NBA MVP Odds 2023: Nikola Jokić Tops Dončić, Tatum as Betting Favorite Ahead of ASG

Michael Jordan never won three straight NBA MVPs. Neither did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or LeBron James.

Nikola Jokić, however, is now the odds-on favorite to pull something off the three greatest basketball players in NBA history never could.

FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists Jokić as a strong -130 favorite (bet $130 to win $100) to take home the 2022-23 MVP as he continues putting up one of the greatest offensive seasons for a big man in league history.

The Denver Nuggets star comes into Thursday with averages of 25.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.9 assists. He's on the precipice of becoming the first big to ever average a triple-double over the course of a full season and is doing so while shooting a monster 62.9 percent from the field.

Luka Dončić is second in the odds at +450, while Jayson Tatum (+850) and Joel Embiid (+850) are the only other players at odds lower than 10-1.

From a pure numbers standpoint, it's impossible to argue against Jokić's candidacy. He's an offensive ecosystem unto himself, whipping passes around the perimeter, dominating on the low block and knocking down threes at an above-average rate. The Nuggets are also the No. 1 seed in the West and are second behind only the Boston Celtics in overall record at 34-15.

That said, there will be some fans who will be frustrated with the historical precedent of Jokić winning a third straight MVP. The only two players to pull off the feat are Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Russell and Chamberlain were both champions when they won their third straight.

Jokić hasn't even made an NBA Finals. While that may have more to do with injuries suffered by his teammates, it would be fair to say a player like LeBron has dragged worse teams to the Finals while not winning their "deserved" number of MVPs.

There may be some voters who flat-out refuse to vote for Jokić to avoid setting the historic precedent.