Jokic Looks to Widen MVP Gap By Averaging Triple-Double

• Nikola Jokic is currently the heavy favorite to take home NBA MVP heading into the all-star break with -170 odds.
• Only Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo feature triple digit odds at +370 and +750, respectively.
• Jokic is on pace to be just the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double and the fourth to win three straight MVPs.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – With the NBA all-star weekend approaching, Nikola Jokic stands alone as the most favored MVP candidate after beginning to average a triple-double in early February. Jokic is looking to become just the fourth player ever to win three straight MVP awards.

Jokic has only widened the gap since beginning to average a triple-double and is now dwarfing his competitors in MVP odds. Legal betting sites have given Jokic -170 odds to take home the award, followed from afar by Joel Embiid (+370) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (+750).

Top Five NBA MVP Odds

• Nikola Jokic -170
• Joel Embiid +370
• Giannis Antetokounmpo +750
• Luka Doncic +1100
• Jayson Tatum +1300

Jokic Looks to Make History

Jokic has been among the greatest players in this generation of basketball, winning back-to-back MVPs in 2021 and 2022. Now, Jokic looks to become just the fourth player in NBA history to win three MVPs in a row, joining the likes of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird. Bird’s last MVP was in 1986, meaning Jokic could be the first to win an MVP threepeat in nearly 40 years.

The legendary company does not stop there though, as Jokic is currently averaging 24.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 10.1 assists heading into the all-star break. Only two other players in NBA history have been able to achieve the feat of averaging a triple-double: Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.

With the expectation that Jokic will continue his averages and finish the season off averaging the triple-double, it would be wise to take the -170 odds before the gap between him and Embiid widens significantly near the end of the regular season.

As the Denver Nuggets currently sit atop the West and comfortably at top three in league standings, it seems like the MVP is Jokic’s to lose at this point.

For those that believe Jokic may stagger in the final stretch of the year and fail to average the elusive triple-double, Embiid seems like the best option. Legal sportsbooks have given him +370 odds to win the MVP, which may prove to be a great value in the event Jokic falters by season’s end.

Embiid is making a phenomenal case for MVP in his own right, ranking second in the league in points per game with a massive 33.2 and leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a top four record in the league.

While not being the Swiss-army knife that Jokic is, particularly in terms of playmaking, Embiid is one of the most dominant forces at the center position in the modern era. If, and it is a big if, Jokic manages to squander his triple-double average, the +370 odds for Embiid to win MVP would bring in huge profit for bets placed now.

News tags: Bill Russell | Denver Nuggets | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Jayson Tatum | Joel Embiid | Larry Bird | Luka Doncic | NBA | Nikola Jokic | Oscar Robertson | Philadelphia 76ers | Russell Westbrook | Wilt Chamberlain