Nikola Jokic had been the betting favorite to win the NBA MVP award for a third-straight season for the past couple of months. The oddsmakers were so confiendent that it got up to as high as -400 for him to win. That means bettors would have to bet $400 to win just $100.
Now, Joel Embiid has passed him up and Jokic is no longer the betting favorite. It is anticipated at this point to be a close race. Embiid is at -110 and Jokic is at +150 to win the award.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Embiid have been extremely hot and the Denver Nuggets and Jokic have been… well.. not. Denver lost four games in a row before barely beating Detroit in a comeback win. Philadelphia is on a six-game winning streak.
The MVP award is an award voted on by humans, which means there can be human error. Some people may just not want to vote for Jokic for a third-straight year and mix it up a little. In addition to that, Embiid and Philadelphia are getting hot right at the end of the season and Denver is doing the opposite. All of this could play into who wins the award.
Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joel_Embiid_2018.jpg
