A’ja Wilson is up for fifth MVP; Clark, chase Bueckers

Bettors are shopping the next generation of WNBA superstars, but sportsbooks are siding with the reigning MVP as the season begins.

Aja Wilson The consensus preseason favorite to win her fifth WNBA MVP award in 2026 shows +220 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Friday morning. fan favorite Caitlin Clarke It comes next at +240 before a big gap Nafisa Collier At +800.

Clarke, who has been the top attraction in awards futures since his debut in 2024, is once again drawing action, garnering a leading 29.5% of MVP tickets at BetMGM. By keeping his odds short, bookmakers are looking to limit their exposure on Clarke.

Caesars Sportsbook Pro Basketball Lead David Lieberman told ESPN, “People are going to bet on it no matter the price. They just want to get a piece of the Caitlin Clark action.” “So it’s a game that all the sportsbooks are playing, how low can you go where people will still bet and balance your book a little bit.”

Sportsbooks begin to run into serious liability issues with the reigning Rookie of the Year Paige BueckersThose check in with the fifth-best odds for the MVP at 14-1 at DraftKings and as long as 20-1 at other sportsbooks. DraftKings sportsbook director Johnny Avello said the bookers are “the public’s most popular choice,” including a $1,000 bet at 20-1 odds that would net $20,000 if successful. BetMGM reports that an overwhelming 85% of handles are backing him, likely due to one or more big bets, the sportsbook’s biggest liability.

Even with huge amounts of support for Clark and Bookers, though, Wilson actually moved into the odd lead in the earlier weeks of the season. As recently as Wednesday, Clark topped the odds board at +245, with Wilson at +265. Wilson received the highest percentage of votes from WNBA general managers to be the 2026 MVP in a poll Released earlier in the week.

Bookmakers are notoriously conservative with their power ratings for creating odds, which would explain why Collier is still high on the board despite an ankle injury that is expected to keep him sidelined until at least June.

“If Collier were healthy, his odds would be closer to Clark and Wilson,” BetMGM trader Tyler Groth said via email. “How much time he misses will determine whether he can compete for MVP.”

The same power rating principle applies to the WNBA Finals odds board, where New York Liberty Favorite at +220, after Wilson Las Vegas Aces +390 and at Clark Indiana fever At +450 per DraftKings line. Despite being heavily bet for the Fever title, they’ve actually gone long from their short point to +375, showing the sportsbook’s respect for the Liberty and Aces.

“These two are the best teams on paper,” Lieberman said.

D Atlanta is the dreamThose who went from 18-1 to +650 for a splash offseason for the title also didn’t get much betting attention, but the Bueckers’ Dallas Wings (30-1), coming in as one of the biggest liabilities at BetMGM and DraftKings

Other groups that attract action across the futures market include: Golden State Valkyries (45-1), Los Angeles Sparks (14-1), Phoenix is ​​Mercury (30-1) and Seattle Storm (250-1), when Sabrina Ionescu (22-1), Dominic Malonga (65-1), Aliyah Boston (100-1) and Rickia Jackson The (250-1) MVP market has seen some flying as a long shot.

“This is a really good book that we’ve got here. There’s money for almost every team,” Avello said. “If any of these long shots have a good season, bettors will hold their bets throughout the season, so the liability could be stronger.”