The NBA could be poised for one of its most exciting MVP races in recent history. With games resuming after the 2022 All-Star Break, three players have separated themselves as the top candidates to win the award.

Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo have the best MVP odds with about 30% of the regular season left to be played. Those superstars have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the league, seemingly creating a three-player race.

Embiid is the favorite with +125 odds at BetMGM to win the 2022 NBA MVP award. Jokic is second with +275 odds. Antetokounmpo isn’t far behind with +375 odds.

There’s a significant gap between Antetokounmpo and the No. 4 candidate. Stephen Curry has +1200 MVP odds, followed by Ja Morant (+1600), Devin Booker (+2200) and DeMar DeRozan (+2200).

Embiid leads the NBA with 29.6 points per game to go along with his 11.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1 steal per game. Without Ben Simmons for the entire season, the center has carried the Philadelphia 76ers to the East’s No. 3 seed. Philadelphia is only 2.5 games behind the Miami Heat for the best record in the conference.

Antetokounmpo has nearly identical stats to Embiid. Ranking second in the league with 29.4 points per game, Antetokounmpo is averaging the same number of rebounds, blocks and steals as Philadelphia’s star. Antetokounmpo is averaging a career-best 6 assists in three more games than Embiid.

The Milwaukee Bucks are only percentage points behind the 76ers in the standings.

Jokic’s Denver Nuggets have one more loss than Milwaukee. Jokic’s 26 points per game are good for eighth in the league. Denver’s center ranks second with 13.8 rebounds per game and eighth with 7.9 assists per game. Jokic is also shooting 57% from the field.

Jokic is surrounded by a worse supporting cast than both Embiid and Antetokounmpo. Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray has missed the whole season with a torn ACL, and a back injury has limited Michael Porter Jr. to nine games.

The reigning MVP, Jokic finished just ahead of Embiid in last year’s voting. Antetokounmpo won the MVP award in 2019 and 2020.

The MVP race can change in a hurry. Curry was the clear favorite in mid-December. Kevin Durant was viewed as his biggest challenger. A shooting slump has knocked Curry to fourth on the list, and a knee injury has all but ended Durant’s MVP campaign.

Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Wells Fargo Center on December 11, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
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