Vegas Makes Eye-Opening Move in Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic NBA MVP Odds
By Ben Heisler
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was the clear front-runner for NBA MVP for the last several weeks, but something changed as of Tuesday morning that sent the line plummeting.
Embiid had been as high as -200 at WynnBET Sportsbook to take home his first MVP award, with Jokic trailing behind at +140. Several other sportsbooks had an even higher number on Jokic closer to +160 odds.
While WynnBET has not updated their odds as of this writing, the consensus line is now at or around a pick 'em between the two centers.
Updated odds to win MVP @PointsBetUSA ?
— NBABet (@nbabet) March 29, 2022
-110: Joel Embiid
-110: Nikola Jokic
+1200: Giannis Antetokounmpo
+5000: Devin Booker pic.twitter.com/iLJNjk5vB6
Both centers have put together marvelous seasons. Embiid is averaging a career high 30 points per game as well as 11 boards and four assists, all without Ben Simmons playing a minute alongside him.
Jokic, meanwhile, has taken his MVP season from last year into another gear, averaging the first ever 25+ point, 13+ rebound & 6+ assist season ever in the league. Via Cleaning the Glass, the Nuggets' efficiency differential is +18.2! Denver's net rating in non-Jokic minutes is the worst in the NBA, showcasing what kind of value he provides on a nightly basis.
The statistical case for each MVP candidate pic.twitter.com/QRqHtZDXcv
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 28, 2022
Our Peter Dewey has been an advocate for Jokic to win back-to-back MVPs throughout the season.
The only right way to read it ? https://t.co/orFkVILGDg
— Peter Dewey (@peterdewey2) March 28, 2022
What Caused the Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic NBA MVP Odds to Move?
Tim Bontemps' NBA MVP Straw Poll Could Be the Reason
Early Tuesday morning, ESPN's Tim Bontemps' wrote a piece asking 100 media members to weigh in on a poll that "mimics the postseason award voting."
His results found that Jokic finished with 62 first-place votes, followed by Embiid with 29 first-place votes. The poll also used the league's system for points per vote. 10 points are awarded for a first-place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and a single point for fifth.
Bomtemps' results indicated that Jokic finished with 860 total points, with Embiid following behind at 719. Giannis Anteokounmpo finished with 593 points, as well as nine votes to finish first in NBA MVP.
Obviously the Jokic/Embiid/Giannis debate will deservedly get lots of attention, but also thought the fact 10 different guys got 4th/5th (and that no one outside the top 3 even made half the ballots) was quite interesting, too. https://t.co/7q6meJVma0
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 29, 2022
Is there a clear correlation between the poll and Vegas' adjustment? It's hard to definitively say, but anyone waiting to strike on Jokic as a underdog may have likely missed their moment.
Follow all of Ben Heisler's betting plays in real-time HERE