Pour yourself a large cup of Big Face, maybe a glass of McCollum Heritage 91, kick back in your favorite viewing perch, and get ready — the playoffs are finally here.
Of course, that means the NBA Finals aren't too far off on the horizon.
And with playoffs-related betting markets hitting books far and wide, NBA Finals MVP odds are naturally seeing plenty of attention, especially in what could be an unpredictable playoff bracket, with several potential upsets forecasted.
As we get set for the postseason's opening weekend, let's take a look at the latest NBA odds to win Finals MVP, with several familiar faces leading the pack.
2024 NBA Finals MVP odds
| Player | Team |  |
|---|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum |  Boston Celtics |
+240 |
| Nikola Jokic |  Denver Nuggets |
+330 |
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics |
+900 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo |  Milwaukee Bucks |
+1,600 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |  Oklahoma City Thunder |
+1,600 |
| Kawhi Leonard |  Los Angeles Clippers |
+1,700 |
| Luka Doncic |  Dallas Mavericks |
+1,700 |
| Joel Embiid |  Philadelphia 76ers |
+1,900 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | Boston Celtics |
+2,200 |
| Anthony Edwards |  Minnesota Timberwolves |
+2,500 |
Odds as of 4-18-2024
NBA Finals MVP favorites
Jayson Tatum (+240)
It's been fairly smooth sailing for Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics this season. An NBA-high 11.7 net rating en route to an also-NBA-high 64 wins, which probably would've been closer to 67 or 8 if they'd had to give a shit since early March.
While Tatum's potential MVP case was cannibalized by just how formidable Boston's top-end talent was (it legitimately had five players in the All-Star conversation), that same catalyst is more likely to get him where he really wants to be this season — the NBA Finals.
And once there, the "best player on the best team" argument that couldn't hold enough weight in the regular season is precisely what sees him as the favorite for another piece of coveted hardware.
Nikola Jokic (+330)
The Denver Nuggets spent most of this season looking like they were in cruise control, but that didn't stop Nikola Jokic from almost certainly winning his third MVP trophy.
The best player alive is looking as spry as ever, despite most NBA fans knowing Denver's "playing for June" in a way no other NBA team can afford. Despite having nothing to prove, the Nuggets marched through the regular season doldrums, coming within centimeters of the West's No. 1 seed, and remaining the massive consensus to win the conference again.
If they indeed run into the Celtics in the Finals — as many expect — they can expect their Serbian superstar to put up one hell of a series (he torched Boston in both meetings this season, despite the Celts throwing the kitchen sink at him defensively), and continue to assert himself as an all-time great.
NBA Conference Finals MVP odds
With the recent addition of MVPs for the Eastern and Western Conference Finals (the NBA really seems to be leaning into participation culture these days), bettors have two more markets to dive into. Here's how they stack up entering the postseason:
Eastern Conference Finals MVP odds
| Player | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics |
+110 |
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics |
+500 |
| Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers |
+750 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
+800 |
| Jalen Brunson |  New York Knicks |
+1,100 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | Boston Celtics |
+1,200 |
| Donovan Mitchell |  Cleveland Cavaliers |
+2,000 |
| Tyrese Maxey | Philadelphia 76ers |
+2,800 |
| Damian Lillard | Milwaukee Bucks |
+3,000 |
| Tyrese Haliburton |  Indiana Pacers |
+3,500 |
Odds as of 4-18-2024
Western Conference MVP odds
| Player | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets |
+160 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder |
+700 |
| Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks |
+750 |
| Kawhi Leonard | Los Angeles Clippers |
+800 |
| Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves |
+1,000 |
| Kevin Durant |  Phoenix Suns |
+1,300 |
| Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets |
+1,700 |
| Paul George | Los Angeles Clippers |
+1,800 |
| Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns |
+2,000 |
| LeBron James |  Los Angeles Lakers |
+2,000 |
Odds as of 4-18-2024
NBA Finals MVP odds explained
Sportsbooks will post NBA Finals MVP odds as early as the beginning of the playoffs. These NBA futures are constantly adjusted throughout the postseason depending on how well players perform, in accordance with their team's success. Sportsbooks will also adjust the NBA Awards odds based on handle and liability to certain players.
NBA Finals MVP odds will usually look like this:
- Kevin Durant +410
This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to profit $410 if Durant takes home the NBA Finals MVP Award. If it's close to the end of the NBA Finals and a player has stood out as the obvious MVP of the series, they'll have a minus sign (-) ahead of their odds like this:
- LeBron James -155
This means that if you bet on LeBron to win Finals MVP, you would have needed to bet $155 to profit $100.
All of the odds listed above are in American format, but if you prefer decimal or fractional odds, simply plug them into our odds converter tool.
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NBA Finals MVP trends
Here are some trends you'll want to keep in mind when placing a bet on NBA Finals MVP:
- Only one player (Jerry West, 1969) has ever won Finals MVP on the losing team.
- Nikola Jokic's 2023 Finals MVP win was the first by a center since Shaquille O'Neal in 2002.
- Forwards have won 10 of the past 12 Finals MVPs
Popular NBA futures odds
Previous NBA Finals MVP award winners
The adage of needing versatile forwards in today's NBA rings especially true when looking at the recent Finals MVP winners. Despite Giannis being one of the most position-amorphous players in NBA history, eight of the past 10 Finals MVPs have been, at least by some definition, small forwards.
| Year | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2014 | Kawhi Leonard |  San Antonio Spurs |
Best NBA Finals MVP betting sites
Scouting basketball betting websites should be a breeze, but new bettors often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. Here are the must-have basketball betting site features you should target before placing your wagers.
Best odds: Not all sportsbooks are created equally, especially when it comes to odds. Finding the best price for your basketball bets is key to a successful betting strategy.
Live betting: Watching betting lines move in real-time and comparing statistics allows you to jump into the action at just the right moment.
Fast payouts: Accessing your hard-earned funds shouldn't feel like breaking a full-court press. It's important to choose a sportsbook that offers fast and reliable money withdrawals post game.
Safe money transactions: The days of placing bets with bookies in shadowy back rooms are long over. Major online sportsbooks boast state-of-the-art security measures like SSL data encryption, and each holds a legal operating license from registered authorities.
Best NBA Finals MVP betting promos
Betting boosts are special promotions offered by legal sports betting sites that increase the odds for a specific game, event, or prop, designed to give you better value on your bets or encourage you to sign up for a new sportsbook with unique rewards and offerings.
They can be a great way for bettors to get better value for their wagers, as the odds are temporarily increased, thereby increasing a potential payout. The promotions are usually limited to a specific period and are subject to terms and conditions, so it's always important to read the fine print for more details.
Types of odds boosts
There are a number of different types of betting boosts available, with some targeting specific games, some aimed at specific leagues, and some just enticing users to try a new sportsbook. Here are the most common types of betting boosts:
- Odds boost: When a sportsbook enhances the value of a specifically chosen player prop or a curated parlay/SGP, offering better odds than if you normally bet or created the wager yourself.
- Profit boosts: When you are given a token that increases the value of any bet you want (such as a 25% boost on one Super Bowl bet). Sometimes these tokens are for all bets, while sometimes they have specific criteria (such parlays/SGPs only or bets above a certain price).
- Sign-up offers: Operators offer benefits such as free bonus bets after your first wager, bonus bets offered as insurance if your first bet loses, an initial account deposit match, or even giving you discounts on other services for signing up with a sportsbook.
Take advantage of our best NBA Finals betting promos — from our best NBA Finals betting sites — to see if any other promotions appear that you can place a wager on!
NBA Finals MVP Odds FAQs
Betting markets for the next Finals MVP aren't yet available, but will be released prior to the 2023-24 NBA postseason in April.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is the reigning Finals MVP winner.
Yes. Legendary Lakers guard Jerry West won NBA Finals MVP honors in 1969 despite the fact Los Angeles lost to Boston in seven games. The Hall of Famer averaged 37.9 points per game in the series.
Michael Jordan won NBA Finals MVP honors six times during his time with the Bulls, including three consecutive times from 1991-93 and again from 1996-98.
The NBA Finals MVP award is determined by a panel of eleven media members, who cast votes following the deciding game of the series.
