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MVP Straw Poll has Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic in a Dead Heat
Published:
Latest MVP straw poll from ESPN:
Jeez. 790 to 788. Embiid leads Jokic by two points after missing Monday night’s head-to-head showdown in Denver. That dead heat is reflected at the sportsbooks, where both guys are right around +115 to win MVP.
Note, however, that Jokic is getting more first-place votes right now. Just barely. The Nuggets are 1st place in the west at 51-24 and still have to play vs. NOLA, Golden State, two games in Phoenix, then at Houston, at Utah, and Sacramento.
The Sixers are 50-26, third in the east, and play vs. Toronto, at Milwaukee, vs. Boston, vs. Miami, at Atlanta, and at Brooklyn. Tougher path for Philly, but an opportunity for Joel to wrap this thing up if he has good games against the Bucks and Celtics. The Sixers did have that quality win in Wisconsin earlier this month, and should have some confidence going back up there.
We’ll see. I can’t remember an MVP race in any sport being this close, at least in the last 5-10 years. Crazy how close it is.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com