The Most Valuable Player award is the NBA’s most prestigious honor handed out during the regular season, and while some races in the past have been runaways, the hunt for the award this season will likely come down to the last few weeks of the season, as odds have four candidates as the favorites to win the MVP award this year.
Based on the latest odds, as most popular sportsbooks share similar sentiments about the top favorites to win the award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs are the top four candidates for the 2025-26 NBA MVP award.
However, while each has a strong case, as well as a few other players in the hunt for the trophy, the NBA’s 65-game rule for end-of-season awards could come into play, as a few of the top candidates have already missed a fair share of games and could be ruled ineligible for the MVP should they continue to be sidelined.
NBA MVP Odds 2026: Who Are The Top Candidates And Favorites To Win The Award This Season?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: -285
Gilgeous-Alexander is the defending MVP and is the current favorite to win the award this season. Averaging a league-second 31.8 points, along with 4.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks on 55.4/39/89.2 shooting splits in 49 regular-season games.
The franchise star for the Thunder has proven to be one of the top scorers in the NBA, while also being a strong defender on the opposite side of the court. While the league has shifted to three-pointers and layups, Gilgeous-Alexander remains the best active mid-range shooter and is known for his efficiency on offense.
The case for him winning the MVP award will also come down to team success, as Oklahoma City has a 45-15 record atop the Western Conference standings.
Nikola Jokic: +500
Jokic has won three of the last five MVP awards and hasn’t finished lower than second in the voting this decade. Putting up 28.8 points, 12.5 rebounds (first), 10.4 assists (first), 1.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks on 57.7/41.3/83 shooting splits in 43 games, the Serbian is a constant triple-double threat, currently second on the NBA’s all-time leaderboard, and with 22 this season.
The center is one of the most prolific offensive hubs in NBA history, able to both score and create shots for his teammates at an unprecedented level. His dominant statistics and impact on winning have helped Jokic take home the award three times already, and if he stays healthy, he will likely be the top challenger to SGA for the MVP this year.
Cade Cunningham: +12oo
While he already played well in the first four seasons of his NBA career, Cunningham is having a breakout year for the Pistons, averaging 25.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and one block on 45.9/33.9/81.2 shooting splits in 51 games.
The case for Cunningham is simple. Detroit has the highest win percentage the NBA, and while Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander could be teetering on MVP ineligibility, giving the award to the best player on the best team has been a constant trend throughout league history. A la Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls in the 2010-11 season, Cunningham could take home the MVP because he is the most impactful player on the team that has seen the most success.
Victor Wembanyama: +1800
To say Wembanyama is an alien on the basketball court might be an understatement, as while averaging 23.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, one steal, and 2.8 blocks on 50.1/34.7/81.5 shooting splits in 45 games, he seemingly does something never before seen in an NBA game on any given night.
While missed time is a major concern for the Spurs’ franchise star, like Cunningham, Wembanyama being the best player on a very successful team could be the reason he might win the award. While his offensive stats trail behind the other candidates, when healthy, the French center is the most impactful defensive player in the league, leading San Antonio to a 43-16 record. He would be the youngest NBA MVP in history, should he win the award this season.
While these four are the favored candidates to win the MVP award this season, NBA.com has ten total names listed in the race, which also include Luka Doncic, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, and Kawhi Leonard.
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2. Nikola Jokic 3. Cade Cunningham 4. Victor Wembanyama 5. Luka Doncic 6. Jaylen Brown 7. Donovan Mitchell 8. Jalen Brunson 9. Anthony Edwards 10. Kawhi Leonard
NBA MVP odds in this article are based on DraftKings Sportsbook, and while this is the rankings list on a majority of other top sportsbooks, here is a comparative list for the MVP odds.
NBA 65-Game Rule Tracker: How Many Games Can Each MVP Candidate Miss And Still Win The Award?
While the 65-game rule was implemented in the 2023-24 season, it is perhaps becoming most impactful this year, specifically relating to the MVP race, as most of the top candidates have missed time with different injuries.
Beginning with Gilgeous-Alexander, he can only miss five more games before becoming ineligible for the MVP. He was sidelined for nine games with an abdominal strain, and already missed two earlier in the season. He’s now out for the Thunder’s game against the Bulls on Tuesday, he is still the favorite to take home the award.
Jokic is in a similar boat, as he missed 16 games after suffering a hyperextended knee. Despite recently returning, the big man can only miss one more game before being ineligible for the MVP, but he remains second in the hunt despite his absence.
Cunningham has missed the least amount of time of all the candidates. The point guard has sat for only six contests this season with minor injuries, and still has 11 games left before being ruled out of the MVP race.
Wembanyama is similar to the first two, missing a total of 14 games with a knee hyperextension and calf injury earlier in the year. The Spurs’ unicorn big man can only miss three more games until he’s ineligible for MVP.
Should Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic miss more time based on the NBA’s 65-game rule for end-of-season awards, Cunningham will be the favorite to win the MVP award.
There’s also a chance a surprise candidate could emerge and somehow vault over these four stars, but at this point in the season, that remains unlikely, despite the strong performances from the other candidates around the league.
NBA MVP Race 2026: Updated Odds, Favorites, And 65-Game Rule Tracker