It is understandable if you wanted to wait until the candidate pool thinned out a bit before betting on the NBA Finals MVP. No one wants to bet on someone who doesn’t make it out of the first round. But with all but one first-round series decided after Thursday’s action, that is not as significant of an issue anymore. Here, we look at updated odds to earn NBA Finals MVP honors heading into the conference semifinals
While the star-studded Brooklyn Nets lost to the Celtics in the first round, many of the league’s best players are still around in these playoffs. Since a few teams had injury issues in the first round, the odds at sportsbooks got longer for a few guys.
For example, bettors can get Devin Booker at +850 (FanDuel) as of Friday morning, up from +650 before the playoffs. Booker returned from a hamstring injury in time to help the Suns win a decisive Game 6 against the Pelicans.
2022 NBA Finals MVP Odds
Here’s a partial list of NBA Finals MVP odds at a variety of sportsbooks, with prices current as of Friday, April 29.
| NBA Finals MVP Odds | PointsBet | Caesars | FanDuel | DraftKings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | +400 | +400 | +440 | +400 |
| Jayson Tatum | +500 | +500 | +440 | +400 |
| Devin Booker | +600 | +750 | +850 | +650 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +700 | +700 | +750 | +800 |
| Jimmy Butler | +800 | +750 | +850 | +1000 |
| Chris Paul | +1000 | +1000 | +950 | +650 |
| Ja Morant | +1400 | +1200 | +1500 | +1400 |
| Joel Embiid | +1600 | +1400 | +1700 | +1600 |
| Luka Doncic | +2000 | +1400 | +1700 | +1900 |
| Bam Adebayo | +2800 | +3000 | +4200 | +2200 |
| Jaylen Brown | +3000 | +2000 | +3200 | +2000 |
| Jordan Poole | +3300 | +3000 | +4500 | +3500 |
| Deandre Ayton | +4000 | +4500 | +15000 | +4500 |
| Draymond Green | +4000 | +4000 | +2600 | +3500 |
| Klay Thompson | +6600 | +3000 | +5500 | +3500 |
| Marcus Smart | +8000 | +3000 | +6000 | +7000 |
| James Harden | +8000 | +6000 | +9000 | +12000 |
| Khris Middleton | +10000 | +12500 | +18000 | +13000 |
If you are kicking yourself for not putting money down on Steph Curry before the first round, you should be. The Warriors superstar was listed as high as +1200 when the first round got underway, but now the highest you’ll find is +440 (FanDuel).
Before the first round, you could find Jayson Tatum’s odds around +1600 (Caesars). The odds for the Celtics star are now down to around +500.
If you want to hold off on betting on Tatum because Boston faces Milwaukee in the semis, no one would blame you, but you risk his odds shrinking. The same is true for Giannis should the Bucks win.
Boston is favored in the series at -200 (FanDuel).
NBA Finals MVP Betting Analysis
Betting on an NBA Finals MVP is a leap of faith. Even if your pick’s team makes it past the conference semis, the conference finals are still standing in the way before the NBA Finals. So, there is a genuine chance of betting on a player whose team gets knocked out before the Finals.
But opportunity exists if you are willing to take on a little risk.
Of the nine teams still alive (but not counting the T-Wolves, who will likely get eliminated before the weekend ends), the Dallas Mavericks have the longest odds to win the NBA Finals at +2000 (DraftKings). The Mavs are underdogs against the Suns in the West Semis (+230, DraftKings).
Dallas has a unique player in Luka Doncic. He was favored to win NBA MVP honors before the season began. If he can stay healthy, the Mavericks could pull off the upset and make it to the West Finals. Should that be the case, his NBA Finals MVP odds will not stay around +2000 for long.
Also read: Odds to win 2022 NBA Championship
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