Nikola Jokic NBA MVP Odds (2025)

The 2024-25 NBA regular season is over and we now look ahead to who will hoist the NBA Championship at season’s end. As we wait to see how the playoffs play out, speculation runs rampant about who will hoist individual hardware when awards like MVP, Rookie of the Year, and others are announced.

One of the awards that garners the most attention each season is the NBA MVP. A fixture in the last four MVP races, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is a prime contender to win the award again this year. Let’s look at his season, his odds to win the award, and his bid for a fourth MVP trophy.

Nikola Jokic NBA MVP Odds

In light of those dominant numbers, Jokic is one of the favorites to win the NBA MVP. His main challenger is Shai-Gilgeous Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. In addition to leading the Thunder to an NBA-best 68 wins, SGA also led the league in points with 32.7 per game.

Coming into the playoffs, the race for MVP seemed neck-and-neck. Both players had backers, but the odds had them roughly even until the season ended. Since then, odds have shifted heavily in favor of SGA, making him the favorite to win his first NBA MVP.

Nikola Jokic’s 2024-25 Season

Jokic had an absolute monster 2024-25 season and has already been named the Sporting News’ Player of the Year. Jokic finished third in the NBA in points (29.6), second in assists (10.2), third in rebounds (12.7), and third in steals (minimum 41 GP, 1.8) per game, showing his importance to the Nuggets.

If finishing top three in points, assists, rebounds, and steals wasn’t enough, “Joker” also made history. He became just the third player all-time to finish the season with a triple-double average – 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game. On top of that, he recorded 34 triple-doubles on the season, surpassing the single-season record of 31 set by Wilt Chamberlain.

Jokic did everything you could possibly ask for and more. He is undoubtedly the most dominant big man in the game and is arguably the best player regardless of position. Without him, the Nuggets would not be a playoff team, let alone a contender for the NBA title.

Why Jokic Won’t Win NBA MVP

On paper, Jokic has all the accolades needed to win his fourth MVP. He previously won the award in 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2023-24. Even during the 2022-23 season, many felt that he was the best player and that voter fatigue got in his way of a three-peat.

That seems to be the case again this year. Jokic won the award a season ago, his third win in the category in four seasons. Like it or not, some voters simply don’t like voting for the same guy year in, year out, even if he has all the statistics to back it up.

Because of that voter fatigue, it is unlikely that Jokic wins the award. Incredibly, he could become just the third player in the history of the NBA to average a triple-double, yet he won’t win the award because voters are simply tired of his dominance.

He Isn’t Done at 3 MVPs

At 30 years old, the dominant big man is far from done. He seems to put up video game numbers with ease each season, and there is no reason to believe that he won’t be a contender for MVP again next season, the season after, and for the foreseeable future.

Jokic should realistically be claiming his fifth (and fifth in a row) MVP this offseason. While it is somewhat understandable to be tired of voting for the same guy, Jokic has been the best player in the world for the last five seasons. He should have his fourth MVP already, but will have to come back again and dominate next season to make a run at it.