ESPN Forecast: James Harden will win first MVP in landslide

Some competitive elections aren't called until days after the polls close, while others see the confetti drop in the hotel ballroom well before the majority of ballots are counted. The race for the NBA's 2017-18 Most Valuable Player falls squarely in that second camp, with James Harden poised to run away with the award in a landslide.

Though MVP voters aren't furnished with any definitive criteria by the league, most consider some combination of statistical production, team excellence, a compelling narrative and, for some, novelty. Like Stephen Curry in 2016, Harden sweeps every category. He might not achieve Curry's feat of a unanimous vote, but all indications are he won't be far off.

With less than three weeks left in the season, we asked our ESPN Forecast panel to weigh in on the MVP race. Here are the results of our poll.

Who WILL win MVP?