While there are clear early favorites to win both NBA Rookie of the Year (LINK) and the Finals in 2026, the MVP race looks wide-open, even if it once again comes down to voters making a choice between Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.2026 Opening NBA MVP OddsBelow is a look at how DraftKings, FanDuel, bet365 and BetMGM rank the top contenders for this award as of June 28, 2025.
Nikola Jokic
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Luka Doncic
Anthony Edwards
Victor Wembanyama
Cade Cunningham
Jalen Brunson
Joel Embiid
Kevin Durant
Donovan Mitchell
Paolo Banchero
Jaylen Brown
Anthony Davis
Stephen Curry
2026 NBA MVP: Jokic Or Gilgeous-Alexander?Jokic (2021, 2022 and 2024) and SGA (2025) have not only won MVP in four of the last five seasons, but they also were the top two vote-getters in each of the last two seasons.Jokic has now finished five straight seasons as either the MVP or the runner-up, while SGA is seeking his third straight season as at least a top-two finisher in MVP voting.Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off a huge regular season individually (32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game), but the Thunder’s 64-18 record was arguably the biggest reason why he beat Jokic for MVP.Somehow, Denver’s star center put up significantly better numbers in 2024-25 than he did in any of his three MVP campaigns. Jokic recorded career-high scoring (29.6 points per game) and passing (10.2 apg) numbers last year — while also averaging 12.7 rebounds per game — to lead the Nuggets to a 50-32 record.This year’s playoffs made it clear that A) yes, SGA was plenty deserving of every accolade he received but also B) there was no supporting cast in the league quite like OKC’s.That likely means that if Jokic comes even close to replicating his historic 2024-25 numbers in 2025-26, he’ll secure his fourth MVP trophy.Betting on Jokic does come with the risk that the 30-year-old declines a bit in Year 11, but he’s nevertheless the best/safest 2026 MVP bet right now, especially at +225 at BetMGM.Best 2026 MVP Longshot: Victor WembanyamaLet’s start with an honorable mention.Luka Doncic, who just turned 26 in February, has a shot to lead the league in scoring in his first full season as a Laker. But at 8-to-1 or shorter, he’s not the most tempting longshot on the board.If we’re looking only at players longer than 10-to-1, no one offers more upside than 21-year-old Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, assuming he’s healthy.Wemby lived up to the massive hype as a rookie in 2023-24, running away with Rookie of the Year honors and nearly making history as the first rookie to win Defensive Player of the Year.He was also having an outstanding encore in 2024-25 before his season ended in February due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.Coming off a serious injury like that, his health this year is a legit question mark, but he has a real chance to put up MVP numbers if he can stay on the court.The 7-foot-3 Wembanyama feels like a lock to win Defensive Player of The Year every season he’s healthy, and he’s on a different level offensively than your typical DPOY contender.Wembanyama flashed a solid 3-point stroke as a rookie (32.5 percent from 3 on 5.5 3PA per game), but he quickly reached another gear as a shooter in Year 2, shooting 35 percent from deep on 8.8 3PA per game.He also averaged 11 rebounds per game and shot nearly 59 percent on 2-pointers last year, with a remarkable effective field goal percentage of 55.9 on 18.6 field-goal attempts per game.So, the question is not if — but when — Wembanyama becomes a fixture in the annual MVP conversation, and there’s good reason to believe he could make that leap in 2025-26.The NBA is currently full of young players with sky-high ceilings, but Wembanyama’s is unlike anyone else’s.As long as San Antonio can 1) take a step forward and reach the playoffs in 2025-26 (which is admittedly no sure thing) and 2) keep Wembanyama healthy, he could absolutely be a factor in the MVP race.With all this in mind, he’s well worth a flier right now, especially at +1600 at DraftKings.Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator’s terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.