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2025-26 NBA MVP ladder, race: Odds, power rankings, frontrunners including Jokic vs Gilgeous-Alexander

For the first time all season, there is a new favorite for MVP! Nikola Jokic has overtaken Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after scoring 32, 35, 55, and 27 points over his last four games. However, Jokic isn't my No. 1 for MVP.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Vaughn Dalzell‘s Week 5 MVP Rankings

Oklahoma City Thunder Primary Logo
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (+225)
Points Per Game: 32.6 (3rd)
Assists Per Game: 6.6 (16th)
Rebounds Per Game: 5.1 RPG (T-92nd)

Despite not being the favorite at DraftKings, I still rank Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the top dog in the MVP race. SGA has played 30 or fewer minutes in four of his last five games and seven of the past nine games. Despite playing fewer minutes due to blowing out opponents, SGA has scored 30 or more points in eight of those nine games.

Oklahoma City has the best record in the NBA at 13-1 with a two-point loss as the only blemish. The Thunder are on their second five-game winning streak and play three consecutive opponents that are below .500, so I think there is some value on SGA at +225 to win MVP. His odds will likely go below +200 over the next week and when Jalen Williams comes back, Oklahoma City and SGA can be even better.

Denver Nuggets Primary Logo
2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (+200)
Points Per Game: 28.7 (7th)
Rebounds Per Game: 13.0 (1st)
Assists Per Game: 10.9 (1st)

The newest odds leader is on fire in November. Nikola Jokic has torn through the last seven opponents for a 7-0 record as he's averaged 34.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists, and 33.7 minutes per game. Jokic lit up the scoreboard for 55 points in a win over the Clippers, which vaulted Jokic into the top spot for MVP odds.

In November, Jokic is shooting 71.4% from the field, 54.5% from three, and 88% from the free-throw line. In October, Jokic was hitting 59.1% of his field goal attempts, 23.8% of his threes, and 86.4% of his free-throws. Clearly, Jokic has found his shooting form and while the triple-doubles have slowed up (3 in last 10 games), he is dominating on every level.

Los Angeles Lakers Primary Logo
3. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+400)
Points Per Game: 34.4 (1st)
Assists Per Game: 8.9 (19th)
Rebounds Per Game: 8.9 (5th)

Luka Doncic is coming off another monster night of 41 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists against the Bucks (119-95 win). The Lakers are 10-4 and won eight of the past 10 games as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 34.4 points per game, along with top 15 ranks in rebounds (8.9) and assists (8.9).

Doncic has six double-doubles and one triple-double of the season over the second-most minutes per game oh his career (37.1). If Doncic can exceed his career-high minutes pee game of 37.5, there is an avenue to MVP, especially if he leads the league in scoring.

San Antonio Spurs Primary Logo
4. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (+750)
Points Per Game: 26.2 (14th)
Rebounds Per Game: 12.9 (2nd)
Blocks Per Game: 3.6 (1st)

Victor Wembanyama moves back up a spot for me after erupting for 38, 31, and 26 points over the last three games. In that span, Wemby recorded two double-doubles, and one triple-double to extend his double-double streak to four games.

Wemby posted a 31-point triple-double with 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a loss to the Warriors. That was his first triple-double of the season and his ninth double-double on the year as the Spurs fell to 9-4 with two consecutive losses to the Warriors. Five of the Spurs next six opponents have winning records, so San Antonio will be put to the test since six of their nine wins have come against teams .500 or below.

Milwaukee Bucks Primary Logo
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (+900)
Points Per Game: 32.6 (2nd)
Rebounds Per Game: 11.3 (6th)
Assists Per Game: 7.1 (13th)

The Giannis Antetokounmpo MVP chatter has started to cool off a bit as his odds have decreased each of the past two weeks, but that's because Milwaukee is 5-5 over the last 10 games. After a 4-1 start, the Bucks have alternated wins and losses over the past 10 games, failing to put together a winning streak or losing streak in that span.

At 8-6, there is no need for urgency, but with the next opponents on the schedule all likely playoff or play-in teams: Cleveland, Philadelphia, Detroit, Portland, Miami, and New York — that time to panic may come sooner than later for the Bucks.

Stock Up

Houston Rockets Primary Logo
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets (+8000)
Points Per Game: 23.0 (23rd)
Rebounds Per Game: 10.3 (9th)
Assists Per Game: 7.4 (12th)

Last week it was Cade Cunningham (+3500) who was the biggest riser, the week prior was Tyrese Maxey (+5000) — this week it is Alperen Sengun.

Cunningham and Maxey still have the same odds, while Sengun moved from +15000 to +8000, nearly cutting his odds in half. Sengun has double-doubled in four consecutive games and seven out of the past eight to go along with 20 or more points in six of those games.

The Rockets are 9-1 in the past 10 games, and that is likely the largest reason to why Sengun's odds are on the move. Another would just be his stellar play putting up baby-Jokic numbers of 23.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists, ranking top 25 across the board. Sengun is playing over five more minutes per game this season and it's resulting in his assists jumping from 4.9 to 7.4 and points from 19.1 to 23.0 over 12 games.

Stock Down

Minnesota Timberwolves Primary Logo
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (+10000)
Points Per Game: 27.3
Rebounds Per Game: 4.6
Assists Per Game: 3.7

Anthony Edwards came back and played six games for Minnesota posting a 4-2 record. Yet, his odds moved from +8000 to +10000 mostly because the four wins came against Utah and Sacramento — two teams combined for 8-19 record.

The two losses came against the Nuggets and Knicks, and he combined for 41 points in those games, so I agree with the movement. In wins this season, Edwards averages 33.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, but in losses, his points drastically drop to 24.0 points, while posting similar assists (5.3) and rebounding (4.7) numbers. Minnesota will need more consistency from Edwards night in and night out if they want to be a top-four seed and if he wants MVP votes.

Follow my plays for the season on X @VmoneySports, Instagram @VmoneySports_ and Action App @vaughndalzell.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

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Report: Ryan Yarbrough agrees to 1-year contract to stay with New York Yankees

NEW YORK — Side-arming left-hander Ryan Yarbrough agreed to a one-year contract to stay with the New York Yankees, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, the first offseason move by the Yankees, was subject to a successful physical examination.

Yarbourgh, who turns 34 on Dec. 31, agreed in March to a one-year, $2 million contract, one day after he was released from a minor league deal with Toronto, and he earned $150,000 in performance bonuses based on innings.

He went 3-1 with a 4.36 ERA in eight starts and 11 relief appearances, striking out 55 and walking 19 in 64 innings. Yarbrough did not pitch for the Yankees between June 18 and Sept. 5 because of a strained right oblique. He was left off the roster for postseason series against Boston and Toronto.

An eight-year major league veteran, Yarbrough is 56-41 with a 4.22 ERA in 76 starts and 139 relief appearances for Tampa Bay (2018-22), Kansas City (2023), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-24), Toronto (2024) and the Yankees.

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Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp among 12 newcomers on HOF ballot as Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are among 12 newcomers on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, and Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers after falling 19 votes shy in 2025 balloting.

Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Rick Porcello also are among the first-time eligibles, joined by Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnación, Gio González, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis and Hunter Pence.

Beltrán received 277 of 394 votes for 70.3% in the 2025 balloting, when Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.

A nine-time All-Star, Beltrán hit .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 17 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, ’17), the New York Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016).

He received 46.5% support in his first ballot appearance in 2023, then rose to 57.1% in his second.

Beltrán was the only player cited by name in baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s 2020 report concluding the Astros used electronics in violation of rules to steal signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season. Three days after the report was issued, the New York Mets said Beltrán was out as their manager, just 2 1/2 months after he was hired.

Other holdovers include steroids-tainted stars Alex Rodriguez (146 votes, 37.1%) and Manny Ramirez (135, 34.3%) along with Andruw Jones (261, 66.2%), Chase Utley (157, 39.8%), Andy Pettitte (110, 27.9%), Félix Hernández (81, 20.6%), Bobby Abreu (77, 19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (71, 18%), Omar Vizquel (70, 17.8%), Dustin Pedroia (47, 11.9%), Mark Buehrle (45, 11.4%), Francisco Rodríguez (40, 10.2%), David Wright (32, 8.1%) and Torii Hunter (20, 5.1%).

Pettitte is on the ballot for the eighth time after doubling support from 13.5% in 2024. A player can appear on the ballot up to 10 times.

BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of membership are eligible to vote. Ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 31 and results will be announced Jan. 20. Anyone elected will be inducted on July 26 along with anyone chosen Dec. 7 by the hall’s contemporary baseball era committee ballot considering eight players whose greatest contributions to the sport were from 1980 on.

Hamels, a four-time All-Star, was 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA for Philadelphia (2006-15), Texas (2015-18), the Chicago Cubs (2018-19) and Atlanta (2020), pitching a no-hitter from the Phillies against the Cubs on July 25, 2015. He was MVP of the 2008 NL Championship Series and World Series as Philadelphia won its second title, its first since 1980.

Braun, the 2011 MVP and a six-time All-Star, hit .296 with 352 homers and 1,154 RBIs for Milwaukee from 2007-20. He was suspended for the final 65 games of the 2013 season for violations of baseball’s drug program and labor contract. A 50-game suspension for an alleged positive test in 2011 was overturned after Braun challenged the chain of custody of the urine sample.

Kemp, a three-time All-Star, batted .284 with 287 homers and 1,031 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006-14, ’18), San Diego (2015-16), Atlanta (2016-17), Cincinnati (2019) and Colorado (2020).

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy are being considered by the contemporary era committee along with Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

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Ex-Sabres Goalie Has Tough Night In Net

Jonas Johansson (© Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

Former Buffalo Sabres goalie Jonas Johansson had a tough night between the pipes for the Tampa Bay Lightning during their Nov. 16 matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Johansson allowed five goals on 17 shots against the Canucks, which equates to a .706 save percentage on the night. After giving up an empty-netter during the third period, the Lightning ended up losing to the Canucks by a 6-2 final score. 

Johansson had his biggest struggles during the third period of this matchup, however. The former Sabres goalie allowed four third-period goals against the Canucks, with three coming in a span of 1:40. With this, it was undoubtedly a rough performance for the former Sabre. 

With this loss, Johansson now has a 3-2-0 record, a .890 save percentage, and a 3.26 goals-against average in six games so far this season with the Lightning. This is after he had a 9-6-3 record, a .895 save percentage, and a 3.13 goals-against average in 19 games for the Bolts in 2024-25. 

Johansson was selected by the Sabres with the 61st overall pick of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. In 13 games with the Sabres from 2019-20 to 2020-21, he posted a 1-8-2 record, a .888 save percentage, and a 3.40 goals-against average. 

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England sweating over fitness of Ollie Lawrence for Argentina match

  • Centre limped off during statement win over All Blacks

  • Freddie Steward could also miss out with head injury

England are sweating on the fitness of Ollie Lawrence before their final autumn clash with Argentina this weekend.

Lawrence starred on Saturday in the statement victory against the All Blacks but limped off in the closing stages and could be forced to sit out the match against the Pumas on Sunday. The 26-year-old centre will be assessed when England reconvene on Tuesday after an extra day off but if Lawrence is ruled out it would be a blow for Steve Borthwick.

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Report: Los Angeles Kings re-sign Adrian Kempe to 8-year, $85 million contract

Adrian Kempe

Nov 13, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe (9) skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Dan Hamilton/Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

LOS ANGELES — Forward Adrian Kempe has agreed to an eight-year, $85 million contract to stay with the Los Angeles Kings, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Kings hadn’t announced their deal with the 29-year-old Kempe, who would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer. The deal extends through the 2033-34 season and has an average annual value of $10.625 million.

Kempe has been the Kings’ most dependable offensive player over the past four seasons, earning an All-Star selection in 2022 and leading Los Angeles to four straight playoff appearances. The Swedish right wing has 200 goals and 220 assists in a 10-year career spent entirely with Los Angeles, which drafted him with the 29th overall pick in 2014.

Kempe scored a career-high 41 goals during the 2022-23 season, and he has four consecutive 25-goal seasons. He leads the Kings with six goals and 13 assists in 19 games this season while playing extensively on special teams.

Kempe is also on Sweden’s initial roster for the 2026 Olympics.

Re-signing Kempe has been a top priority for new Kings general manager Ken Holland, who said he wanted to maintain a foundation of leadership and talent when longtime captain Anze Kopitar retires next year. But negotiations with Kempe stretched from the summer into the season, leading to increasing speculation that Kempe would hit the open market next year.

Instead, Kempe joins the list of potential 2026 free agents who have re-signed with their teams. Connor McDavid, Martin Necas, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov have all committed to their respective teams recently.

The Kings (10-5-4) have rebounded from a slow start to their season with four consecutive victories on their current six-game road swing. They next play at Washington.

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Bucks at Cavaliers predictions: odds, recent stats, trends, and best bets for November 17

The Cleveland Cavaliers (9-5) and Milwaukee Bucks (8-6) meet on Peacock at 7 PM ET for a battle between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland won the first meeting at home, 118-113, and will look to repeat that success once again at Rocket Arena. After winning four straight games and reaching a 7-3 record, Cleveland has gone 2-2 in the past four games.

The Cavaliers are in the third game of a six-game home stand, while Milwaukee is playing a sandwich spot contest coming off two straight at home and has three more at home following this contest.

Milwaukee has exceeded expectations at 8-6 behind the MVP play of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Bucks have struggled by alternating wins and losses over the last 10 games, failing to put together a winning streak or losing streak.

Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a potential sweat or two! We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff. Odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content.

Game Details and How to watch the Bucks vs. Cavaliers live

  • Date: Monday, November 17, 2025
  • Time: 7 PM EST
  • Site: Rocket Arena
  • City: Cleveland, OH
  • Network/Streaming: Peacock

Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Game odds for the Bucks at the Cavaliers

The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: Cavaliers (-298), Bucks (+240)
  • Spread: Cavaliers -7.5
  • Total: 235.5

That gives the Cavaliers an implied team point total of 121.5 and the Bucks 113.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Expected Starting Lineups for the Bucks and the Cavaliers

Bucks

PG Ryan Rollins

SG AJ Green

SF Kyle Kuzma

PF Giannis Antetokounmpo

C Myles Turner

Cavaliers

PG Donovan Mitchell

SG Sam Merrill

SF Deandre Hunter

PF Evan Mobley

C Jarrett Allen

Injuries for the Bucks and the Cavaliers

Bucks

F Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is PROBABLE for Monday's game

Cavaliers

G Darius Garland (toe) is OUT for Monday's matchup
G Jaylon Tyson (concussion) is OUT for Monday's matchup

Important stats, trends and insights ahead of Bucks at Cavaliers on Monday.

  • Milwaukee is 7-7 ATS and 4-2 ATS as an underdog
  • Milwaukee is 2-1 ATS as a road underdog and 1-2 on the ML
  • The Bucks are 4-2 to the Over as a underdog and 2-1 to the Under as a road underdog
  • The Bucks are 8-6 to the Over overall
  • The Cavaliers are 8-6 to the Over overall
  • The Cavaliers are 7-6 to the Over as a favorite and 4-3 to the Under as a home favorite
  • Cleveland is 4-10 ATS, ranking tied third-worst
  • Cleveland is 1-6 ATS as a home favorite, ranking sixth-worst

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Bucks to cover and Donovan Mitchell to go Over his points prop:

“Milwaukee covered the first meeting of the season between the two teams, but Cleveland won 118-113. This time, the spread is 7.5 in favor of Cleveland and without Darius Garland, there may be some value there. Milwaukee has exceeded expectations as Giannis Antetokounmpo has played like an MVP, while Cleveland may still be rated as a top-five team in the NBA, but playing like a 8-12 rated squad. I would lean Bucks in picking a side here.

Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points in the first meeting going Under his player prop and with Garland out again for this meeting, I would lean the Over this time around. Mitchell has been on fire averaging over 32 points per game in November and scored 28 or more points in four straight games and six out of seven this month."

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Bucks & Cavaliers game:

  • Moneyline: Cavaliers ML (low confidence)
  • Spread: Cavaliers -7.5 (medium confidence)
  • Total: Under 235.5 (low confidence)

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)

- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)

- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)

- Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

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Why The Canadiens Didn’t Call Up Florian Xhekaj

As the Montreal Canadiens keep losing players to injury lately, a sizeable portion of the fan base wishes the organization would call up Florian Xhekaj. White, the 21-year-old, had a great training camp and stuck around until the very end; he hasn’t had a good start in the AHL.

This often happens to youngsters who thought they might make the big team, only to land back in the AHL. Whichever way you look at it, it’s a disappointment for them, and that’s understandable, but they’ve got to get over that hump.

Canadiens Show New Power Play Units At Practice
Canadiens’ Prospect Michael Hage Back At Center
Canadiens Key Forward Out Multiple Weeks

At rookie camp, Laval Rocket coach Pascal Vincent spoke about the youngest Xhekaj and said he wanted to get him to take the next step this season, after he put up 35 points, including 24 goals, last year.

In 15 games this season, he has only managed to gather four points (two goals and two assists) and has spent much of his time in the bottom six because things weren’t clicking. He did skate on the first line alongside Laurent Dauphin and Alex Belzile on Saturday’s game after Joshua Roy was called up, but that was the exception and not the rule.

Calling up Xhekaj, who had a good training camp despite a bad start to the season in the AHL, would be unfair to the other prospects plying their trade with the Rocket and would send the wrong message. Performance with the Rocket has got to mean something if you want to keep the kids motivated and engaged.

With both Roy and Jared Davidson now up with the Canadiens, Xhekaj will likely end up with more quality ice time, and it’s up to him to make the most of it. Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach are both set to miss significant time, and it’s not set in stone that Roy and Davidson will stay in the NHL for the duration. If they struggle to make an impact, the Habs’ brass could come knocking on the Rocket’s door again, and in case they do, Xhekaj must make the most of his increased role to earn his own opportunity.

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