2024 NBA Finals MVP Odds: Tatum Narrowly Favored Over Jokic

The playoffs have arrived, which means NBA Finals MVP odds are sure to be picking up action in the coming days and weeks. Get the lowdown on the favorites, trends, history and more!

Apr 25, 2024 • 08:45 ET • 3 min read
Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics NBA
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

The NBA playoffs are in full swing and the odds continue to shift on the NBA Finals MVP odds board.

Even after a Game 2 loss to the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is the betting favorite to win, but Nikola Jokic is barely trailing him.

As we barrel toward the opening round's conclusion, 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 DraftKings
Jayson Tatum Celtics Boston Celtics +250
Nikola Jokic Browns Denver Nuggets  +260
Jaylen Brown Celtics Boston Celtics +1,200
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Thunder Oklahoma City Thunder  +1,700
Luka Doncic Mavericks Dallas Mavericks  +2,000
Anthony Edwards Timberwolves Minnesota Timberwolves +2,200
Jalen Brunson  Knicks New York Knicks +2,200
Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks Milwaukee Bucks +3,000
Kawhi Leonard Clippers Los Angeles Clippers +3,000
Damian Lillard Bucks Milwaukee Bucks +5,000
Jamal Murray Browns Denver Nuggets  +5,000
Paul George Clippers Los Angeles Clippers +5,000

Odds as of 4-25-2024

NBA Finals MVP favorites

Jayson Tatum (+250)

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 68 if they'd had to give a shit since early March.

With the Celtics the betting favorites to win it all, it makes sense why Tatum is the presumptive player to claim Finals MVP. However, Boston dropped Game 2 of its opening-round set to the Miami Heat, showing at least some vulnerability. Books haven't over-reacted, but he's a much narrower favorite now compared to even just a day ago.

Still, if the Celtics bounce back in Miami, Tatum will remain on sturdy ground.

Nikola Jokic (+260)

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 as the playoffs get underway. And 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, including the bulk of our NBA playoffs predictions — 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 these NBA playoff odds stack up with the first round underway:

Eastern Conference Finals MVP odds

Player Team DraftKings
Jayson Tatum Celtics Boston Celtics +110
Jaylen Brown Celtics Boston Celtics +700
Jalen Brunson Knicks New York Knicks +700
Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks Milwaukee Bucks +1,300
Donovan Mitchell Cavs Cleveland Cavaliers +1,700
Damian Lillard Bucks Milwaukee Bucks +1,800
Joel Embiid 76ers Philadelphia 76ers +2,500
Tyrese Maxey 76ers Philadelphia 76ers +3,500
Tyrese Haliburton Pacers Indiana Pacers +4,500
Josh Hart Knicks New York Knicks +4,500

Odds as of 4-25-2024

Western Conference MVP odds

Player Team DraftKings
Nikola Jokic Browns Denver Nuggets +115
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Thunder Oklahoma City Thunder +550
Luka Doncic  Mavericks Dallas Mavericks  +800
Anthony Edwards Timberwolves Minnesota Timberwolves +850
Kawhi Leonard Clippers Los Angeles Clippers +1,200
Paul George Clippers Los Angeles Clippers +1,800
Jamal Murray Browns Denver Nuggets  +3,000
Kevin Durant Suns Phoenix Suns +3,500
Karl-Anthony Towns Timberwolves Minnesota Timberwolves +3,500
LeBron James Lakers Los Angeles Lakers +4,000
Devin Booker Suns Phoenix Suns +4,000

Odds as of 4-25-2024

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

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 Browns Denver Nuggets
2022 Stephen Curry Browns Golden State Warriors
2021 Giannis Antetokounmpo Browns Milwaukee Bucks
2020 LeBron James Browns Los Angeles Lakers
2019 Kawhi Leonard Browns Toronto Raptors
2018 Kevin Durant Browns Golden State Warriors
2017 Kevin Durant Browns Golden State Warriors
2016 LeBron James Browns Cleveland Cavaliers
2015 Andre Iguodala Browns Golden State Warriors
2014 Kawhi Leonard Browns 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

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