NBA scoring title betting: Can Embiid repeat, or will a challenger emerge?

How many times have NBA fans heard that nothing's more important than scoring? It's constantly regurgitated in debates about who's better between Players A and B. The easiest - and sometimes laziest - way to settle those debates is by looking at average points. If a team has an elite scorer, it's more likely to win.

However, poring over sheer counting numbers without applying the necessary context isn't productive. It's important to take each player's circumstances into account.

To qualify for the scoring title, a player must play in at least 70% of his team's games.

Let's see who the favorites are to lead the league in scoring this season.

Scoring leader odds

There aren't a whole lot of surprises atop the oddsboard, which looks awfully similar to the league's scoring leaders from last season:

2022-23 scoring leaders

A decade ago, averaging over 30 points a season was rare. Now, it's the norm among superstars and essentially required to earn the scoring crown.

The only true surprise near the top of the league in scoring was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who increased his year-to-year scoring average by seven points last season and was selected to the All-NBA first team. Oddsmakers expect him to maintain that level of production - or possibly even increase it - as the third favorite.

Everyone else on the list had previously been considered among the best in the league and can score at will almost every possession.

It's fair to assume Joel Embiid's scoring numbers will regress slightly after an MVP season. He also benefitted from James Harden's presence. Harden led the league in assists, and the duo ran the pick-and-roll brilliantly, creating a plethora of opportunities for Embiid. Although Harden is practicing, there's still plenty of drama surrounding him. His status for the opener and beyond is uncertain.

Embiid's dominance will continue, and he's still a top player in the association, but there's no value in him as the favorite to win a third straight scoring title.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard carried a huge load for their respective teams last year and had to score at a high volume. As teammates, they won't need to score as much for the Bucks to win games.

Steph Curry could be a great semi-long shot bet at +1300 (bet $10 to win $130). He averaged 29.4 points last season, the third most of his career. The Warriors had a down year compared to their championship run the season prior.

The team got older this offseason with the addition of Chris Paul. If Golden State wants a chance to reclaim its spot atop the NBA, Curry will have to drag it there.

The two-time MVP hasn't lost his touch at all. He played just under 35 minutes per game last year and shot 42.7% from three. Curry has led the NBA in scoring twice, but not since the 2020-21 campaign. This may be the season he retakes his crown.

Luka Doncic is one of the most lethal players in the sport, but he's still knocking on the door of the best of the best. Doncic finished second in scoring last season, 0.7 points behind Embiid.

Doncic shouldered a huge burden as he tried to drag the Mavericks to the playoffs. Having Kyrie Irving by his side for an entire season and adding Grant Williams will relieve some pressure off Doncic. It won't, however, take away from his scoring. Doncic's uncanny ability to force defenders to play at his pace is remarkable. Whether it's step-back threes, mid-post touches, or bulldozing drives, Doncic will get his points. This season, it'll lead to the scoring title.

Pick: Luka Doncic to lead the league in scoring +255

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage