Chris Paul Goes from Finals MVP Favorite to Massive Underdog

When Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals tipped off, Chris Paul was leading the way as the front-runner for Most Valuable Player at +185. By Game 3, he was the overwhelming favorite at more than -200 odds.

But after three straight losses, two consecutive 40-point games from Devin Booker, and the Suns down 3-2 in a best-of-seven series, Paul's odds at WynnBET for Finals MVP have now dropped considerably.

Updated NBA Finals MVP Odds

Heading into Game 6, Paul is now listed at +650 odds to take home MVP honors in the Finals. Giannis Antetokoumpo has surpassed Paul as the front-runner at -475 odds. Via Stathead, Antetokoumpo is one of just three players (LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to score 150+ points, 50+ rebounds, and 25+ assists through the first five game of an NBA Finals.

Following Antetokoumpo is Paul's teammate Devin Booker. The All Star shooting guard is coming off his second consecutive 40-point game in the NBA Finals, joining elite company as only the fifth player in NBA history to score 40-plus points but lose both games.

Can Chris Paul still win NBA Finals MVP?

With the series needing to go seven games to have a chance, Paul's opportunity still remains strong if the Suns can win in seven.

As our own Peter Dewey wrote after Game 1, Paul has the ability to still take over games, including doing something that only two other players had accomplished in league history.

Paul was the primary ball scorer in the closeout game vs. the Clippers as well, dropping 41 points on 16 of 24 shooting, while drilling eight three-pointers.. His combined plus/minus (+/-) in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, as well as Game 1 of the NBA Finals was +39. In the Suns' three losses, it's been a combined -29.

The good news for Paul MVP backers (and potential future backers at a discounted price) is that if Paul takes over as the primary scorer, the Suns usually win. In games where Paul scores 20+ points the NBA Playoffs, the Suns are 6-2 during this year's postseason.

Paul remains the only player in NBA history to have given up four 2-0 series leads in the playoffs , so now is the time for the 36-year old future Hall of Famer to put his legacy even more on the line. The Bucks are 5-point favorites at home in Game 6, where they have won 17 of their last 18 games straight up, and covered the spread in six of their last seven matches at Fiserv Forum.

If the Suns come back to win the NBA Finals (currently +350) at WynnBET, Paul will have to be the gamechanger that bettors saw dominate earlier in the postseason.

Interested in Chris Paul MVP odds at a discounted price?

Download the WynnBET app in New Jersey, Indiana or Colorado.