2024 NBA Scoring Leader Odds, Favorites and Predictions

The NBA scoring leader betting odds are officially available and you can now bet on the player who’ll average the most points per game for the season. In 2023-24, several superstars in the NBA will contend for the scoring title, so it should be close.

Can Joel Embiid defend his scoring title after he won the MVP in 2023? Will Luka Doncic lead the NBA in scoring for the first time in his career? Is there a potential sleeper who could put up the highest PPG this season? I answer these questions in my NBA scoring leader 2024 predictions below.

I want to focus on the top contenders first before I dive into my final 2024 NBA scoring leader prediction. The top offensive players in the NBA typically have the best chance at claiming the scoring title. You should always consider targeting one of the main favorites with your betting pick.

Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the players I want to analyze. They all averaged more than 30.0 PPG during the season in 2022-23. This has been the standard threshold for NBA scoring leaders in the past, and I expect more of the same next campaign.

• Age: 29
• Position: Center
• Team: Philadelphia 76ers
• PPG in 2022-23: 33.1

Joel Embiid was not only the best player for the 76ers last season, but he also won the NBA MVP award. He set a career-high in points per game (33.1) and led Philadelphia to 54 wins during the season. Embiid also shot 54.8% from the field, which was a career high as well.

Embiid was also the first center since the 1970s to lead the NBA in scoring in back-to-back seasons. He’s one of the most talented players of his generation, and his numbers somehow keep improving every year.

In terms of his playmaking abilities, Embiid isn’t necessarily the best player. However, he tends to be extremely efficient when he’s got the ball. The 76ers star also manages to put up huge numbers even when opponents double-team him, at least in the regular season.

Embiid is a machine when it comes to scoring points and taking what the defense gives him. I think he’ll have another stellar season and average at least 30.0 PPG.

• Age: 24
• Position: Point Guard
• Team: Dallas Mavericks
• PPG in 2022-23: 32.4

Luka Doncic is right behind Embiid in the NBA scoring champion betting odds. He now enters his sixth season after averaging 32.4 PPG in 2022-23. Doncic also earned an All-NBA First-Team selection.

In 2022-23, Doncic set career-highs in PPG and field goal percentage (49.6%). He also got to the free throw line about 10 times per game, which is pretty impressive. Doncic is also effective at finding open space and scoring points while isolated.

Doncic is really good at anticipating different defenses and using his deep bag of tricks to score points. He’s a talented shooter who can also distribute the ball to his teammates with efficiency. You could even argue that Doncic is the best passer in the NBA.

There’s no doubt that Doncic will average around 30.0 PPG again this season. He’s proven to be one of the most consistent players over the past few seasons. Doncic is also easily one of the NBA’s greatest talents right now, so I won’t be shocked if he tops the NBA in PPG.

• Age: 25
• Position: Point Guard
• Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
• PPG in 2022-23: 31.4

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is another player who could become the next scoring champion. His breakthrough season in 2022-23 was pretty remarkable, to say the least. Gilgeous-Alexander went from averaging 24.5 PPG to 31.4 PPG, which was a dramatic improvement.

The efforts of Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City to 40 wins in 2022-23. The Thunder also qualified for the play-ins and nearly made the playoffs. Now, Oklahoma City needs to take that next step to contend for an NBA championship.

What impresses me the most about Gilgeous-Alexander is his ability to find the rim. He can be impossible to guard sometimes because of his sheer explosiveness. Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t the best perimeter shooter, but he’s got the makings of an elite player.

I think Gilgeous-Alexander can claim the scoring title if he takes another step forward. The young point guard doesn’t have the most reliable three-point shot, but he’s getting there. I expect him to set another career-high in scoring this season, which could be enough for the scoring title.

Many talented players in the NBA have a shot at the scoring title. Former MVPs and NBA champions like LeBron James and Kevin Durant are in the mix. There’s always the chance that an underdog could make it happen.

• LeBron James (+3500). James is one of the most prolific and iconic players in NBA history. He has also captured the scoring title once in his career. Can he do it again at this age? I’m not sure, but the odds are tempting.
• Donovan Mitchell (+2500). Mitchell set a career-high in scoring last season (28.3). He also finished sixth in the NBA MVP voting and earned an All-NBA Second-Team selection. If he can improve even further, the guard is definitely a contender.
• Kevin Durant (+5000). Durant is still among the top 10 when it comes to the most elite NBA players. His shot-making abilities are pretty fantastic, and his offensive instincts are better than ever before.

Could Embiid win the scoring title in three consecutive seasons? Yes, and we saw James Harden did it not that long ago. However, the odds are fairly short, which is why I’m leaning toward Gilgeous-Alexander with my betting pick.

I thought about picking Doncic, but he’s also on the same roster as Kyrie Irving. Think about it — Doncic has a teammate who averages more than 27.0 PPG. It seems inevitable that Irving will absorb a good amount of scoring opportunities.

Gilgeous-Alexander is in a great position to become the scoring champion. He’s going to get a ton of opportunities to put up big numbers on offense because he’s the undisputed leader of a rising young team.

Getting +425 for him is a no-brainer and the best value available before the start of the season.

I also covered other NBA and college basketball futures for the upcoming 2023-24 season. I analyzed the contenders in several key markets, including NBA Coach of the Year and the Wooden Award. Make sure you check out our content before you begin betting!

• NBA Coach of the Year 2024 Betting Odds and Prediction
• Men’s Wooden Award 2024 Betting Odds and Prediction