The Boston Celtics locker room is still wet with champagne after they captured their 18th NBA championship, but oddsmakers wasted no time looking forward to the 2024-25 season.
The Celtics are favorites to go back-to-back next season — something the NBA hasn't seen since 2018 — but the early frontrunners for NBA MVP aren't on the champion's roster. Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic opened as favorites to win the 2025 NBA MVP award after the NBA Finals.
Here's a look at the full list of MVP odds and the main contenders for the prestigious award.
2025 NBA MVP Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Nikola Jokic | +380 |
| Luka Doncic | +380 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +550 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +550 |
| Joel Embiid | +550 |
| Anthony Edwards | +1500 |
| Jayson Tatum | +1900 |
| Jalen Brunson | +2000 |
| Victor Wembanyama | +3500 |
| Stephen Curry | +5000 |
| Ja Morant | +5000 |
| Kawhi Leonard | +7500 |
| Kevin Durant | +7500 |
| Devin Booker | +10000 |
| Anthony Davis | +10000 |
| Zion Williamson | +10000 |
| Donovan Mitchell | +10000 |
| Jaylen Brown | +12000 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | +12000 |
| Trae Young | +12000 |
| LeBron James | +15000 |
| Damian Lillard | +20000 |
| De'Aaron Fox | +20000 |
| Jimmy Butler | +25000 |
| Domantas Sabonis | +25000 |
| Tyrese Maxey | +25000 |
| Paolo Banchero | +30000 |
| Julius Randle | +50000 |
| Kyrie Irving | +50000 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | +50000 |
| Paul George | +50000 |
| James Harden | +50000 |
| Mikal Bridges | +50000 |
| LaMelo Ball | +50000 |
Odds as of June 18 and via FanDuel.
NBA MVP Favorites
Oddsmakers having Doncic and Jokic as the co-favorites shouldn't be a surprise.
Doncic has entered the regular season as the favorite to win NBA MVP for three straight years between the 2020-21 season and the 2022-23 season, and Jokic was the favorite on opening night last year, per Sports Odds History. Doncic made the MVP ballot in five of his six seasons in the NBA, has three top-five finishes, and came in third this season in voting. Jokic has won three MVPs and finished second in 2023.
Despite missing out on the Larry O'Brien trophy, both players are coming off postseason runs in which they each nearly averaged a triple-double while scoring 28+ points per game. Expect to see these two names near the top of this list, barring anything strange happening next season.
NBA MVP Contenders
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished with the best record in a crowded Western Conference this season, but Shai Gilgeous Alexander finished second in MVP voting behind Jokic. Joel Embiid, when healthy, was the favorite to win back-to-back NBA MVP awards last season before suffering a meniscus injury that sidelined him for the second half of the regular season and forced him to miss the 65-game threshold to be considered for the award. Giannis Antetokounmpo won back-to-back MVPs four years ago and finished top five in MVP voting for six seasons in a row, including fourth in 2024. All three players averaged 30 points per game in the regular season.
NBA MVP Longshots
The odds get interesting once you get into the range of players listed at 10-1 or longer. There are widespread expectations that Anthony Edwards will get better after his impressive playoff run. Jayson Tatum is fresh off winning an NBA championship. Jalen Brunson reached another level in the playoffs before breaking his hand in Game 7 against the IndianaPacers.
But the most interesting name in this range is Victor Wembanyama, who won Rookie of the Year, was named to the NBA All-Defense first team and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. At 21 years old, Wembanyama winning MVP would make him the youngest in NBA history ahead of Wes Unseld and Derrick Rose, who both won at 22 years old.
