Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has surged up the NBA MVP odds and is now the favorite to win the award, after previously not being a top name expected to take home the trophy.
Doncic has never won the MVP award, and while he’s finished close in past years, the Lakers’ franchise centerpiece is making the strongest case for the regular-season award in 2026-27.
Coming off another historic performance against the Miami Heat, Doncic is averaging what would be a record-breaking 38.3 points, 8.1 assists, eight rebounds, and 1.9 steals on 49.7% shooting through seven games so far.
Luka Doncic MVP Odds Surge
Heading into the regular season, Doncic was not a top MVP favorite, both according to the odds on top prediction markets and sportsbooks, as well as NBA general managers, per a recent survey published by the league. It was the first time in seven years he wasn’t expected to be a top candidate for the award, but through the Lakers’ first seven games of the season, that has changed drastically.
According to Kalshi, Doncic’s MVP odds now sit at 34%, making him the favorite over Victor Wembanyama. Polymarket tells a similar story, as the Lakers’ star also has a 34% chance to win his first MVP award.
Along with the two top prediction markets, the major sportsbooks reflect similar MVP odds. Per FanDuel and DraftKings, Doncic is +200 for the award, over Wembanyama and other candidates like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Doncic finished fourth in the MVP race last season, but as mentioned, he wasn’t a top pick to win the award this season, according to the preseason NBA GM survey.
“Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic was surprisingly left without a single vote in the NBA GM Survey MVP prediction for the 2026-27 season despite coming off another dominant individual campaign,” Basketnews.com wrote. “Victor Wembanyama received 77% of the vote to win his first MVP award, while Nikola Jokic followed with 10% and Anthony Edwards received 7%. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum also received votes, leaving Doncic completely outside the field.”
Regardless, amid his historic start to the season for the Lakers, Doncic’s MVP odds have surged significantly, and he’s now the favorite to win the award in 2026-27.
Lakers Star Continues To Drop Historic Performances, As Seen In Win Over Miami Heat
Along with his rising MVP odds, Doncic continues to drop historic performances through the Lakers’ first seven games of the year.
After putting up 42 points, 13 assists, and seven rebounds in the team’s Monday night win over the Heat, the Slovenian joined Kobe Bryant in elite Lakers’ history.
“Doncic had already made history by halftime; with 24 points scored through the first two quarters, he became the first Lakers player to score 20-plus points in the first half in five straight games since Kobe Bryant in 2007, according to Matt Williams of ESPN,” Basketnews.com wrote. “He was not done matching Kobe Bryant milestones, continuing his brilliant performance into the second half. With a total of 42 points on the night, Doncic had his fifth-straight game of 35+ points, tying the longest streak by any Lakers player since Kobe Bryant, per ESPN.”
Doncic also previously tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the tenth most 50-point games in NBA history, and has easily passed LeBron James for the sixth-most 40-point games in Lakers history, doing so nearly 30 games quicker than his former teammate.
Additionally, Doncic has scored at least 40 points in four of Los Angeles’ last five games, and is off to one of the best starts to a season in recent league history.
He is currently averaging 38.3 points, and if he keeps up that pace for an entire season, it would only trail three Wilt Chamberlain seasons from the 1960s, and would be higher than Michael Jordan’s best scoring year in 1986-87, as well as James Harden’s historic 2018-19 MVP-winning season.
“Luka Dončić (226) becomes the third player in NBA history since 1960 to tally 225+ points through his first six games of a season, joining Michael Jordan (1986) and Wilt Chamberlain (2x),” the NBA also announced.
Though he’s never won the top regular season award through his career so far, Doncic’s MVP odds have taken a sharp turn up, as amid his historic start to the season for the Lakers, he’s making his best case yet to take home the trophy.
Lakers Luka Doncic Gets Major MVP Odds News Amid Historic Start