Jayson Tatum Listed as Clear Favorite Over LeBron James, Nikola Jokic for Finals MVP
Jayson Tatum, star of the title-favorite Celtics, has the best odds to win Finals MVP heading into the conference finals.
Boston is well ahead of its contemporaries in the betting markets and the same goes for Tatum, who has better odds than Nikola Jokić, LeBron James and Jimmy Butler, the leaders of the other three teams that are still standing. Of the players available to wager on, only James has ever won the award before.
Tatum entered the NBA Finals last season with the second-best odds to win Finals MVP behind Stephen Curry, who ultimately won the award.
NBA Finals MVP Odds
Jayson Tatum +140
Nikola Jokić +250
LeBron James +550
Jaylen Brown +600
Anthony Davis +750
Jimmy Butler +1400
Jamal Murray +2500
Bam Adebayo +8000
Derrick White +10000
Malcolm Brogdon +10000
Michael Porter Jr. +12500
Austin Reaves +15000
© Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports
If Boston were to deliver on its status as the title favorite, Tatum (+140) would be the most likely recipient of the Finals MVP award. He leads the team in points (28.2), rebounds (10.6) and assists (5.2). But remember that Tatum’s running mate, Jaylen Brown, outplayed him in the 2022 Finals and very well could have beat him out for the honor had the Celtics defeated the Warriors. Brown (+600) is available at odds more than four times as long as what Tatum can currently be bet at.
Jokić’s odds (+250) match the title odds of his team as it’s incredibly difficult to envision the Nuggets hoisting the trophy and him not being the reason why they won. Similarly to the Tatum-Brown dynamic, LeBron James has shorter odds (+550) than Davis (+750) to win his fifth Finals MVP award but it could go to either player should Los Angeles win another title. James last won in 2020 when the Lakers beat Miami in the bubble.
The Heat’s long championship odds are reflected in this market as well considering five players have better odds than Butler (+1400), who’s been one of the best players throughout the postseason, specifically in the Bucks series. After Butler, there’s a steep dropoff to Jamal Murray (+2500) and then an even larger leap to Bam Adebayo (+8000).
The Western Conference Finals between Denver and Los Angeles begins Tuesday evening at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and the Eastern Conference Finals between Boston and Miami gets underway Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for June 1.
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