Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic vs. Giannis Antetokoumnpo: Which MVP Contender Is the Best Prop Play Today?

The NBA season is winding down and the race for the MVP is heating up. Even with just a couple of games left in the regular season, no player has separated themselves as an obvious winner. As things currently stand, reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is the favorite to repeat in 2022.

Joel Embiid is the second favorite while Giannis Antetokoumnpo is a distant third. While Jokic has the lead as of this writing, there is still a lot of basketball to be played between now and the end of the year. Any slip-up by one of these players could be the end of their MVP aspirations. 

All three of these guys are playing tonight so I thought it would be fun to predict who is the best prop bet to go over their scoring total. All odds used are courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo O/U 31.5

Of this trip, Giannis has the best chance to fall under the total tonight. For starters, he is the only one entering the night on the injury report. He has been dealing with a knee issue and is listed as probable for tonight. I fully expect him to play, but just how much is up in the air. He played just 24 minutes against the Bulls on Tuesday night and managed just 18 points. That was his lowest scoring total since Dec. 8.

While I don’t think he is the best prop play of the three tonight, I don't think he gets the minutes to go over. The Bucks need to beat the Celtics tonight to move into second place in the East. There is still a slim chance that they catch the Heat for the top spot if all goes well. They need a big game from Giannis. 

Nikola Jokic O/U 29.5

Jokic is the current odds on favorite to win the MVP for good reason. He is averaging 27 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. He is coming off a 41-point game over the San Antonio Spurs and hasn’t scored less than 37 points since March 28.

The Nuggets are in desperate need of a win tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Nuggets have two games left to play and have a two-game lead over the Timberwolves in seventh. Should the Nuggets fall to seventh, they would need to win a play-in game to get to the postseason. I imagine Jokic will do whatever he can to avoid this and come out swinging against the Grizzlies. 

Joel Embiid O/U 32.5

Embiid has been on a complete tear lately, posting ridiculous stats across the board for what seems like months. He was the MVP favorite for most of that run until recently when Jokic started playing out of his mind. What Embiid has going for him tonight is the fact that he is coming off back-to-back 40 point games. He scored 44 against the Cavaliers and 45 against the Pacers last week. He also combined for 30 rebounds in those two games.

The Sixers are also in “must-win” mode tonight. They are 2.5 games back from the Heat, tied with the Bucks, and three games ahead of their opponent tonight, the Toronto Raptors. Embiid has the highest total of the three, but I think has the best chance to get there tonight.

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE