NBA betting: Inside Nikola Jokic's odds as NBA MVP favorite - ESPN

Between 2009 and 2013, LeBron James won four NBA MVP awards in the span of five seasons. During that period and even in the seasons following, there was a general feeling around the league that James could win the honor every season due to his statistical dominance and his teams' success.

Understanding that MVP is often a narrative-driven award, sportsbooks made James an odds-on favorite to win it ahead of the 2014-15 campaign, his first back with the Cleveland Cavaliers after losing in the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat. It's the only time in the last 15 seasons that has occurred, according to ESPN Research.

While Nikola Jokic hasn't quite reached that level of respect yet, he can equal James' mark of four MVPs in five seasons by winning it again for 2024-25, and sportsbooks seem to believe it will happen: Jokic is a consensus favorite to win the honor across the sports betting marketplace, showing +110 odds on ESPN BET as of Friday morning.

Jokic's detractors will point to a just-ok Denver Nuggets team, other intriguing candidates on the board and potential voter fatigue as reasons why the Serbian phenom may not win again. Yet despite all of that, bettors and oddsmakers alike are backing him en masse.

«The odds are based on who the voters are most likely to vote for. I think just about everyone agrees Jokic is the best overall player in the NBA,» BetMGM strategy trading manager Hal Egeland told ESPN by email, noting that Jokic leads the NBA in efficiency, and ranks second in points (30.9), rebounds (13.3) and assists (9.9) per game. «If the Nuggets had a better record, Jokic's odds would be much shorter.»

The 29-year-old did open the season as the favorite, tied with Luka Doncic at +300 on ESPN BET, but was replaced