The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award is bestowed upon the greatest player of each season's championship series. NBA playoff excellence is what separates the all-time best from the rest of the pack.
Michael Jordan holds the record with six NBA Finals MVP trophies, while a still dominant Lebron James chases with four of his own. Last season saw Nikola Jokic win his first Finals MVP. Can anyone stop the Joker from taking home the trophy in back-to-back years?
Let's dive into the updated NBA Finals MVP odds and my best bets, with Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum the current favorite:
2024 NBA Finals MVP Odds
Player | Odds |
---|---|
Jayson Tatum | +130 |
Nikola Jokic | +380 |
Luka Doncic | +650 |
Jaylen Brown | +700 |
Anthony Edwards | +1000 |
Jalen Brunson | +2600 |
Derrick White | +2700 |
Kristaps Porzingis | +2700 |
Kyrie Irving | +3300 |
Karl Anthony-Towns | +7500 |
Jamal Murray | +8000 |
Tyrese Haliburton | +8000 |
Jrue Holiday | +10000 |
Rudy Gobert | +14000 |
Odds as of May 19
NBA Finals MVP Odds: The Favorites
Remember, any bet in the NBA Finals MVP odds is essentially a parlay, as the award is typically only given to a player from the championship team. The last player to be awarded NBA Finals MVP from the losing team was Jerry West, way back in 1969. Be sure to check our daily NBA expert picks for an up-to-date look at the latest NBA news and odds as the playoffs progress.
Jayson Tatum (+130)
Jayson Tatum is the best player on the league's most dominant team. The seventh-year Celtics swingman averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists a night for the top squad in the Association. The 64-win Celtics stand head and shoulders above the rest of the Eastern Conference at +120 in the latest NBA Championship odds.
players to record 50+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists while shooting over 60% in a playoff game:
— JrueMuse (@JrueMuse4) April 14, 2024
— Jayson Tatum
— Wilt Chamberlain
That’s it, that’s the list. pic.twitter.com/xQRoTqD3AG
Detractors will point to the fact that Tatum has disappeared in big games (and series). Remember the Duke alum's rough 2022 NBA Finals performance? He shot just 36% and was brutal as Golden State's defense clamped down. Tatum will have to dispel the ghosts of Finals' past and get over the proverbial hump to win his first-ever NBA Finals MVP award.
Nikola Jokic (+380)
There are few superlatives left to describe the three-time NBA MVP. Nikola Jokic is truly one of a kind.
The unicorn 7' center quarterbacks the Association's most unstoppable offense while scoring with insane efficiency from anywhere on the hardwood. He's averaged an uncanny 28.2 points, 16.4 rebounds and 9.8 assists through five postseason games while shooting nearly 60% from the field.
Few teams have the size and firepower to slow down Jokic and his ever-evolving cast of sidekicks. Batman isn't coming to save the Western Conference, and even the King, Lebron James, is just 1-8 over the past two postseasons against the Joker.
While the Nuggets dropped Game 1 to Minnesota after an outstanding display from Anthony Edwards, these odds hold far too much recency bias. Mike Malone and Jokic will adjust to the way the Timberwolves are guarding him. His offensive skill set makes Denver one of the most unstoppable forces in basketball. Jokic, Jamal Murray and company are more than capable of figuring out the T-Wolves conundrum and making their second straight trip to the NBA Finals.
Best 2024 NBA MVP Value Bet: Luka Doncic (+650)
All Luka has done to follow up on his incredible regular season is average 27.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.1 assists in 12 postseason games.
The Mavericks have taken control as both series' have progressed, winning Games 5 and 6 in successive rounds to oust the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Jason Kidd's squad have held opponents to just 100.6 points per game, on 44% shooting in the playoffs thus far.
This was widely considered Luka Doncic’s worst playoff series of his young career.
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) May 19, 2024
24.7 PPG
10.5 RPG
8.7 APG
56.6% TS
Only LeBron & Jokic have averaged at least those numbers in a playoff series in NBA history btw. pic.twitter.com/2QyTCh2TFw
With the emergence of PJ Washington and some outstanding three-point shooting, the Mavericks are on a roll. Luka's presence gives them the ability to go toe-to-toe with anybody. Getting Luka at +650 odds to win NBA Finals MVP is an outstanding value play.
Last 10 NBA Finals MVP Winners
Year | Player |
---|---|
2023 | Nikola Jokic (DEN) |
2022 | Steph Curry (GSW) |
2021 | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) |
2020 | LeBron James (LAL) |
2019 | Kawhi Leonard (TOR) |
2018 | Kevin Durant (GSW) |
2017 | Kevin Durant (GSW) |
2016 | LeBron James (CLE) |
2015 | Andre Iguodala (GSW) |
2014 | Kawhi Leonard (SAS) |
How To Read NBA Finals MVP Odds
When you visit your betting site of choice, you’ll notice the NBA Finals MVP odds laid out like this:
Similar to a moneyline bet where favorites are shown by the minus sign (-) and underdogs have a plus sign (+), the player with the lowest odds is the fave. In this scenario, it’s LeBron. For his odds, you’d need to bet $115 to make $100 in profit.
For other options like Jimmy Butler, his odds indicate what you’d get paid if you placed a $100 bet. If you made this bet and it hits, you’d win $900 – your $100 is returned along with $800 in profit.
If you were to bet on which player will be named MVP, you would be making a futures bet.
Our Odds Calculator can give you an idea of how much you’d win based on the MVP odds and the amount of money you bet.