NBA odds: Joel Embiid lagging behind Jokic in MVP Race

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Heat 76ers Basketball
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid lifts up his mask during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Friday, May 6, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Where does Joel Embiid fare in 2023 NBA MVP race?

The NBA All-Star Game is in the rear-view mirror but there’s no time to sit around and reflect. The NBA Playoffs are just around the corner and all eyes are on the race to make the postseason. Every contender needs a dominant player, and the MVP market has been taking some interesting twists and turns in recent weeks.

NBA MVP Odds:

Nikola Jokic-300
Joel Embiid+370
Giannis Antetokounmpo+800
Jayson Tatum+1300
Luka Doncic+2000
LeBron James+7000
Ja Morant+12000
Damian Lillard+20000

Joel Embiid second to Nikola Jokic in the MVP race

Joel Embiid was tied with Luka Doncic at +500 before the beginning of the season Fast forward a few months and it’s Nikola Jokic who has taken quite a commanding lead. In part, this is probably due to the fact that Jokic has lifted his Denver Nuggets to a dominant 43-19 record in the West, sitting 5.5 games clear of the Grizzlies. The Sixers slumped in the early goings and despite a quick turnaround and some decimating performances from Embiid, it hasn’t been enough to sway Vegas just yet.

If you are looking to bet on Embiid, this is good news. The more he’s overlooked, the better odds you’ll have. There is definitely a run of Joel Embiid being overlooked for the MVP award. This of course comes on the back of a season that many deemed more than worthy of winning the award that was eventually claimed by Nikola Jokic…who heads the field again.

Joel Embiid averaged 28.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.4 BPG, and 1.0 SPG in 51 games played during the 2021 season. He’s averaging 33 PPG, 10.4 RPG, and 4.1 APG this season. The skilled big man was flat out dominant in his fifth NBA campaign but he is somehow on another level this year, proving to be the superstar Philly dreamed he could be when they selected him third overall in the 2014 draft.

If the time of Embiid is coming, then there may be no better time to back him. His odds will only shorten as the chip on his shoulder grows and his dominance hits new heights.

The Sixers are well-placed to make a playoff run, but it all comes down to how much of a charge they can go on between now and the end of the season.

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AP Photo/Matt Slocum