2022/23 NBA MVP Odds

Matthew Robi

With off-season trades/acquisitions slowing down and the 2022-23 regular season less than two months away. NBA fans are ecstatic to watch their favorite superstars dominate again. But that begs the question, who will be the most dominant player this season? Well, the people have spoken, here are the favorites to win this year's MVP per Vegas insider:

1. Luka Doncic +450

Enough can't be said about Luka Doncic's natural talent and competitive spirit. Luka is essentially unguardable, he's an edgy elite scorer who can shoot the three, mid-range, and is phenomenal at putting his head down and attacking the paint. Not to mention he has the playmaking ability and court vision second only to LeBron James. Luka is someone who has been improving consistently and comes out of each off-season with a new trick up his sleeve.

The one knock I've given him in the last few years is his conditioning coming into the season has been disappointing. In the past, he was getting in game shape during the start of the regular season and playing catch-up. As the franchise player and leader of the team you simply have to lead by example and come prepared. But this off-season he seems to be in great shape and even appears slimmer than last post-season.

Additionally, Luka has a new dynamic pick-and-roll weapon in Christian Wood. Many NBA experts are expecting career highs from Luka and think he is the favorite to win MVP.

2. Joel Embiid +500

Joel Embiid arguably should've won MVP last season, and nobody believes that more than Joel Embiid himself.

Embiid appears to be coming into this season with a chip on his shoulder after feeling like he had been robbed of his MVP award last season. Last season he averaged 30 pts 12 rebs 4 asts & 1.5 blks.

When it comes to Joel Embiid, it is never a question of whether he can put up great numbers and help his team win. It's only a matter of whether he can stay healthy during an 82-game season.

After all, he's a seven ft tall center who can move and score like a guard.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo +525

Giannis Antetokounmp is currently the consensus best player in the NBA. As far as who do you want on your favorite team today, the answer is Giannis.

He is an amazing talent and more than that he has leadership qualities that directly correlate to winning games. His output is self-explanatory, and we haven't seen someone dominate quite like him since the great Shaquille O'Neal. Giannis also won back-to-back MVPs back in 2019 and 2020. There is a very real chance Giannis wins his third MVP this season.

4. Kevin Durant +900

It is fairly likely that Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons will miss out on a ton of games due to personal reasons and them both being very injury prone. Due to this, Kevin Durant will be expected to carry a much larger load in regard to offensive production.

Durant has won an MVP in the past and still has what it takes to win another one this season.

As long as his team wins even a decent amount of regular season games and KD performs as well as last season he has a great chance at MVP.

5. Nikola Jokic +1000

Nikola Jokic has a lot of positive momentum going his way as he is coming off of back-to-back MVPs and will finally have his partner in crime back in Jamal Murray.

Jokic has taken this off-season very seriously and is in amazing shape. Today he's still playing basketball overseas with the Serbian national team.

Last season he won MVP while avg 27 pts 14 rebs & 8 asts.

6. Jayson Tatum +1200

Tatum wasn't necessarily in the MVP race last season but after all the experience he gained from his recent championship run, many are expecting him to take that next step in his career where you have to include him in your top five current players. Tatum has an offensive arsenal that has no real weakness and he is certainly someone to look out for that could sneakily come and snag this year's MVP award.

7. Steph Curry +1200

Curry's resumé speaks for itself: four championships, two MVPs, a two-time scoring champion, and a finals MVP.

Curry has been stacking up accolades his whole career and he's showing no signs of slowing down. He’s coming off of an all-time great finals win and is definitely as confident as ever.

He is no stranger to the MVP award and certainly has his eyes on it.

8. Ja Morant +1400

Although his odds aren't as great, this is another upside pick.

Morant has gotten better every year and is one of the most athletically gifted players in NBA history to date.

Grizzlies fans wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he leaped ahead of the rest and went on to win MVP especially after he avg 27 pts 7 rebs & 7 asts in the 21-22 season.

9. Kawhi Leonard +1800

Kawhi Leonard might be the most fundamentally sound basketball player in the NBA today. He is a legitimate two-way superstar that can cook any defense for 40+ on any given night.

But what separates him from the rest of the league is he might be even better on defense than he is on offense. Kawhi can clamp down one through 4 at an elite level.

The only real concern when it comes to Kawhi is his load management and the fact that he is coming off an ACL surgery.

10. LeBron James +1800

The man has been the face of the league for nearly 20 years now. Nobody has a greater basketball IQ or commitment to the sport than LeBron James.

He is 37 years old and coming into year twenty this season. And yet, just last season Lebron averaged 30 pts 8 rebs & 6 asts.

The greatest obstacles interfering with LeBron winning his fifth MVP would be maintaining health during the 82-game season or the Lakers not making the playoffs.

11. Devin Booker +2800

Devin Booker is undeniably a great player who could very well become a top-five player later in his career. After all, he is only 25 years of age. Steph Curry and many other greats didn’t have their break-out MVP seasons until they turned 27+.

One common critique that made NBA fans hesitant to give him a chance at MVP in the past is that as a player he came off as a bit one-dimensional. Booker is exceptional offensively but there were questions about his mental toughness as well as his mediocre defense.

And last season Devin Booker put that sentiment to rest as he had the second highest defensive rating of all shooting guards in the NBA (107.5). The only shooting guard ahead of him being Jaylen Brown.

If Booker continues to develop his game and become a two-way threat guard. He is absolutely going to be a problem for opposing teams.

12. Trae Young +4000

Although Trae Young is a fantastic player, it is a stretch to say that he is a real threat for the MVP award. Considering the MVP award goes to the Most Valuable Player. It is nearly impossible to justify giving it to a player who is quite literally a liability on defense.

But for the first time in his career Trae Young has a competent team and a deadly backcourt consisting of Young and Dejounte Murray.

Who’s to say he won't put up such great numbers offensively that voters will be able to overlook his poor defense.

13. Anthony Davis +4000

Davis is his own worst enemy, the only person who can stop him from being the best player in the league is ironically himself. AD may very well be the greatest talent the NBA has to offer when he is dedicated to basketball and he is healthy.

Unfortunately, for the Los Angeles Lakers, he doesn’t seem to have the same dedication to basketball as some of his superstar peers. Not to mention, he may be the most injury-prone superstar in NBA history.

Even so, after such a horrific season where he played only 40 games. You would have to imagine Davis is working harder than ever in order to not embarrass himself and his team.