Betting odds for 2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player honors have emerged with the regular season just weeks away from concluding, and both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder (+200) and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum are neck and neck vying for the top spot.
Three other players, including last year's winner in Jaylen Brown (+1300), have greater than 20-to-1 odds as of March 19.
Here's a look at where all candidates currently rank in the odds for the Bill Russell award.
2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder | +200 |
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | +300 |
| Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers | +650 |
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | +1300 |
| Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | +1800 |
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | +2600 |
| Luka Doncic | Los Angeles Lakers | +2800 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | Boston Celtics | +3100 |
| Jalen Williams | Oklahoma City Thunder | +3100 |
| Darius Garland | Cleveland Cavaliers | +4000 |
| LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers | +4100 |
| Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers | +4500 |
| Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks | +5500 |
| Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | +6500 |
| Derrick White | Boston Celtics | +7000 |
| Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | +7500 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | New York Knicks | +8000 |
| Jimmy Butler | Golden State Warriors | +8500 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | +10000 |
| Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies | +13000 |
| Jrue Holiday | Boston Celtics | +16000 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies | +16000 |
| Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets | +18000 |
| Kawhi Leonard | Los Angeles Clippers | +20000 |
Odds as of March 18, 2025 at FanDuel Sportsbook
2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Betting favorite: shai gilgeous-alexander, oklahoma city thunder (+200)
History isn't on Gilgeous-Alexander's side here, especially if he ends up winning regular season MVP which he's currently projected to do. There have only been 15 instances in league history when a player has taken home both MVP awards, and it hasn't happened since 2013 when LeBron James did so with the Miami Heat. Even so, if there's anyone capable of breaking the trend and possibly even becoming the first to ever win three MVPs in a single season, what with the addition of a conference finals MVP, it's undoubtedly someone of SGA's talents.
The Thunder own a commanding double-digit lead over the rest of the Western Conference, so anything less than a Finals berth would be considered a disappointment no matter how young and inexperienced the roster may be. Gilgeous-Alexander is the league leader in points per game at 33, and it's difficult to imagine any one of his teammates overshadowing him in a best-of-seven series with the Larry O'Brien trophy at stake.
2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Betting contender: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (+300)
The Celtics would need to become the first team since the Golden State Warriors in 2018 to repeat as champions in order for Tatum to have a shot here. Even if Boston pulls it off, knowing that it was Brown who was named Finals MVP a year ago, along with the fact that Tatum's efficiency and numbers tend to dip in the postseason, does remove some luster from this wager.
One would assume that Tatum is motivated to add a Finals MVP win to his resume. He did come awfully close in 2024, securing four votes to Brown's seven. There also always seems to be a chip on his shoulder when it comes to his status as one of the greats in the game, often getting overlooked when compared to the SGA's and Jokic's of the world. A Finals MVP would put Tatum at the forefront of people's minds and perhaps give him the widespread respect he so covets.
Past 10 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Winners
| Year | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics |
| 2023 | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets |
| 2022 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| 2021 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2020 | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2019 | Kawhi Leonard | Toronto Raptors |
| 2018 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 2017 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 2016 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2015 | Andre Iguodala | Golden State Warriors |
Only former Warriors forward Kevin Durant has managed to repeat as Finals Most Valuable Player over the last decade. He joins LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players since 2000 to do so.
Who Has Won The Most NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards?
| NBA Finals MVP Wins | Player | Team | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 |
| 4 | LeBron James | Miami Heat (2), Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers | 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020 |
| 3 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 1999, 2003, 2005 |
| 3 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 1980, 1982, 1987 |
| 3 | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | 2000, 2001, 2002 |
| 2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers | 1971, 1985 |
| 2 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | 1984, 1986 |
| 2 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | 2009, 2010 |
| 2 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors | 2017, 2018 |
| 2 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors | 2014, 2019 |
| 2 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 1994, 1995 |
| 2 | Willis Reed | New York Knicks | 1970, 1973 |
The Finals Most Valuable Player award was first introduced in 1969 and won by Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West. Since its inception, only Michael Jordan and LeBron James have captured the award four or more times.
NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Winners By Position
| Position | Winners |
|---|---|
| Small Forward | 15 |
| Center | 14 |
| Shooting Guard | 11 |
| Point Guard | 9 |
| Power Forward | 7 |
How To Read NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Odds
When you visit your NBA betting site of choice, you’ll notice 2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player odds laid out like this:
- Jayson Tatum +750
- Jaylen Brown +850
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +850
- Nikola Jokic +900
Unlike a moneyline bet where favorites are shown by the minus sign (-) and underdogs have a plus sign (+), the player with the lowest odds with the plus sign (+) is the favorite. In this scenario, Jayson Tatum is favored. If you were to bet $100 on Tatum in the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player betting odds and it hits, you would win $850 – your $100 is returned and you would get $750 in profit.
If you were to bet on which player will be named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, you would make a futures bet.
What Is A Futures Bet?
This is a bet made on events that will happen in time. In this case, it’s NBA Finals Finals Most Valuable Player. To make a futures bet, you would first use the handicapping info on this page to make your decision. Our Odds Calculator can give you an idea of how much you’d win based on the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player odds and the amount of money you bet.
