Apr 14, 2021 - 9:19 AM ET
Making the Final Four and winning the national title during March Madness takes a team effort, but among those championship teams is always one standout player named the most outstanding player.
March Madness MVP odds is a relatively new betting market in most jurisdictions, but there can certainly be value found—especially if you have a good feeling which team will be crowned champion on April 5.
Update: Jared Butler cashed in as March Madness MVP in 2021. Butler was available at +500 prior to the national championship game and interestingly was the pre-tournament favorite to win the award at +590.
March Madness 2021 MVP Odds
| Player | Team | Odds (as of April 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Jalen Suggs | Gonzaga | -143 |
| Drew Timme | Gonzaga | +105 |
| Davion Mitchell | Baylor | +250 |
| Jared Butler | Baylor | +500 |
| Joel Ayayi | Gonzaga | +500 |
| Corey Kispert | Gonzaga | +900 |
| MaCio Teague | Baylor | +1,000 |
| Matthew Mayer | Baylor | +3,300 |
| Andrew Nembhard | Gonzaga | +3,500 |
| Adam Flagler | Baylor | +4,000 |
| Flo Thamba | Baylor | +10,000 |
| Mark Vital | Baylor | +10,000 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
After a wild Final Four, which saw Baylor blow out Houston and Gonzaga scratch by UCLA in what is already an instant classic, March Madness MVP odds have shifted at the top.
Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs, following a dominant performance on both ends of the court – capped off with a 40-foot buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win the game in overtime – is the odds-on favorite to win MVP at -143.
His Bulldogs teammate, center Drew Timme, is second at +105 after dropping 25 points against the Bruins and facing a Baylor team that isn't known for its size down low. Speaking of the Bears, sparkplug point guard Davion Mitchell (+250), has the best odds of any Baylor player, while his teammate Jared Butler and Gonzaga's Joel Ayayi round out the Top 5 at +500.
How is the March Madness MVP decided?
The honor of March Madness MVP is awarded by the Associated Press after the NCAA Tournament. Most often, the Most Outstanding Player comes from the NCAA championship team. There have been a dozen players named MVP that weren’t on championship teams.
2021 MVP Picks
Drew Timme +450
Gonzaga entered the NCAA Tournament as the National Title favorite and has done nothing to dissuade that notion after trampling all four opponents by at least 16 points.
Timme didn't need to do much in limited minutes in the first round against Norfolk State, but he's been the Zags best player ever since averaging 25 points per game on 64.4 percent shooting over the last three games. He's fresh off a 23-point performance against USC where he also added 5 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals.
The big man has been a force for the Zags all season and now he has the media narrative as well, with his sweet stache and energetic celebrations getting plenty of attention. Don't forget the role that could play in an award decided by a media panel.
Pick made March 30
History of the March Madness MVP
Not all Final Four MVPs go on to the pros, but they live on forever in NCAA Tournament glory — especially if you bet on their odds to win March Madness MVP. Tournament MVPs almost always come from the winning team. The last player to be named MVP whose team did not win was Hakeem Olajuwon for the Houston Cougars in 1983.
Most betting sites have offered odds on the tournament MVP for a few years now, but sportsbooks based in Nevada have only been allowed to book this March Madness prop since 2016.
| Year | MVP | School | Odds (pre-tournament) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Jared Butler | Baylor | +590 |
| 2020 | No tournament | ||
| 2019 | Kyle Guy | Virginia | +525 |
| 2018 | Donte DiVincenzo | Villanova | +1,700 |
| 2017 | Joel Berry | North Carolina | NA |
| 2016 | Ryan Arcidiacono | Villanova | NA |
| 2015 | Tyus Jones | Duke | NA |
| 2014 | Shabazz Napier | UConn | NA |
| 2013 | Luke Hancock | Louisville | NA |
| 2012 | Anthony Davis | Kentucky | NA |
| 2011 | Kemba Walker | UConn | NA |
| 2010 | Kyle Singler | Duke | NA |
| 2009 | Wayne Ellington | North Carolina | NA |
| 2008 | Mario Chalmers | Kansas | NA |
| 2007 | Corey Brewer | Florida | NA |
| 2006 | Joakim Noah | Florida | NA |
| 2005 | Sean May | North Carolina | NA |
| 2004 | Emeka Okafor | UConn | NA |
| 2003 | Carmelo Anthony | Syracuse | NA |
| 2002 | Juan Dixon | Maryland | NA |
| 2001 | Shane Battier | Duke | NA |
| 2000 | Mateen Cleaves | Michigan St | NA |
The above odds for March Madness MVP are listed in American format. Using Kyle Guy as an example, his odds were listed as +525. This means that a $100 wager would have profited $525. Going back a year to Donte DiVincenzo, a $100 wager would have profited $1700.
American odds can be converted to decimal or fractional using our odds converter.
Instant Replay: March Madness MVP
- March Madness MVP odds are usually topped by multiple players from the top-seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament.
- Final Four MVP odds are released after Selection Sunday and will adjust throughout the tournament as teams advance and get eliminated.
- 68 of the 80 March Madness MVP winners have come from championship-winning teams.
March Madness MVP FAQs
How is the MVP of March Madness chosen?
The Associated Press votes on the March Madness MVP after the National Championship Game.
Who won the last March Madness MVP?
There was no March Madness MVP in 2020 as the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kyle Guy of Virginia won MVP in 2019.
