Latest odds say Joel Embiid all but wrapped up NBA MVP after dropping 52 on Celtics

Watching the NBA MVP odds for Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic has been fun the past couple weeks. The favorite has flipped multiple times. The MVP race has played out on the court and in the sportsbooks, where even a week ago it seemed like a coin flip.

It's not close anymore, at least according to the odds. Embiid probably won his first MVP award on Tuesday night.

Against the Boston Celtics, a high-profile opponent, Embiid dropped 52 points in a win. It came on TNT, which helped his case too.

And on Wednesday morning, the odds at BetMGM indicated that the MVP race is pretty much over.

Joel Embiid now a huge favorite

It'll take Jokic a lot to make up the most recent MVP gap with just a few games left.

Here are the latest odds at BetMGM after Embiid's epic performance in the Philadelphia 76ers' win over the Celtics:

Embiid -600

Jokic +700

Giannis Antetokounmpo +800

The implied odds for a -600 favorite is about 86%. That's what happens when you have a monster game on TNT against one of the best teams in the NBA.

Embiid became the third center with three 50-point games in a season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. The stats that Chamberlain put up on Tuesday also have only been duplicated in a game only by Chamberlain.

Jokic or Antetokounmpo backers can at least admit this: Embiid didn't back his way into the award. He had a statement game to (presumably) snatch his first MVP.

Embiid on verge of first MVP

The movement in the odds for NBA MVP got interesting in March. Jokic was the favorite for many weeks. Then Embiid started to get momentum and took over as the favorite.

Jokic took over as the betting favorite a week ago. He has a great case, averaging nearly a triple double for a Denver Nuggets team that is the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The main thing working against Jokic was voter fatigue after he won the past two MVPs.

Also, Embiid had a great case. He is averaging 33.3 points per game, which leads the NBA. He has made it clear in the past he wants an MVP award and he is having a worthy season.

As long as there are games left, anything can happen. Jokic could match what Embiid did on Tuesday and make it a conversation again. Denver has three games to go, but presumably the Nuggets won't play Jokic too much before the playoffs. Denver is one win away from clinching the No. 1 seed in the West. It seems hard to believe a center who is 0.2 assists from averaging a triple double for the season on a No. 1 seed wouldn't be MVP, but that seems to be the reality.

Tuesday's game will be a memorable one in 76ers history. That is likely the one that clinched Embiid's first MVP award.