When the 2025 NBA season ended, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA MVP.Gilgeous-Alexander beat out Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets for the award. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.72 steals, and 1.01 blocks in 34.2 minutes in 76 games last season. With the 2026 NBA season in its second half, Gilgeous-Alexander is the betting favorite to win the NBA MVP for a second straight season.
Only 15 players have won the NBA MVP two times or more. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time leader with six wins. The last player to win the MVP in back-to-back seasons was Jokić in 2021 and 2022. Jokić is one of four players to win the MVP three times. The Denver star is currently on the shelf with a knee injury, having last played in late December. That injury has Jokić out of the MVP conversation for this season.
Other players in the hunt for the NBA MVP are Luke Doncic, Cade Cunningham, Jaylen Brown, and Anthony Edwards, none of whom have previously won the NBA MVP.
Below, we look at the betting odds, picks, and predictions for the 2025-26 NBA MVP candidates.
| To Win 2025-26 NBA MVP |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | -400 | -400 | -400 |
| Luke Doncic | +900 | +900 | +800 |
| Cade Cunningham | +1300 | +1300 | +1100 |
| Jaylen Brown | +2500 | +2500 | +2000 |
| Anthony Edwards | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Tyrese Maxey | +10000 | +10000 | +8000 |
| Jalen Brunson | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Donovan Mitchell | +30000 | +30000 | +25000 |
| Kevin Durant | +100000 | +100000 | +50000 |
| Stephen Curry | +100000 | +100000 | +50000 |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a great year in 2024-25. Not only did he win the NBA MVP, but his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA championship with a seven-game series win over the Indiana Pacers. If the betting oddshold, both Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will repeat those feats in 2025-26.
One thing that stands out with Gilgeous-Alexander is his consistency. The 27-year-old is currently riding a 116-game stretch where he has scored at least 20 points. Gilgeous-Alexander is within striking distance of the all-time record in that category, which is held by Wilt Chamberlain at 126 games. Chamberlin set that record between 1961 and 1963.
Gilgeous-Alexander is currently second in the league in points per game (32.3) with a field goal percentage of 55.7 percent, which is better than all but his teammate Chet Holmgren (57.2 percent) when considering all scorers in the top 45 in the NBA.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the Thunder’s offensive engine. The second-highest scorer on the team is Holmgren with 18 points per game.
The trade that sent Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers sent shockwaves through the NBA in 2025. It also seems to have lit a fire under the 26-year-old Doncic, who is currently enjoying the second-highest scoring season of his career, and there’s a chance he could finish the season with a higher points per game than his career high of 33.9, which he set in 2024. Doncic currently leads the NBA with 33.4 points per game. He is also third in assists with 8.7 per game.
If there is a knock against Doncic, it’s his defense, and that could hurt him when it comes to MVP voting at the end of the year. However, some have pointed out that his defense has been better this year.
“Luka Doncic gets a lot of flak about what he doesn’t do,” said NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, “We know what he does very well. Passing, scoring, all the things, but defense is where his flak comes from. Luka’s defensive effort this year has had a big improvement.”
If Doncic can convince voters that his weak defensive play is in the past, he could be in contention for NBA MVP.
As of this writing, the Detroit Pistons have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 32-11. The team’s .744 winning percentage is second only to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who lead the league with a 37-9 record and .804 winning mark. A lot of the Pistons’ success comes down to Cade Cunningham’s two-way play.
The 24-year-old Cunningham is in his fifth season in the NBA, all with the Pistons. Last year, he had a career-best mark of 26.1 points per game with 6.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists. His numbers are slightly lower in points (25.3) and rebounds (5.8) this year, but he has 9.7 assists. Cunningham leads Detroit in points and assists this season.
Cunningham is flying under the radar in Detroit, but if he can lead the team to an Eastern Conference regular-season title, he will be recognized for his outstanding two-way play and leadership.
At this point in the 2025-26 NBA regular season, the MVP award is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s to lose. If he can stay healthy and consistent, there is no reason to believe he won’t win a second consecutive MVP award. The betting pick is for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to repeat as NBA MVP in 2026.
When it comes time to make your NBA picks, you will find that everything you need to know about NBA betting is right here at Vegas Betting, including our look at the 2025-26 NBA Championship Futures . For those looking to make a play with futures bets on the outcome of the NBA finals, Vegas Betting is an all-inclusive site ready to provide you with every tidbit of information that will make you an informed NBA bettor.
