NBA MVP 2022: Joel Embiid Loses Spot As Favorite To Nikola Jokic

The 2022 NBA MVP race is so close that it might come down to the very last game of the regular season. Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic have separated themselves as the top two candidates, going back and forth as favorites to win the award.

With less than two weeks remaining in the season, Jokic has jumped ahead of Embiid as the MVP favorite. The Denver Nuggets’ star leads the race with -120 odds at BetMGM to win the award. Embiid is a close second with +100 MVP odds.

Just one day ago, it was Embiid who was favored. The Philadelphia 76ers’ star had -185 odds at BetMGM, followed by Jokic’s +170 odds. Their MVP chances changed in light of a straw poll of likely MVP voters and Philadelphia’s loss against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

In a poll of 100 media members conducted by ESPN, Jokic received 62 first-place MVP votes to Embiid's 29 first-place votes. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo finished third in the straw poll with nine first-place votes.

Embiid was the runner up for last year’s MVP award, which Jokic won. Antetokounmpo finished fourth in 2021 and has +1000 MVP odds for this season. Devin Booker is a distant fourth with +4000 MVP odds.

Just hours after the poll results were released, Milwaukee defeated Philadelphia 118-116, knocking the 76ers to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Antetokounmpo blocked a game-tying shot attempt by Embiid in the final seconds, preserving the victory for the Bucks.

His last shot notwithstanding, Embiid was terrific in defeat with 29 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Antetokounmpo was even better, putting up 40 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks.

The Bucks moved a game ahead of the 76ers as the East’s No. 2 seed and only trail the Miami Heat by a half-game for the top spot in the conference.

Denver is the No. 6 seed in the West, though the Nuggets only have one fewer win than the 76ers. With a less talented supporting cast than Embiid or Antetokounmpo, Jokic has carried his team into the playoff picture.

The traditional stats for the top candidates are very comparable. Jokic ranks in the top 10 in the major categories with 26.3 points, 13.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. Embiid is averaging 29.9 points, 13.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Antetokounmpo is also scoring 29.9 points and ranks fifth in the NBA with 11.8 blocks to go along with 5.8 assists.

The Nuggets have six more games left. The 76ers and Bucks play seven more games. The regular season ends on April 10.