Jalen Brunson's MVP odds just fell off a cliff

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks have gotten off to a slow start as they adjust to new head coach Mike Brown's system.

Coming into the season, they had the second-highest odds to win the Eastern Conference, and Brunson was top-eight in MVP odds.

Now, with an above-average start to the season, ranking 13th and 12th in offensive and defensive rating, respectively, those odds have begun to plummet on BetMGM.

Jalen Brunson's MVP odds are beginning to dip

Before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, Brunson was +3500 to win league MVP. Roughly half a month in, those odds have jumped all the way up to +15000.

It's not like the former Villanova product has played poorly to start the year; in seven games, the superstar point guard is averaging 29 points per game along with 5.6 assists, shooting 46.4% from the floor.

The true cause is likely the overall team's performance, which, as previously mentioned, is slightly above average.

New York is currently 4-3, with losses to the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls, three teams they were projected way above in the preseason.

Brunson's MVP case likely rested on the Knicks holding a top record in the conference, and while they still have plenty of time to turn it around, New York is the current sixth seed in the East.

Regardless, the Knicks are seven games into an 82-game season, and although things have yet to fully gel in Brown's first year at the helm, New York has until April for it all to come together, even if that means Brunson not winning MVP.

"All of my goals are basically team-based. That hasn’t changed. So, it’s about obviously winning — wanting to win a championship," the captain said on his podcast.

More Knicks news:

• Kings sign former Knicks big man, six-year NBA veteran
• Knicks' Mike Brown reveals details on offseason addition's reduced workload
• Knicks insider reveals Deuce McBride's status for Bulls matchup
• Knicks analyst provides scathing review of Karl-Anthony Towns' Bucks performance
• Former Finals MVP named 'dream' trade target for Knicks
• Veteran point guard named 'realistic' trade target for Knicks