2024 NBA MVP odds: Can anyone catch favorite Nikola Jokic?

The 2023-24 NBA regular season has entered the stretch run, and it's clear who the regular season MVP candidates are.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was last season's NBA MVP and was the betting favorite to repeat before a knee injury took him out of contention for the award, so Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is the new betting favorite.

Jokic is a two-time NBA MVP winner having won it back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, and he appears on track to win his third as a -155 favorite at the majority of major sportsbooks.

Jokic's biggest threat currently is Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as he's having a career-best season and has the second-best MVP odds at the major sportsbooks.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging more points per game than Jokic, but Jokic's all-around statistics appear to give him the edge unless Gilgeous-Alexander's scoring numbers increase even more down the stretch.

The only other realistic MVP candidates are Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their odds have gotten long at most sportsbooks with the NBA regular season winding down.

Antetokounmpo is the only one of the contenders besides Jokic to have won the award before, as Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic would be first-time MVP winners.

Other players with odds better than 100-to-1 are Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, but they would both need to have overwhelmingly strong stretch runs to get back in the mix.

Longshots still listed on the odds chart include Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Warriors guard Stephen Curry.

The 2023-24 NBA regular season MVP award winner will be announced in early May, which gives players roughly two more months to make their case.

2023-24 NBA REGULAR SEASON MVP ODDS

Odds in the market as of Monday, Feb. 26, 2024