Updated odds, favorites and 65-game rule tracker

TeaHe Most Valuable Player Award It is the NBA’s most prestigious honor given out during the regular season, and while some races in the past have been unsuccessful, this season the quest for the award will come down to the last few weeks of the season, as four candidates are favorites to win the MVP award this year.

Based on latest oddsSince most popular sportsbooks share similar sentiments about the top favorites to win the award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of oklahoma city thunder, Nikola Jokic of denver nuggets, Cade Cunningham of detroit pistonsAnd Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio Spurs Here are the top four candidates for the 2025-26 NBA MVP award.

However, while each has a strong case, there are some other players also in the hunt for the trophy. The NBA’s 65-game rule for end-of-season awards could come into play, as some of the top candidates have already missed a good portion of games and could be disqualified for MVP if they continue to be sidelined.

NBA MVP Odds 2026: Who are the top candidates and favorites to win the award this season?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: -275

Gilgeous-Alexander is MVP defense And is the current favorite to win the award this season. average a League-second 31.8 pointsWith 4.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks on 55.4/39/89.2 shooting splits in 49 regular season games.

The franchise star has proven to be one of the top scorers for the Thunder nbaWhile there is also a strong defender on the opposite side of the court. While the league has shifted to three-pointers and layups, Gilgeous-Alexander remains the best active mid-range shooter and is known for his efficiency on offense.

His chances of winning the MVP award will also depend on the team’s success, as Oklahoma City has a record of 45–15. On top of the Western Conference standings.

Nikola Jokic: +475

jokic has won Three of the last five MVP awards and haven’t finished second below In this decade’s voting. The Serbian is currently a consistent triple-double threat, averaging 28.8 points, 12.5 rebounds (1st), 10.4 assists (1st), 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks on 57.7/41.3/83 shooting splits in 43 games. Ranked second on the NBA’s all-time leaderboardAnd with 22 this season.

The center is one of the most prolific offensive centers in NBA history, capable of scoring and creating shots for his teammates at an unprecedented level. His impressive statistics and impact on wins have helped Jokic win the award three times already, and if he stays healthy, he’ll SGA will likely have a top contender for MVP this year.

Cade Cunningham: +850

While he has already played well in the first four seasons of his NBA career, Cunningham is having a breakout year for the Pistons, averaging 25.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.5 steals and one block on 45.9/33.9/81.2 shooting splits in 51 games.

Cunningham’s case is simple. near detroit Highest winning percentage in the NBAAnd while Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander stumbled over MVP ineligibility, awarding the award to the best player on the best team has been a problem steady Trend throughout league history. a la Derrick Rose of Chicago Bulls In 2010–11 seasonCunningham may take home the MVP because he is the most impactful player on the team that has seen the most success.

Victor Wembanyama: +2500

saying vembanyama is one alien on the basketball court This may be an understatement, as he averaged 23.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, one steal, and 2.8 blocks On 50.1/34.7/81.5 shooting splits in 45 games, he does something that has never been seen before in an NBA game on any given night.

While missing time is a big concern for Spurs’ franchise star, like Cunningham, being the best player on a very successful team could be the reason Wembanyama wins the award. While his offensive statistics trail Back The other candidate, if healthy, is the French center Most impressive defensive player in the leagueLed San Antonio to a 43–16 record. He will be the youngest NBA MVP in history, Needed He win This season’s award.

While all four are the favorite candidates to win the MVP award this season, NBA.com has a total of ten names Races are listed, including luka doncic, jaylen brown, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Anthony EdwardsAnd kawhi leonard.

NBA MVP Odds in This Article are based But DraftKings SportsbookAnd while this is the ranking list of most other top sportsbooks, Here is a comparative list For MVP odds.

NBA 65-game rules tracker: How many games can each MVP candidate miss and still win the award?

Whereas The 65-game rule was implemented Heading into the 2023-24 season, it’s probably going to be the most impressive this year, especially as it pertains to the MVP race, as most of the top candidates have time lost with different Injuries.

Starting with Gilgeous-Alexander, he can only miss five more games before being ineligible for MVP. they were sidelined for nine sports with abdominal strainAnd has already missed the season twice. He is now out for the Thunder’s game against the Bulls on Tuesday, still the favorite to take the award.

Jokic is in a similar boat, as he missed 16 games after this suffering from hyperextended knees. Despite recently returning, the big man can only miss one more game before becoming ineligible for MVP, but he remains second in the hunt despite his absence.

Cunningham has lost the least time of all the candidates. The point guard is sitting out just six contests this season due to minor injuries, and he still has 11 games left before he’s out of the MVP race.

Vembanyama is similar to the first two, having missed a total of 14 games with knee hyperextension And first shin injury yes inR. The Spurs’ unicorn big man can only miss three more games before he becomes ineligible for MVP.

Should Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic miss more time Based on the NBA’s 65-game rule for season-end awards, Cunningham would be the favorite to win the MVP award.

There is also a chance that a surprise candidate may emerge and somehow capture these four stars.but at At this point in the season, that’s unlikely, despite the strong performances from the league’s other candidates.

Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More About Eli Gregorski