Joel Embiid’s NBA MVP campaign is on life-support after re-injuring his knee on Tuesday night.
The 76ers superstar has spent much of the 2023-24 season as the favorite to win his second straight award, but persistent knee troubles have him at risk of falling short of the league’s new minimum game rule, which stipulates that players must participate in at least 65 games to be eligible for end-of-season awards.
After overtaking Nikola Jokic as the favorite in late December, Embiid is +5000 (DraftKings Sportsbook) as of Thursday night to win this season’s MVP award, the sixth-best odds on the board.
Embiid is completely off the board at FanDuel Sportsbook as the Sixers and sports betting world await more details regarding the star center’s knee.
An MRI exam revealed Thursday that Embiid injured his lateral meniscus in his left knee and will remain out through the weekend while a treatment plan for him is finalized, the team announced.
Two-time MVP Jokic is now the odds-on favorite to win it, sitting at -140 at DraftKings.
The Joker is trailed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+275), who has led the young Oklahoma City Thunder to one of the best records in the NBA.
Luka Doncic (+550), Giannis Antetokounmpo (+700) and Jayson Tatum (+4000) are the other three players who have leapfrogged Embiid at DraftKings.
No other player currently has odds better than 100-1.
Embiid has dominated this season, scoring a league-high 35.3 points per game with 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
But he will miss his 13th game on Thursday night and can only miss four more contests after that to stay eligible for any end-of-season awards.
Embiid’s fall has opened the door for Jokic, who is averaging 26.3 points, 12.1 rebounds and nine assists as the Denver Nuggets look to win their second straight NBA title.
The pair have battled it out for the league MVP award the last two seasons, finishing 1-2 in each of the last three seasons.
Less than a month ago, Embiid and Jokic were essentially tied at the top of the odds board at every major U.S. sportsbook.