NBA Finals MVP Odds and Power Rankings: Jalen Brunson Undervalued After Game 1 of ECF?

One game is down in both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, and the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks are just three wins away from advancing to the NBA Finals.

San Antonio and the Oklahoma City Thunder are heavily favored to win the title in the latest odds, but the Knicks (+400) have moved up in the odds after coming back to win Game 1 on Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

So, it’s finally time to look at one more interesting futures market: The NBA Finals MVP.

Right now, reigning Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the favorite, as the Thunder are still favored to win the title despite losing Game 1 against the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama (who had 41 points and 24 rebounds in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals) is second in the odds at +170 while Jalen Brunson (38 points in Game 1) is at +550.

No other player is shorter than 20/1 in the odds to win this award. Part of that is due to the star power of those three players, and the fact that oddsmakers expect OKC or San Antonio to win the title once the Finals roll around.

Still, there could be value in betting on a player further down the odds board. After all, in the 2024 Finals, Jaylen Brown took the Finals crown from Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic (the two favorites) and Jalen Williams made a real push in the 2025 Finals to win the award for OKC.

Here’s a look at the odds and my power rankings of the top five players to win Finals MVP at this point in the playoffs.

NBA Finals MVP Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: +135
Victor Wembanyama: +170
Jalen Brunson: +550
Karl-Anthony Towns: +2000
Donovan Mitchell: +4000
Jalen Williams: +6000
Stephon Castle: +6000
OG Anunoby: +7000
James Harden: +10000
De’Aaron Fox: +10000
Chet Holmgren: +10000
Dylan Harper: +30000
Josh Hart: +30000
Evan Mobley: +30000
Ajay Mitchell: +40000
Mikal Bridges: +50000
Alex Caruso: +50000
Devin Vassell: +60000
Jarrett Allen: +60000

NBA Finals MVP Power Rankings

1. Victor Wembanyama (+170)

Victor Wembanyama is second in the odds, but he's No. 1 in these rankings with the Spurs leading the Western Conference Finals.

The best two-way player in the NBA, Wembanyama had an unreal 41-point, 24-rebound showing in Game 1, and he's making a serious claim for the "best player in the world" title. If he can slow down this OKC team and advance, he'll be the prohibitive favorite to win Finals MVP.

2. Jalen Brunson (+550)

How long are we going to sleep on Jalen Brunson's clutch scoring before we put him in the list of the best closers in NBA history?

The Knicks star has the most fourth-quarter playoff points since 2021, and he dropped 38 in a comeback win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1. If the Knicks make and win the Finals, it'll be on the back of Brunson.

At +550, he's by far the best value bet for a team that could win it all.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+135)

It's shocking to SGA No. 3 on this list, but I don't love this price with OKC down in the Western Conference Finals, especially after he shot 7-for-23 in Game 1.

Defenses have loaded up to slow down the two-time league MVP this postseason, and his numbers have suffered compared to the regular season. If OKC wins the West, he'll be heavily favored to win this award, but I don't love the current value at +135.

4. Donovan Mitchell (+4000)

At +4000, Mitchell would be worth the smallest of long shot bets in case the Cavs make the Finals. He had a strong first three quarters in Game 1 against New York, but he disappeared in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Still, Mitchell has a bunch of big scoring games this postseason and could take over this series to will his team to a Finals appearance.

5. Jalen Williams (+6000)

I'm giving Williams the benefit of the doubt for the No. 5 spot, even though OKC is down in the WCF and he's coming off a hamstring injury.

Williams was the second-best player on a Finals team in the 2025 playoffs, and he scored 40 in a Finals game. If defenses keep trying to take away SGA, Williams could be called upon to step up as the No. 1 for OKC.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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