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The National Basketball Association heads into its final week of the regular season. As fans of the Association turn their attention toward the playoffs, the debate around the end-of-season awards tends to heat up.

The regular season has become a strange bird for the NBA recently. It’s an opportunity for stars to demonstrate their world-class skills night-to-night. Sadly, the regular season is considered a precursor to the “real season”: the NBA playoffs.

With around five games to go in the season, the opportunities for value on the MVP board will come down to the last week of the season and a lot of media jockeying.

Let’s see who the top three candidates with the best MVP odds to win this season’s MVP.

NBA MVP Betting Predictions in the Last Week of the Regular Season

Joel Embiid: Leader in the Clubhouse

No. 21 | Philadelphia 76ers | Clinched top-four seed
Odds: Joel Embiid -229
Mega Basket: Center
NBA draft: 2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
College: Kansas 2013–2014

The board has Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid as the favorite to win the MVP. The case for Embiid to be MVP is the most compelling media narrative this year. If Embiid were to win, it would be his first MVP title.

It’s been an outstanding season for Embiid. He’s having career highs in points-per-game (33), field goal percentage (54.2%), and blocks. He’s also averaging more minutes per game (34.6) than in all previous seasons. For someone who has struggled with durability over his career, that’s a big stat.

The only thing that could hurt Embiid’s candidacy is his team. Out of the three candidates for MVP, his teammates have handled his absence the best – the Sixers are 9-5 when Embiid does not play.

NBA MVP Pick | Bet Joel Embiid to Win MVP
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Nikola Jokic: Wire-to-Wire #1 Seed Could Push Him Over

No. 15 | Denver Nuggets | Clinched top-two seed
Odds: Nikola Jokic +234
Mega Basket: 2012–2015

Embiid’s most significant competition for the MVP this year is Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Jokic has won the award twice before and hopes he has enough for a third MVP by leading the Denver Nuggets to a #1 seed wire-to-wire in a loaded Western Conference.

Jokic has had 29 triple-doubles so far this season. While he’s down in scoring from previous years, Jokic is 0.1 decimal points away from averaging a triple-double this year. Jokic’s absence affects the Nuggets significantly when he is out. The Nuggets are 3-6 when Jokic does not play.

NBA MVP Pick | Bet Nikola Jokic to Win MVP
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Still the Baddest of Them All

No. 34 | Milwaukee Bucks | Clinched top-three seed
Odds: Giannis Antetokounmpo +630
Mega Basket: Power forward
NBA draft: 2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall

The MVP race this season has been mostly a two-horse race, but Giannis would make sense as the third candidate in the race. He’s the best player on the team with the best regular season record.

Given that the regular season is a precursor to the playoffs, it makes sense that Giannis is considered an MVP candidate. When the playoffs start, he’ll be the end boss everyone will be waiting to face to get to the championship and get a ring. Based on his previous playoff performances, Giannis will take his game to another level when the playoffs begin.

NBA MVP Pick | Bet Giannis Antetokounmpo to Win MVP
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game