With the NBA season due to begin soon, bettors are already taking a look at the prop markets for 2025/26, and that means attention turns to the MVP award market.
Last season it was Oklahoma City Thunder star man Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who claimed the award for the first time in his career, in what turned out to be one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history. But can he do it again?
There will be plenty of competition for the award, however, and we’ll take a look at the market to provide you with our best free NBA betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the courts.
| NBA Regular Season MVP Award 25/26 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokic | +250 | +225 | +250 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +260 | +225 | +200 |
| Luka Doncic | +350 | +400 | +375 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +900 | +1000 | +1100 |
| Anthony Edwards | +1100 | +2000 | +1600 |
| Victor Wembanyama | +1400 | +1600 | +1400 |
Check out the best NBA betting sites here.
Below you’ll find a list of favorites to win the NBA Regular Season MVP Award for 2025/26.
It’s widely accepted that Denver Nuggers‘ star man Nikola Jokic is most certainly one of the best players in the NBA today, and his career achievements prove it.
A three-time regular-season MVP award already, having won the award in 2021, 2022 and 2024. A victory in 2026 would make him a four-time winner, putting him alongside some of the game’s greatest of all-time like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as having won them in a six-year period.
There was an argument for Jokic to win it again in 2025, considering the NBA finals aren’t taken into consideration for the winnger of this award, although he ultimately ended up some way behind eventual winner SGA.
Statistically it was one of Jokic’s best ever seasons too, which makes it even wilder that he didn’t win it. He averaged a career-best 29.6 points per game, 10.2 assists per game, 1.8 steals per game, 12.7 rebounds per game and a 41.7% three-point conversion rate.
He became only the third player ever to average a triple-double over the course of a season, after Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook, while he also helped Denver go all the way against eventual NBA champions in the playoffs.
Center’s are the position that have won the MVP award the most in NBA history and Jokic is beloved across the league, so at odds of +250 there is good value in him getting the job done once again.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
The reigning and defending MVP of the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander had an absolutely unbelievable campaign last year that will go down in history.
SGA not only won the regular-season MVP award, but he also won the NBA Finals MVP award as he led the Thunder to the NBA Championship in dominant fashion. He was also the scoring champion in the league, becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to win both MVP awards and scoring title in the same season.
He also had the most 20, 30, 40 and 50 point games in the season, which earned him a record-breaking $285m four-year extension.
It’s not rare for an MVP to go back-to-back. Jokic and Antetokounmpo have both done it in the last decade, and with Oklahoma favored to repeat and win the NBA Championship once again, there is terrific value in taking Gilgeous-Alexander to do the same at +260, especially as this price will only drop as the season goes on.
Last season all the talk about Luka Doncic was on his conditioning, which ultimately saw the Dallas Mavericks trade him to the LA Lakers. This summer he has moved to make them regret that decision, signing a long-term extension in LA and also getting into arguably the best shape of his career.
Considering he was already one of the best players in the NBA, being in better condition will only see him improve, and if his numbers get any better, then he may well be undeniable in the race for the MVP award.
Some would say it’s crazy that he has never won the award, considering his consistency over the years, but his teams have often let him down and seen him get overlooked. He should have help this year though, although the Lakers are only projected to be the fifth seed in the West.
With that said, there will be even more eyes on him now than usual with his partnership alongside LeBron likely to be a big thing. If he becomes the leading man in the famous gold and purple, it will do his chances absolutely no harm.
At odds of +400 the value isn’t the greatest considering the competition, but he’s a great option and if he performs as many expect him to then the price will only drop.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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