Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff has advanced to the quarterfinal Bowl games. Here is how to watch each game The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff has reached the quarterfinals, with four Bowl games playing host to the eight teams left standing. Action kicks off on New Year’s Eve with the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, featuring Penn State and Boise State. Then three games come your way on New Year’s Day, starting with the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between Texas and Arizona State. Ohio State and Oregon square off in the Rose Bowl — which just feels right if we are being honest — and the games conclude with Notre Dame taking on Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night. Here is how to watch each game, complete with the “Megacast” information ESPN is sending your way. Update: In the wake of the horrific New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, the Allstate Sugar Bowl has been moved to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 2. No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise StateVrbo Fiesta Bowl When: Tuesday, December 31, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona TV/Streaming: ESPN/ESPN+ Megacast options: ESPN is rolling out their “Megacast” format for each of the quarterfinal games this week. During the Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Penn State, the main telecast will be available on ESPN. Over on ESPN2 the “Command Center” telecast will be shown, with multiple angles available. Fans interested in the “Skycast” angle will find that on ESPNU, while ESPN Deportes will feature a Spanish language broadcast. Finally, coverage of the two marching bands will be available via streaming on ESPN+. No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona StateChick-fil-A Peach Bowl When: Wednesday, January 1, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia TV/Streaming: ESPN/ESPN+ Megacast options: ESPN is rolling out their “Megacast” format for each of the quarterfinal games this week. During the Peach Bowl between Texas and Boise State the main telecast will be available on ESPN. Over on ESPN2 the “Command Center” telecast will be shown, with multiple angles available. Fans interested in the “Skycast” angle will find that on ESPNU, while the SEC Network will include a “Skycast” variation featuring the radio broadcast from the Longhorns radio network. ESPN Deportes will feature a Spanish language broadcast. Coverage of the two marching bands will also be available via streaming on ESPN+. No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 OregonRose Bowl Presented by Prudential When: Wednesday, January 1, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California TV/Streaming: ESPN/ESPN+ Megacast options: The Rose Bowl between Texas and Boise State is also getting the “Megacast” treatment from ESPN. The main telecast will be available on ESPN while over on ESPN2 a special “Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show” will be featured. A “Command Center” telecast will be shown on ESPNU with multiple angles available. Fans interested in the “Skycast” angle will find that on ESPNEWS. ESPN Deportes will feature a Spanish language broadcast. Coverage of the two marching bands will also be available via streaming on ESPN+. No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 GeorgiaAllstate Sugar Bowl When: Thursday, January 2, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana TV/Streaming: ESPN/ESPN+ Megacast options: The final quarterfinal game is the Allstate Sugar Bowl, now scheduled to Thursday following the horrific attack in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The main telecast will be available on ESPN while over on ESPN2 the “Command Center” telecast will be shown, with multiple angles available. Fans interested in the “Skycast” angle will find that on ESPNU, while the SEC Network will include a “Skycast” variation featuring the radio broadcast from the Georgia Bulldogs radio network. ESPN Deportes will feature a Spanish language broadcast. Coverage of the two marching bands will also be available via streaming on ESPN+.

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images In the wake of a deadly attack in New Orleans the Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia has been postponed The day after a horrific incident on Bourbon Street, Sugar Bowl officials announced that the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Notre Dame and Georgia, scheduled to take place on Wednesday night has been postponed to Thursday. Update on the Allstate Sugar Bowl pic.twitter.com/lq8QKO18xO— Allstate Sugar Bowl (@SugarBowlNola) January 1, 2025 In the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, a driver plowed down the busy and historic Bourbon Street and into a crowd of people celebrating the arrival of a new year. At least ten people were killed in the incident — which the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating as a potential “act of terrorism” — and another 35 were reported injured. Earlier Wednesday Jeff Hundley, the CEO of the Sugar Bowl, released this statement: “The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.” At a press conference moments ago, Hundley told assembled media that the game would be postponed for “24 hours.” The Sugar Bowl was scheduled to kick off at 8:45 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday night. Update: According to ESPN, the Sugar Bowl will now kick off at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday: Per ESPN sources, the Sugar Bowl will kick off tomorrow at 4 pm Eastern. https://t.co/oEjhIjGzDG— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 1, 2025 The Sugar Bowl has made the Thursday 4:00 p.m. start time official: UPDATE The 2025 #CFBPlayoff Quarterfinal at the @Allstate #SugarBowl will kickoff January 2 at 3:00 PM CT! pic.twitter.com/wpCS52JnPN— Allstate Sugar Bowl (@SugarBowlNola) January 1, 2025 This is a developing new story and more information will be added as it becomes available.

Many believed that Offord would potentially end up at Ohio State, but he recently committed to the Ducks. The Oregon Ducks were one of the busiest teams on Early Signing Day, managing to flip several top recruits en route to producing one of the best 2025 classes in the country. At the top of the group was five-star cornerback Na’eem Offord, who had been a longtime commit of the Ohio State Buckeyes, but was also being heavily pursued by the Auburn Tigers up until the Early Signing Day period. Many believed that Offord would end up at one of those two programs, but the top-five recruit stunned the world by committing to the Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning. So, what led to the decision? “[At the end], they just recruited me the hardest,” Offord said at the Under Armour All-America Game week on Tuesday. “[Head coach Dan Lanning], he got a real good staff around him, a real good culture, a very good school, as you can see. Dan Lanning, he’s only been there for a couple of years. Like I told everybody, you can see a big impact. He coming in, he’s trying to make a huge impact. He’s trying to win him a national championship.” Na’eem Offord - the top ranked defensive prospect in the nation - going through drill work @OffordNaeem Key part of the Oregon Ducks top-ranked recruiting class #UANext pic.twitter.com/evymmiaSNJ— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) December 30, 2024 With Ohio State, Auburn and Oregon all pursuing heavily until the end, how tough a decision was it for the five-star? “It was an extremely tough decision for me because, you know, I loved all three of them schools,” Offord acknowledged. “I visited all the schools multiple times. Yeah, you know, I mean, me being an in-state guy [for Auburn], it was kind of hard.” At Oregon, Offord has the chance to play early, as the Ducks will have some opportunities in the secondary with Jabbar Muhammad and others likely moving on to the NFL after this season. “I feel like if I just come in and learn the playbook, do what I’m, supposed to do and do everything the right way like everybody else, I feel like I could come in and start [as a freshman] and make a big impact. Like I said, I’m just trying to come in, impact, help the school and help build my brand and my marketing and not just football.” Offord will have a major opportunity to achieve his goals both on and off the field with Nike founder Phil Knight being a major player with the program, helping student-athletes with branding opportunities. The five-star cornerback wasn’t the only major pickup on Early Signing Day though, as the Ducks also flipped four-star linebacker Gavin Nix from the hometown Miami Hurricanes. What prompted the late decision for him? “It was most definitely hectic. I’ll be lying if I say it was easy, but, you know, just like I said when I posted it publicly, it was really just me following my heart,” Nix said about choosing Oregon. “Nothing bad about Miami, nothing bad that I can say about them. Love the guys over there. And yeah, it was hard, but Miami understood and at the end of the day, I had to do what I felt like was best for my future. And, you know, we both parted ways but it ended off pretty much good. You know, I’m glad it’s all over and I’m just ready to get to work now. “Oregon was my favorite out of all of them. So, that going down to the wire, I didn’t want to have too many schools in the loop. I was always serious about Oregon. It came down to Miami and Oregon. Oregon was always the one I loved. And you know, being from Florida, it was some natural stuff that I battle with the family and this, that, and the third. Everything happens for a reason. If I had to do it all over again, I wish it didn’t pan out like that, but I’m just following God.” Dan Lanning was a big player in Nix’s recruitment, as the linebacker could sense the authenticity in the head coach’s message throughout the process, which made the decision easier when paired with Lanning’s reputation and history. “Starting from Coach Lanning, it’s authentic, man. Like, everything that Coach Lanning has pitched to us is all coming to fruition with his success this year and, like, the way he runs his operation, his organization, it’s kind of a feeling like when you sit in those meetings and you see how they work, they prepare, it’s different. And you can kind of get that sense, that feeling. And, Coach Lanning, he came from Georgia winning back-to-back-to-back. “He’s had people on his staff who’vr been at Alabama winning national championships. So he has really elite developers, elite teachers on that staff. And, you know, you look at every position on his team, they all have great coaches in the room, and he all has great players in the room. And I don’t think that’s for no reason. And, us recruits, we can tell that, you know, being able to get recruited by these guys, build relationships. So I think that’s the main thing. You know, in the process, there could be a lot of glitz and glamours, but at the end of the day, we want to play ball. And Coach Lanning prioritizes that.” The idea to work with Nike was also exciting for the four-star, and Oregon was very upfront about being able to have that involvement throughout the process with Nix. “[Talking about those connections outside of football] really came from me,” Nix shared. “I’m very interested in that. Being a football player is what I do. I believe it’s not who I am. I don’t want to make myself one-dimensional. I want to continue to build relationships off of this blessing through football. And when I presented that to Coach Lanning, he was real intentional, showing me like, ‘Hey, this is where Nike started.’” Oregon has quickly developed into a perennial contender and were able to stack up another strong recruiting class in the 2025 cycle, thanks to a couple of major late-cycle flips with five-star cornerback Na’eem Offord and Gavin Nix. Both players are expected to enroll early with the Ducks, as Nix is expected to be on campus starting on January 3rd after participating in the Under Armour All-America Game on January 2nd.

Dennis Knight/Savannahnow.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Griffin is one of three 2025 five-star recruits Georgia has commitments from. The Georgia Bulldogs hit the jackpot in the trenches with their 2025 recruiting class — as all of their top four recruits in the class came along their defensive front — including five-stars Elijah Griffin, Isaiah Gibson and Zayden Walker. Of the bunch, Griffin was the headliner, as he was a top-five recruit in the Class of 2025 and a key pickup that is staying in his home state, rather than pursuing other serious contenders. So what ultimately pushed the Bulldogs over the top? “Honestly, the reason I chose the University of Georgia wasn’t because of the football aspect, it was the development key. Me as a man and as a person, you know, that’s what played a key role into my decision,” Griffin said while participating in events for Under Armour’s All-America game on Jan. 2. “Knowing that you have a coach like Coach Scott to put, you know, guys that play your position into where you want to be in the future, I mean, this speaks volumes. Go Dawgs baby!!! 100% committed pic.twitter.com/PtmXjWdb10— Elijah Griffin (@ElijahGriffin95) October 18, 2024 “You know, he’s done it. He sent guys to the next level. And, you know, those guys are doing great. Devonte Wyatt, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, you know, all those guys, they’re doing phenomenal in the NFL. So to have that coach to coach you, and I mean, that just speaks proof is in the pudding. So that’s pretty much it.” Griffin also had a longstanding relationship with head coach Kirby Smart, who began recruiting the standout defensive tackle all the way back in eighth grade. “Coach Smart [was with me] throughout this whole process” Griffin said. “It all kind of started in eighth grade for me. You know, throughout this process, he has not changed. He has been the same person as he was in eighth grade up to now. You know, he’s always told me to just keep the main thing the main thing. Focus and you could do anything you put your mind to.” Griffin and the 2025 recruiting class are expected to be significant factors for the Bulldogs, not only as freshmen but throughout the next three to four years. And it helps that the group has already begun to forge a bond before even getting to campus. “JJ Hanne coming in, we talk [a lot], and [me and] Isaiah Gibson, we go a long way seeing each other on visits years back, from our freshman year up to our senior year, taking USC [and] Miami visits together, and, you know, we talk all the time,” Griffin said. While the star defensive tackle is excited to hit the field as soon as possible, Griffin understands there’s work to be done, starting with the weight room. “Honestly, from what I expect [from my freshman year], I expect a lot of strength and conditioning from Coach [Scott] Sinclair,” Griffin said. “A lot of learning the playbook, a lot of studying and a lot of just dialing in and keeping the main thing the main thing, [and] just having tunnel vision. That’s what I expect.” A scheme-independent player that can play a lot of roles, Griffin is ready to take the torch as the next elite defensive lineman to come out of Georgia, hoping to follow in the footsteps of a long line of first-round picks ahead of him.

Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images Let’s rank the candidates for the 2025 NBA MVP award. What makes an NBA MVP? For some, the award should go to the best player alive regardless of team performance. To others, MVP has a stronger narrative pull for players who elevated their team to new heights (see: Derrick Rose in 2011) or who broke through unthinkable glass ceilings (see: Russell Westbrook in 2017) statistically. Sometimes, NBA media just gets sick of giving award to same guy year-after-year, and dolls it out in something of a lifetime achievement award (see: Karl Malone in 1997). The only unanimous NBA MVP in league history belongs to Stephen Curry in 2016. That streak will extend another year, because this season’s MVP race feels as contested as ever. Three candidates are pulling themselves away from the field, but to this point, two of them play for only a handful of games over .500. After them, there’s a deep field of contenders that sadly will no longer include Luka Doncic, who will fall short of the 65-game minimum after suffering a calf strain that will sideline him for at least a month. As the NBA turns the calendar to 2025, here’s our ranking of what the extended MVP ballot would look like right now. 9. Kevin Durant, F, Phoenix Suns: With Kevin Durant in the lineup, the Suns are 14-7 this season, winning at a pace that would tie them for the No. 2 seed in the West at the time of writing. Without Durant, the Suns are just 1-9. Phoenix actually has a negative net-rating whether KD is on or off the floor this year, but the 36-year-old is still putting up awesome numbers. Durant is averaging 27.7 points per game while being less than six free throw percentage points from a 50/40/90 season. If the season ended today, Phoenix wouldn’t even make the play-in tournament in the West. If the Suns are going to turn their season around, Durant has to be the catalyst. 8. Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors: The Warriors are fading into mediocrity since their hot start, but Curry is keeping them afloat. The 36-year-old legend is still taking a ton of three-pointers — more than 16 per 100 possessions, which ranks No. 2 in the NBA — while knocking them down at a 40.6 percent clip. Curry still grades out as a top-5 offensive player in the league by EPM even as his rim finishing and foul generating have taken a hit with age. It feels like Curry still carries one of the heaviest creation burdens in the league, as the Warriors really can’t score without him. When Steph is on the floor, Golden State’s offense scores 120.9 points per 100 possessions, which would rank No. 2 in the league. When he’s not playing, Golden State scores 102.99 points per 100 — which easily ranks dead last in the NBA. Steph is still capable of magic no other player can make, and he remains a joy to watch. 7. Victor Wembanyama, C, San Antonio Spurs: Wembanyama is probably already the best defensive player in the world before he’s old enough to step into a bar (he turns 21 years old on Jan. 4). He leads the league in blocks by a massive margin, with 40 more than second place Walker Kessler at the time of writing. That’s the same gap between No. 2 and No. 37 among the league leaders in total blocks. He’s also flirting with the top-10 in scoring at 25.5 points per game while chipping in 10 rebounds. The Spurs have a +4.82 net-rating with Wemby on the floor this season and a -9.36 net-rating when he’s off, per PBP Stats. If you like all-in-one impact stats, Wembanyama is top-5 in the league in EPM, BPM, and VORP. He’s probably going to have to settle for merely being All-NBA this season, but a run of serious MVP contention should begin as early as next year. 6. Donovan Mitchell, G, Cleveland Cavaliers: Mitchell gets the nod as the best player on the best team in the NBA to this point. The Cavs are 28-4 at time of writing with Mitchell’s explosive mix of three-point shooting and paint attacking leading the way. Mitchell is currently making a career-high 41.2 percent of his threes on 9.2 attempts per game. He’s become a killer in the short mid-range area, making 58.6 percent of his attempts from between 3-10 feet, per basketball-reference. He’s also taking better care of the ball, with a 9.5 percent turnover rate marking a career-low. Cleveland has been less reliant on Mitchell than usual this year as Evan Mobley and Darius Garland pick up bigger chunks of the offense, but there’s no question who will be this team’s catalyst come playoff time. 5. Jalen Brunson, G, New York Knicks: Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have each been phenomenal for the Knicks this season, but I only wanted to pick one for this list. Brunson gets the nod as the straw that stirs the drink for New York’s No. 2 overall offense. The point guard grades out as a top-5 offensive player in EPM with devastating shot-making from all over the floor. Brunson’s mid-range pull-up game (48 percent on high volume, per Cleaning the Glass) is so difficult to defend when you also have to worry about his playmaking (33.8 percent assist rate, which ranks top-15 in the NBA). He’ll never be a good defender, but Brunson’s ability to stay durable and play big minutes — he hasn’t a missed yet and is No. 7 in the league in total minutes — has given the Knicks a real chance to compete in the East this year. 4. Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics: Tatum is a walking First-Team All-NBA candidate at this point, and he’s working on his fourth straight nod for that honor. The league’s premier two-way wing proved he could do the dirty work on the Celtics’ way to the championship last season, consistently defending opposing centers and driving to the basket with determination during the playoff run. Tatum kept the Celtics cruising to start the season as the team was missing Kristaps Porizginis, and he’s continued his high level of play the whole season. We know what we’re getting from Tatum at this point: elite rim finishing, versatile defense, plus rebounding for his position, all while scoring an above-average clip as he carries a 30 percent usage rate. He’s just so damn consistent year over year on the brink of his 27th birthday. Tatum may not be the front-runner to win MVP this season, but I wouldn’t hesitate to call him the favorite to win NBA Finals MVP in 2025. That’s the more meaningful award anyway. The 3 players who can actually win 2025 NBA MVP One of these three players is going to win 2025 NBA MVP. To this point in the season, all of them are deserving candidates, but only one man can win it. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks Antetokounmpo’s greatness is so consistent that it’s easy to take him for granted. He’s been named First-Team All-NBA in six straight years, and was Second-Team All-NBA in the two seasons before that. He already has two MVP awards to go along with one NBA Finals MVP, one Defensive Player of the Year award, and a Most Improved Player award early in his career. Giannis had a strong case as a top-20 player of all-time even before this season started, and yet it’s possible he’s putting together the best season of his career at age-30. Milwaukee’s season seemed to be going off the rails after a 2-8 start, but Antetokounmpo wouldn’t let it happen. Giannis is leading the league in scoring at 32.7 points per game, but he’s doing so much more than that. He’s a monster on the glass (top-5 with 11.6 rebounds per game), a skilled playmaker (six assists per game), and has gotten back to his roots as an intimidating shot blocker lately. He was heroic in dragging the Bucks to the NBA Cup title, with his ridiculous recovery block on Clint Capela to clinch the semifinals win serving as the ultimate reminder of his talent. The fact that he’s stopped taking threes this season and instead grew into a dependable mid-range shooter has made him even more unguardable. Giannis does have a few factors working against him. The first is that the Bucks still just aren’t very good: Milwaukee is only on pace to win 43 or 44 games this year in the lowly Eastern Conference. Even Westbrook’s 2017 MVP run where the Thunder finished with the No. 6 seed saw OKC win 47 games in a loaded West. It is stunning that the Bucks actually have a better net-rating with Giannis off the floor this year, per PBP Stats, something that is unlikely to last, but still. Antetokounmpo has also missed more games than any top-three NBA MVP candidate this season. He also has the lowest EPM, BPM, and VORP of the group. While he’s easily the best defender among the serious MVP contenders, he’s no longer the scariest defender in the world (though he remains close). If the Bucks can close the season on a strong kick, Giannis’ third MVP award could become reality this season. For now, I think he falls just a tad short. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Oklahoma City Thunder It would be convenient to reduce Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP candidacy to simply being the best player on what might be the best team in the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder are somehow on pace to win around 69 games this season despite a long injury to Chet Holmgren while he was playing at an All-NBA level. If Holmgren stayed healthy, OKC could have very possibly broken the all-time wins record. Even without him, the Thunder haven’t skipped a beat thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander’s unmatched creation ability and absurd shot-making. A more accurate reading of SGA’s MVP candidacy touts him as the best guard alive, and a top-3 player in the league regardless of position. That might be putting it conservatively. Gilgeous-Alexander is leading the league in EPM by a big margin while being second in both BPM and VORP. For all of the Thunder’s talent, this goes from being an elite team to a mediocre team with Gilgeous-Alexander out of the game. With SGA on the floor, the Thunder are out-scoring teams by 16 points per 100 possessions, per PBP Stats. Without him, OKC’s net-rating is under 0.5 points per 100 better than their opponents. He’s second in the league behind Giannis by averaging 31 points per game, he’s third in steals per game, and top-20 in both assists and blocks on a per-game basis. It feels like SGA can create a great shot for himself in any situation. He is so tough to stop in part because he specializes in hitting the shots defenses want to give up. He’s having one of the greatest mid-range scoring seasons ever while also generating the third-most free throw attempts in the league and making 88 percent of his freebies. It’s hard to think of an argument for why Gilgeous-Alexander shouldn’t win MVP, other than it feels like one player has been slightly better than him. Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images 1. Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets It felt like it was going to be impossible for Nikola Jokic to win his fourth MVP this season. Beyond the typical voter fatigue, Jokic also had to contend with a second round playoff exit last season and more talent-drain for his supporting cast. Somehow, Jokic has taken his level of play higher than ever, elevating a flawed roster to a secured playoff position in a loaded conference thus far. The workload the Nuggets put on Jokic should be unsustainable for anyone, and that may eventually be the case for him, too. His defense has always had holes to expose, and has slipped even further this year. He’s also already missed as many games (3) this season as he did all of last year. Without him on the court, the Nuggets are getting out-scored by -12.23 points per 100 possessions, which would be the second worst mark in the NBA, behind the 5-25 Washington Wizards. With him, Denver out-scores teams by 10.62 per 100, which would be third-best in the NBA this season. Jokic’s on/off splits have been a storyline for years in part because no one alive can replicate his usage, playmaking, scoring, and rebounding. This year, it feels like Denver’s supporting cast is so poor that Jokic is single-handedly holding them together from full-blown collapse. Jokic’s numbers shouldn’t be possible. He’s tied for second in the league in scoring with a career-best 31 points per game, while also being top-3 in both assists and rebounds per game and top-5 in steals per game. He’s never wanted to be a volume scorer, but he’s had no choice this year with Jamal Murray in a diminished state and the young players on the roster still not up to snuff despite some improvement. Jokic is also somehow leading the NBA in three-point percentage at 48.9 percent on 4.7 attempts per game. He’s tops in BPM and VORP this year, and is only behind Gilgeous-Alexander in EPM due to that metric highly valuing the Thunder guard’s defense. Right now, the Nuggets are on pace to win about 47 games, which would match what the Thunder won during Westbrook’s MVP run in 2017. That feels like just about the minimum amount of wins to secure MVP, and getting there will be extremely difficult in the loaded Western Conference. It will require something close to basketball perfection to keep the Nuggets out of the play-in tournament and to keep this award away from Gilgeous-Alexander. At least for now, Jokic is doing it. Only Kareem, Michael, LeBron, Wilt, and Russell have won four or more MVPs. Many won’t want to admit it, but Jokic deserves to be in the conversation with those legends. If the Nuggets fall back even a little bit, Gilgeous-Alexander is probably going to win this award. That might be the most likely scenario by the end of the season. For now, Jokic is the front-runner by defending his status as the best player in the world, and boosting the Nuggets just far enough up the standings to earn the award. NBA MVP is too close to call right now, but Jokic has the slightest of edges.