NBA MVP Odds 2022
The MVP, the most prestigious individual NBA award, has been handed out to six different players the last seven seasons. The current talent pool is the best the NBA has ever seen, making the MVP one of the most difficult NBA futures bets to wager on.
Luka Doncic has posted LeBron James-like numbers in his first three NBA seasons. Joel Embiid and LeBron James were MVP frontrunners at betting sites a season ago before injuries knocked each from the top. Kevin Durant is somehow better than he was before tearing his Achilles, while Giannis Antetokounmpo has improved in each of his eight NBA seasons. Don’t forget about sharpshooters Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, either—scoring is in these days, if you haven’t heard.
Here’s a look at the top contenders for MVP on our favorite betting apps.
Can Luka Doncic Make This Year His Year?
In three NBA seasons, Luka Doncic has averaged 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game. He won’t turn 23 years old until after the All-Star break in 2022. That combination makes him a worthy NBA futures favorite in an NBA MVP race that is absolutely loaded with Hall of Fame talent.
The numbers have always been there for the Slovenian All-Pro, and he’s posting numbers that we haven’t seen from someone his age since LeBron James. That half of the MVP battle has already been won — he makes his gaudy numbers look easy.
The issue is team wins. The Mavericks have finished fifth and seventh, respectively, in the West the last two years. That’s better than where they would have been without Doncic, but it’s tough to crown an MVP when his team begins the postseason on the road. If Doncic can somehow vault Dallas into the top-3 in the West, he’ll win this running away.
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Joel Embiid Could Win – If Healthy
When Joel Embiid suffered a bone bruise in his left knee just after the All-Star break, he was averaging 29.9 points and 11.5 rebounds for the East-leading Sixers. He was every bit the MVP frontrunner before the injury forced him to miss 11 of the next 12 games. Embiid wound up finishing a distant second to Nikola Jokic, who appeared in 21 more games than the Sixers center.
Embiid’s path to the MVP is simply: Stay on the floor. The All-Pro has never appeared in more than 64 games, and just four players have won MVP since 1960 while appearing in 64 or fewer games.
Because Embiid is so fragile, he’s often limited in the regular season even if he’s healthy. A Ben Simmons trade could open the door for Embiid to post even bigger numbers, but for now a bet on Embiid at sportsbooks is a bet on him somehow playing 70+ games.
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Kevin Durant: Best Player on Best Team
There wasn’t a better player in the NBA than Kevin Durant through January 2021. Coming off an Achilles tear suffered in the 2019 Finals that kept him out all of 2020, Durant averaged 30.8 points on hilarious .533/.452/.878 splits along with 7.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists.
A hamstring injury cost him 26 games between February and April — crushing his MVP candidacy in the process — but he returned healthy and exploded in the postseason, averaging 34.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
What Durant will need to overcome to win MVP is having two high-usage players around him in James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Harden needs the ball in his hands all the time, and Irving is about as shot-happy as a third option gets. Then again, if Durant is the best player on the league’s best team, that will speak for itself even if his numbers take a slight dip.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo Chases No. 3
The last time you saw Giannis Antetokounmpo, he was cementing his legacy with a 50-point, NBA Finals-clinching effort at home. The newly-crowned NBA champion begins a new era of his career looking for a third MVP in the last four seasons.
Antetokounmpo’s numbers were just as good in 2021 as they were in each of his previous MVP campaigns in 2019 and 2020. Voter fatigue may have set in. Giannis finished fourth in the voting, but we’re looking at him in a whole new light now as an NBA champion.
Since 1970, just four players have won MVP in three of four seasons (or better): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Giannis could very well be putting himself in that category as a player, but we have to point out that it’s pretty difficult to accomplish.
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Steph Curry Has a Shot
Steph Curry reminded every fan of NBA betting last year what the greatest shooter in NBA history looks like. After playing just five games in 2020, Curry averaged a league-best 32.0 points and shot 42.1% from deep on a staggering 12.7 triple attempts per game. He added a career-best 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists to his resume, helping him finish third in MVP voting.
Team wins got in the way of Curry’s legitimate MVP candidacy hopes. The Warriors won just 39 games and were bounced by the Lakers and Grizzlies in the play-in tournament, but that won’t be an issue in 2022.
With Klay Thompson back in the fold, Golden State has the third best title odds and oddsmakers’ projected 48.5 wins are the seventh highest in the league. Curry’s a two-time MVP winner but hasn’t earned the award since 2016. Is he due?
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Our Pick for NBA MVP 2022
It’s hard to put into words just how good Luka Doncic is at such a young age. His first taste of the postseason saw him average 35.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 10.3 assists. He’s every bit as good as advertised — and then some.
We expect the Mavericks to improve their win total a fourth straight year (Dallas’ win percentage has gone from .402 to .573 to .583 in Doncic’s first three seasons) and to move into the top-four in the West. That will be good enough to vault Doncic to the top of a stacked leaderboard and earn him league MVP at just 23 years old.
NBA MVP FAQs
What is the NBA MVP Award?
The NBA MVP is given to the player who, as voted on by members of the media, performed best during the regular season. Like the MVP in other major sports, team success is critical in the voting process, but not weighed as heavily as the player's individual contributions.
What's the criteria for NBA MVP Award?
There is no criteria that needs to be met for a player to be voted in as league MVP. Bill Walton won MVP in 1978 despite playing in just 58 of 82 games - the fewest in a non-lockout season - while 19 different players have won the award while playing all 82 games.
Which position has won the most MVP awards?
- Center - 26
- Power forward - 12
- Point guard - 11
- Small forward - 9
- Shooting guard - 8
Which teams have won the most MVP awards?
- Celtics - 10
- Lakers - 8
- Bulls - 6
- Sixers - 6
- Bucks - 5
- Rockets - 4
- Suns - 3
- Warriors - 3
- Spurs - 3
- Cavaliers - 2
- Thunder - 2
- Hawks - 2
- Jazz - 2
- Heat - 2
- Mavericks - 1
- Clippers - 1
- Kings - 1
- Wizards - 1
- Knicks - 1
- Timberwolves - 1
- Trail Blazers - 1
- Nuggets
Can a rookie win the MVP award?
Any player is eligible to win NBA MVP, but rookies aren't exactly the smartest bet. It has happened just twice in league history, when rookie Wilt Chamberlain won the award in 1960. Nine years later, rookie Wes Unseld was named league MVP. It hasn't happened since and likely never will again.
Who won the NBA MVP award in 2021?
Center Nikola Jokic earned MVP honors in 2021 after averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists for the Nuggets.
| Year | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Nikola Jokic | 26.4 | 10.8 | 8.3 |
| 2020 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 29.5 | 13.6 | 5.6 |
| 2019 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 27.7 | 12.5 | 5.9 |
| 2018 | James Harden | 30.4 | 5.4 | 8.8 |
| 2017 | Russell Westbrook | 31.6 | 10.7 | 10.4 |
| 2016 | Steph Curry | 30.1 | 5.4 | 6.7 |
| 2015 | Steph Curry | 23.8 | 4.3 | 7.7 |
| 2014 | Kevin Durant | 32.0 | 7.4 | 5.5 |
| 2013 | LeBron James | 26.8 | 8.0 | 7.3 |
| 2012 | LeBron James | 27.1 | 7.9 | 6.2 |
| 2011 | Derrick Rose | 25.0 | 4.1 | 7.7 |
| 2010 | LeBron James | 29.7 | 7.3 | 8.6 |
Who was the oldest player to win MVP award?
It occurred during a lockout year, which may have helped him by not having to play a full 82-game schedule, but 35-year-old Karl Malone was named the oldest MVP in NBA history. This came one year after Michael Jordan had become the oldest MVP in league history at age 34.
Who's the youngest to win the NBA MVP award?
Derrick Rose took the league by storm in 2011 and was named MVP at just 22 years old. He edged out 22-year-old Wes Unseld - the last rookie to win MVP - by 5 months to earn the distinction. Six players have won the award during their age-23 NBA season.
Who has the most NBA MVP awards?
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 6
- Michael Jordan - 5
- Bill Russell - 5
- LeBron James - 4
- Wilt Chamberlain - 4
- Magic Johnson - 3
- Larry Bird - 3
- Moses Malone - 3
What players have multiple MVP awards?
| Player | MVPs | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 6 | 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980 |
| Bill Russell | 5 | 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965 |
| Michael Jordan | 5 | 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998 |
| LeBron James | 4 | 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 4 | 1960, 1966, 1967, 1968 |
| Moses Malone | 3 | 1979, 1982, 1983 |
| Larry Bird | 3 | 1984, 1985, 1986 |
| Magic Johnson | 3 | 1987, 1989, 1990 |
| Bob Petit | 2 | 1956, 1959 |
| Karl Malone | 2 | 1997, 1999 |
| Tim Duncan | 2 | 2002, 2003 |
| Steve Nash | 2 | 2005, 2006 |
| Stephen Curry | 2 | 2015, 2016 |