The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup has arrived.
Set to tip off on Friday, Aug. 25 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, 32 countries will compete for the chance to take home a gold medal.
After a seventh-place finish at the 2019 World Cup in China, The United States enters the tournaments as big favourites and the bookmakers reflect as much.
Such is the confidence in the United States to bounce back, the tournament MVP markets have five USA players among the top six to take home the MVP trophy.
Will it be a member of Team USA or is there a dark horse candidate that could emerge with the trophy?
The Sporting News breaks down the MVP odds below.
FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 MVP odds, sleepers, predictions
Odds to win Most Valuable Player
| Team | Country | Odds |
| Anthony Edwards | USA | $4.00 |
| Jalen Brunson | USA | $7.50 |
| Brandon Ingram | USA | $8 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | USA | $9 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Canada | $9 |
| Mikal Bridges | USA | $11 |
| Luka Doncic | Slovenia | $13 |
| Evan Fournier | France | $13 |
| RJ Barrett | Canada | $17 |
| Nando de Colo | France | $21 |
| Bogdan Bogdanovic | Serbia | $21 |
| Josh Giddey | Australia | $21 |
| Patty Mills | Australia | $21 |
| Dennis Schroder | Germany | $21 |
| Franz Wagner | Germany | $26 |
| Rudy Gobert | France | $26 |
| Willy Hernangomez | Spain | $26 |
| Simone Fontecchio | Italy | $34 |
| Juancho Hernangomez | Spain | $34 |
| Marko Guduric | Serbia | $34 |
Favourite: Anthony Edwards ($4.00)
Team USA enters the tournament as the heavy favourite, despite bringing a relatively young squad to the FIBA World Cup.
Through their exhibition games, Edwards emerged as the team's go-to offensive option, averaging 18.8 points as they went 5-0, leading the team in scoring in four of the five games.
According to the latest TAB odds, he trails only Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($4.00) to score the most points in the tournament.
MORE: Anthony Edwards adding MJ's signature shot makes him unguardable
"He's unquestionably the guy," coach Steve Kerr said after the game, via ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "You can see he knows it. But now the team knows it, and I think the fans see it. ... He genuinely believes he's the best player in the gym every single night. And he's such a dynamic young player. I think he's taking a leap."
The USA's chances of winning gold hinge largely on the shoulders of Edwards, who at his best is one of the most unguardable players in the tournament.
A tournament win, will most likely coincide with Edwards being named MVP.
The boys discuss their FIBA World Cup MVP, who have you got?🏀 #GoBoomers pic.twitter.com/nMcr9opZKw
— TAB (@tabcomau) August 25, 2023
Sleepers
Josh Giddey, Australia ($21)
The Boomers enter the tournament with the fourth-best odds to win as they look to follow up their 'Rose Gold' medal at the Tokyo Olympics with a gold at the World Cup.
While Patty Mills and Joe Ingles have served as the team's linchpins for over a decade, 2023 looks set to be somewhat of a coming out party for Giddey in the green and gold.
MORE: How Tokyo Olympics snub drove Josh Giddey to greatness | Giddey primed for breakout tournament
The Oklahoma City Thunder guard is coming off an impressive sophomore season, with averages of 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, parlaying his form into the national team, where he's looked more than comfortable as the team's starting point guard, orchestrating the team's offense
Evan Fournier, France ($13)
Something happens to Evan Fournier when he puts on his national team jersey and I'm expecting a big tournament from the 11-year NBA veteran.
After a frustrating season with the New York Knicks, the 30-year-old has his sights set on bouncing back, primed to lead France deep in the tournament as they look to improve on their Olympic silver medal in 2021.
"I am impatient to play again, excited to come back to this team, the atmosphere, our headquarters in Pau, the practices, fighting for a goal," he told L'Equipe ahead of the tournament. "This season, for the first time, I had no goal and it felt strange.
"I want to live intense moments, feel like myself again. The French national team is important in my career.
"This World Cup will be my launchpad."
While Rudy Gobert is France's main man on the defensive end, their offense revolves around Fournier's orbit, operating as their primary ball-handler, shot-creator and scoring threat.
In the big moments, it will be Fournier with the ball in his hands and if he can guide France to the business end of the tournament, at $13 he is value for MVP.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($9)
Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander is the shortest-priced non-Team USA player in the market and with Canada holding the second-best odds to win the tournament, an SGA MVP isn't out of the question.
It would take a deep run, if not a gold medal for SGA to be named MVP, with the weight of a nation placed largely on his shoulders.
Canada has never won a medal at the FIBA World Cup and have never placed higher than sixth, while they haven't qualified for an Olympics since 2000.
MORE: Full rosters for all 32 teams at the FIBA World Cup
Much like Fournier for France, Canada's offense will run through Gilgeous-Alexander, and coming off an All-NBA First Team/All-Star season where he finished fourth in scoring (31.4 points per game), the 25-year-old comes into the tournament as one of the best players to take the floor, coming in second on The Sporting News' rankings of the World Cup's Top 15.
Prediction
The last player to win MVP at the World Cup to not come from the tournament's winning team was Dirk Nowitzki in 2002, where he led Germany to a third-place finish.
In keeping with the recent trends, I'm sticking with the best player on the best team for MVP, so lock in the favourite at $4 in USA's Anthony Edwards.
