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 | +170 |
| Nikola Jokic | +500 |
| Anthony Edwards | +650 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +900 |
| Jalen Brunson | +1000 |
| Luka Doncic | +1100 |
| Jaylen Brown | +1200 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | +2600 |
| Derrick White | +3800 |
| Kyrie Irving | +5000 |
| Jamal Murray | +5000 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | +5500 |
| Karl Anthony-Towns | +6000 |
| Donovan Mitchell | +7500 |
Odds as of May 6
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 (+170)
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 (+500)
There are few superlatives left to describe the soon-to-be 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.
Nikola Jokic is literally out of this world 🤯 pic.twitter.com/15VOYCUW9g
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) April 30, 2024
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: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+900)
As one of my favorite bets to win NBA MVP this season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has exceeded expectations. The Hamilton, Ontario native put 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists while leading one of the youngest teams in league history to the top seed in the Western Conference.
Crucially, the Thunder seem to be the only team in the league that has the Nuggets number lately. OKC has one 4-1 in their past 5 games against Denver with a +34 point differential.
SGA CLUTCH. 🔥🔥🔥
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 22, 2024
pic.twitter.com/ANnBC3do4s
OKC's sweep of New Orleans sets them up nicely for a series against the banged-up winner of a competitive Mavericks/Clippers series. From there, the Thunder are fully capable of going toe-to-toe with the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Final. After all, the Thunder are most books' third favorite to win the NBA Championship at +1000 odds. If you're not betting on Tatum or Jokic, SGA is the best value bet on the NBA Finals MVP board.
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:
- LeBron James -115
- Anthony Davis +200
- Jimmy Butler +800
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.
