NBA MVP Odds: Nikola Jokic Overtakes Injured Joel Embiid as Betting Favorite

Nikola Jokic has surpassed Joel Embiid as the favorite to win NBA MVP in the latest updated odds. Embiid has been the center of controversy since the Philadelphia 76ers held him out of the highly anticipated game against the Denver Nuggets and a head-to-head meeting against Jokic Saturday.

Entering that game, Embiid was the outright favorite, but the reigning MVP has been ceding ground to his fellow big man and has now fallen to third on the MVP odds board below Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

NBA MVP Odds

All odds are according to FanDuel as of Monday Jan. 29.

Part of the reason the odds have shifted so much in recent days has less to do with performances on the court and more to do with injuries. Along with missing Saturday's game in Denver, Embiid will miss his second game in a row as the Sixers announced he will sit out of Monday's game against Portland Trail Blazers. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the NBA is also investigating the circumstances surrounding his late scratch in Denver and whether the team improperly allowed him to sit out in Denver.

Embiid will now have missed 12 games this season after Monday night and can only miss five more games this season before he's ruled ineligible for awards and All-NBA recognition. Jokic, by contrast, has missed just one game this season and Gilgeous-Alexander has also missed just one game.