NBA MVP Odds: Joel Embiid closing in on Jokic after outdueling Nuggets center

The Philadelphia 76ers are No. 1 in the latest NBA Power Rankings and Joel Embiid is a massive reason why. The All-Star center is leading

The Philadelphia 76ers are No. 1 in the latest NBA Power Rankings and Joel Embiid is a massive reason why. The All-Star center is leading the NBA in scoring with 33.6 points per game and is fresh off a massive game against the Denver Nuggets. Be sure to stay tuned with our NBA odds series for more on betting around The Association.

The Sixers fell to the Orlando Magic Monday night, however, Embiid did everything he could with 30 points and 11 rebounds. In the game against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, Embiid scored 47 and grabbed 18 boards in the win. He even ended with five assists and three steals to show his all-around ability.

Jokic has been the FanDuel MVP favorite for about a month now, since Luke Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Giannis Antetokounmpo slightly fell off. Those five players are the only five that have a shot at winning, as Kevin Durant has once again missed too much time. However, it might not matter how well the trio of Doncic, Tatum, and Giannis do because as long as Jokic and Embiid are playing the way they are, nothing can get in the way of them battling for the MVP once again.

Many wanted Embiid to win the award last year but Jokic earned his second MVP in a row. Let's take a peep at the current 2023 MVP odds.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

NBA Odds: 2023 MVP Odds

Nikola Jokic: +115

Joel Embiid: +190

Luka Doncic: +440

Jayson Tatum: +1300

Giannis Antetokounmpo: +1600

Ja Morant: +3200

LeBron James: +4500

Steph Curry: +6000

Kevin Durant: +6000

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

What will it take for Joel Embiid to surpass Jokic and win the award? That's a tough one to answer. In a generation where three-point shooting is at an all-time high, Jokic and Embiid continue to dominate. Steph Curry has changed the game, yet those two are looked at as the MVP frontrunners.

Embiid must lead the league in scoring again this season if he wants to win the award. The All-Star center must prove that he is the top offensive player in the NBA in back-to-back years. This is a scoring-driven league, yet you don't normally see the top scorer winning the MVP. Kevin Durant is the last to win the scoring title and MVP and that was in 2014 with OKC. The Sixers also need to continue their winning ways as they have stormed up the East standings to three games behind the Boston Celtics. The reason for that is because it seems the Denver Nuggets might hold on to the Western Conference as they are in first and two games above the Memphis Grizzlies. This might be the year where winning actually matters when deciding who takes home the 2023 MVP.

Joel Embiid and Niloka Jokic will battle for the MVP all season long. With how the odds stand now, I would consider putting money down on both of them before the odds start to get higher and higher for them to win.