There’s plenty of new blood to consider when looking at NBA Finals MVP odds.
Two of the four teams that remain alive for an NBA championship have never won, combining for a single Finals appearance. The Pacers have three ABA titles under their belt, last winning in 1973, but have played for it all in the NBA only once back in 2000. Minnesota has reached just its second conference finals two decades after its deepest run since entering the league via expansion in 1989.
Both franchises had their most successful runs ended by the Lakers, whose fans are rooting for anyone but the Celtics to win since the NBA’s most decorated franchises are tied with 17 championships apiece. Dallas, looking for its second title after upsetting the LeBron James-led Miami Heat in 2011, is seeking its third Finals berth.
The Celtics are at BetMGM to win for the first time since ‘08, which would end their second-longest title drought in their history, and are to get past Indiana and win the East. It’s therefore no surprise to see three of their players rank among the top-five in the current Finals MVP odds, which will undoubtedly change as both conference finals unfold.
Below we have our team-by-team breakdown of the remaining candidates for NBA Finals MVP.
But before that, here are BetMGM’s
odds on NBA Finals MVP:
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Jayson Tatum has been unable to crack the top-three in the regular season MVP voting despite being an All-Star five years running, getting his first vote in 2020 and finishing fourth in the voting last season and fifth this season. He’s got an All-Star MVP, but has a history of coming up short in the playoffs, setting a league record for most turnovers (100) in the ‘23 postseason and hurting his ankle early in Game 7 last season as Boston was upset by Miami at home.
Although it’s understandable that BetMGM has him favored (+130) to win Finals MVP since he’s the best player on the best team, he’s struggled with his shot this postseason, entering the conference finals shooting 18-for-64 (28 percent) on 3-pointers through the first two series and shooting 43 percent from the field.
Tatum’s playoff averages (24.3 ppg, 10.4 ppg, 5.8 apg) are MVP-worthy, but Jaylen Brown (+650) is averaging 23.1 points while shooting over 55 percent from the field, and Derrick White (+2500) are certainly capable of picking up this hardware given their contributions on both sides of the ball. Kristaps Porzingis should be back by the Finals, and there are no current odds for him at BetMGM. Betting Tatum at nearly even money isn’t advisable this early.
Read more: Eastern Conference Finals odds, props, predictions for Pacers vs. Celtics
Luka Doncic (+550) is averaging 27.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists this postseason and is the only player who finished top-five in this season’s regular-season MVP voting in the mix to win a title. Kyrie Irving (+4000) has played in three NBA Finals, although the first was cut shot one game in due to a knee injury. This is Irving’s deepest playoff run since 2017, and he’s averaged 21.1 points and 5.4 assists, making him an intriguing option given his experience and leadership.
Read more: Western Conference Finals odds, props, predictions for Mavericks vs. Timberwolves
The Pacers are the biggest longshot to win the championship (), but they have two excellent candidates if you believe they’ll shock the world. Tyrese Haliburton (+3000) led the league in assists (10.9), is averaging 18.8 points and 8.1 assists in these playoffs and will have to be extremely aggressive to take down Boston.
Pascal Siakam (+5000) averaged 19 points per game during Toronto’s championship run in 2019 and has contributed 20.3 points and 8.2 boards in getting Indiana into the conference finals. To his credit, he’s stepped up when it’s mattered most.
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Minnesota is a series favorite against Dallas in the West finals () and is second-choice to win its first championship (). Anthony Edwards (+300) won’t be 23 years old until August, but has emerged as one of the NBA’s top performers in his fourth season. He’s averaging 28.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists this postseason and continues to impress by impacting the game even when his shot isn’t falling. Currently, he’s the best two-way player chasing a ring.
Karl-Anthony Towns (+4000), Rudy Gobert (+10000) and Naz Reid (+12500) also have odds on them available at BetMGM and are worthy longshots, but Edwards has the wow factor in his favor and would almost certainly get the nod in the Timberwolves indeed break through.
