with the best cases so far, with odds from BetMGM.

(Stats are prior to games on 11/14)

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2022-23 NBA MVP Ladder, Vol. 1: Giannis and Luka lead the pack after 2 weeks

The top two are obvious, but what about after Giannis and Luka?

Now that the NBA season is officially two-weeks young, it feels like a good time to break out our first MVP ladder of the year.

Every team has at least a handful of games under their belts, and after the Lakers won on Sunday, every team has at least one win on their record.

Entering Monday’s action, only the Milwaukee Bucks had yet to suffer a loss, which should leave no intrigue at the top of this list. But the order of the names after Nos. 1 and 2 leave plenty of room for debate.

Here’s where things stand after two weeks, with odds from BetMGM

(Stats are prior to games on 10/31)

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