As the end of the 2025/26 National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season looms, and with very few games left for each team between now and April 12, the recognition for individual awards has been a hot topic on a number of platforms in the past week. And now that all teams that will play past the regular season have been decided, let’s have a peek at the top contenders for a couple of these awards, namely, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Rookie of the Year (ROTY).

The NBA MVP is (arguably) the most prestigious individual regular-season award and JustBet currently has the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) of the Oklahoma City Thunder, locked in as the favourite to walk away with the award this year as well, but he has strong competition from Victor Wembanyama (Wemby) of the San Antonio Spurs and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, who are second and third, respectively, in the bookmaker’s pecking order. Most persons have already written down SGA as a foregone conclusion, as he is on pace to finish his fourth-consecutive season averaging 30 points or more at over 50 per cent shooting from the field, a feat only previously accomplished by Michael Jordan. If you add in that he’s on pace to become the first guard to shoot over 55 per cent from the field and in early March broke Wilt Chamberlain’s 63-year-old record for consecutive 20+ point games (126), one could easily see him becoming the 14th player to join the exclusive back-to-back MVP list, that includes NBA standouts such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry, to name a few.

That said, Wemby has made no secret of the fact that he would like to win the NBA MVP award this season, and there is very little argument to counter his worthiness. However, his candidacy is in jeopardy after he suffered a rib injury against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, leaving him one game shy of hitting the NBA’s 65-game threshold for award and All-NBA eligibility. However, the Spurs have two regular season games remaining, one tonight against the Dallas Mavericks and the other on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets, and Wemby needs to play at least 20 minutes in one of those games to become eligible for consideration.

Assuming that he does gains eligibility, Wemby is JustBet’s overwhelming favourite to win Defensive Player of the Year and to be named First-team All-NBA. He has a slim shot to win MVP, averaging 24.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.1 blocks and 1.0 steal per outing for the Spurs, which makes playing one more game very important.

Jokic, before his hyper-extended leg injury kept him out for a month, was in the heat of the MVP conversation, averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists with the look of utmost ease. His astounding 50-point triple double on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves showcased the year he is having, and he joins Russell Westbrook as the only players to average a triple-double for consecutive seasons and became the first player to lead the league in both rebounds and assists. Recent injuries to key playmakers for the Los Angeles Lakers have shuffled the Nuggets into clear favourites to finish No 3 in the Western Conference, further bolstering Jokic’s case for a fourth MVP award, which would place him on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.

For the 2025 rookie class, Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks is the JustBet front-runner, albeit slightly, to get the award this season. Coming off a career-high 51-point performance last week Friday against the Orlando Magic, Flagg kept his foot on the gas on Sunday night against the Lakers, dropping 45 points on 14-of-27 from the floor to lead Dallas to a 134-128 win. The 19-year-old is already playing like a cagey veteran, not dominating in any single area, but contributing everywhere. Production without the problems.

Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets is the JustBet second favourite for the award, and good arguments can be made to push him to the top. The Hornets’ star has played in a dozen more games and has 220 more minutes. He has been the more efficient scorer, highlighted by him leading the NBA in three-pointers made (and shooting 42.9 per cent from beyond the arc), and his impact to get Charlotte into the postseason cannot be overstated. Flagg is averaging over 21 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists, while Knueppel is averaging just under 19 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists, but Flagg’s season ends next week (through no fault of his), while Knueppel will continue into the Play-In Tournament.

All things considered, the distance between them is very narrow and it is possible that the award could be shared between both players. It first happened in the 1951/52 season when Mel Hutchins and Bill Tosheff tied, then again in the 1970/71 season when Dave Cowens and Geoff Petrie shared the award. Then it happened in the 1994/95 season with Jason Kidd and Grant Hill, and most recently, in the 1999/2000 season with Elton Brand and Steve Francis. Another instance of this may be unfolding this season.

We are in the final few days of the regular season and very little is expected to change in the standings. The teams basically know they will play after Sunday and preparations must be underway. As for the individual awards, only time will tell, but JustBet appears to have made the right call, and the earned congratulations will be echoed when the announcements are made.

JustBet continues to offer attractive betting options on all popular sports and events (including virtual games) as soon as they become available. Please visit one of the over 130 locations (or visit www.supremegames.com/#/prelive) for details and place your bets on the prediction of your choice for maximum winnings…… Get in the GAME!