Checking in on the 2022-23 NBA MVP favorites a quarter of the way through the season

The first quarter of the 2022-23 NBA regular season is in the books, and we are having an interesting season like no other before. The NBA MVP race in 2022-23 is as tight as it can be.

In the following lines, we will present you with the players who according to the NBA MVP odds are the favorites to win the most prestigious individual award this season.

NBA MVP race 2022-23

All odds taken December 06 at FanDuel Sportsbook

Since the 1955-56 season, the NBA has presented the MVP award to the best performing player of the regular season, which is named the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, in honor of the first NBA commissioner.

Despite the fact that every NBA superstar is saying that winning the NBA championship is the ultimate goal, the MVP award makes a huge difference in every player’s resume and legacy.

The NBA MVP race in 2022-23 is already heated, and these are the 10 players who have a shot at winning the award this season.

Jayson Tatum

The Celtics forward is on top of the NBA MVP ladder at this point and if he stays healthy, he will probably be the chosen one this season. Tatum led the Celtics to the NBA Finals last year and received an All-NBA First Team honor. This season Jayson Tatum is even better, and the Celtics have the best record in the league. The 24-year-old averages over 30 points and 8 rebounds per game.

In a recent 134-121 win over the Miami Heat, Tatum scored a season-high 49 points. He also had 11 rebounds and shot 8-for-12 from threee-point range. It was the second time in his career that he notched 45+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 8+ 3-pointers in a game. Before Tatum, no other NBA player ever had multiple games with those numbers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek Freak won the MVP award in 2019 and 2020 and he still plays on the same level. He led the Bucks to their best start in franchise history, winning the opening nine games of the season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently the second-best scorer (31.8) in the league and fifth in rebounds (11.2). He is unstoppable on the offensive end, a great defender who plays hard on any given night and that is all it takes for a player to win the MVP award.

Luka Doncic

According to the latest NBA MVP odds, Luka Doncic is third on this list but according to many, he is the leading candidate to win the MVP award this season.

He leads the league in scoring with 33.4 points per game and he is at almost nine rebounds and nine assists per game for the Mavs. The only thing that is keeping him away from the top of the list is the Mavs’ current record which puts them in 10th place in the West.

Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry won the MVP award in 2015 and 2016 and despite being the oldest player on this list, he is still a serious contender to win it. Curry and the Warriors proved that they are still on top of the league by winning the NBA championship last season and Curry is still in his prime.

The four-time champion averages over 30 points per game and is at a fantastic 44.1% from the three-point line.

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Joel Embiid

The only reason why Joel Embiid is still without an MVP award is the fact that he missed a significant number of games in the past two seasons. He is the best two-way big in the league and when healthy he is a real beast on both ends of the floor.

Unfortunately, he is on and off this season as well but if he stays healthy until the end of the season, Embiid will definitely be among the MVP finalists.

Devin Booker

The Phoenix Suns are on top of the Western Conference and the main reason for that is Devin Booker. Chris Paul has been out with an injury and Booker is holding the team on his back.

He recently went over 40 in three consecutive games with his season high at 51 points against the Chicago Bulls. Booker averages over 29 points per game and is close to a 50-40-90 shooting split which definitely puts him high on this list.

Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis and the Lakers had a very difficult start to the season but once Davis got back in full speed, things changed.

Davis proved that he is one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history when he scored 55 points against the Washington Wizards. He is the best rebounder in the league averaging 12.8 boards per game and shoots almost 60% from the field.

Ja Morant

Ja Morant is the youngest player on this list, and he fully deserves to be mentioned in the MVP conversation.

He put the Grizzlies back on the NBA map and he is one of the most exciting players to watch. Morant is in the top 10 in points and assists for the season and if not this season, he will definitely win the MVP award in the years to come.

Nikola Jokic

The Joker is the back-to-back winner of the MVP award and is in with a chance at becoming the third player in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP awards. He deserves to be on this list despite the significant drop in his scoring this season.

With starting point guard Jamal Murray back, Nikola Jokic does not have to score that much for the Nuggets and that will probably be the reason why he will not make it among the three finalists for the MVP award this season.

Donovan Mitchell

After five seasons with the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell moved to the Cavaliers this season and it has already proven to be a great move for both sides. Mitchell is scoring a career-high 28.4 points per game and has brought the Cavaliers back among the best teams in the East.

If the Cavs keep winning and Mitchell improves his numbers, he may be much higher on this list as the season progress.