Joel Embiid has finished second in the MVP voting each of the last two seasons. His recent play suggests he's ready to finally get over the hump. His Sixers are the hottest team in basketball and Embiid is on an absolute tear-and oddsmakers are certainly taking notice.
Joel Embiid's NBA MVP odds have shrunk over the last few weeks, getting as low as +250 at BetMGM Sportsbook and holding steady around +350 behind Nikola Jokic heading into the All-Star break.
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Joel Embiid MVP Odds: Scoring, Victories Lead to Surge
Embiid's raw numbers have been stellar all year, but he had two factors working against him early: He missed eight games before Thanksgiving and the Sixers began the year 0-3, 8-8, and then fell to 12-12 in an overtime loss to the lowly Rockets. Embiid had games of 59, 42, and 40 points in that span – but MVP talk was nowhere to be found.
But starting with an overtime win over LeBron James and the Lakers on Dec. 9, Embiid and the Sixers have been elite. Philadelphia has won 24 of its last 31 games, and Embiid is averaging an NBA-best 33.4 points on 54% shooting and 10.2 rebounds.