NBA Finals MVP Odds: Can Anyone Unseat Chris Paul After Game 1 Masterpiece?

Chris Paul isn’t making it easy on the chasing pack for the NBA Finals MVP award, as he turned in another masterful performance in Game 1 on Tuesday to give the Phoenix Suns a 1-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks.

WynnBET now has Paul as a -140 favorite to win the award, and he’s way ahead of the next closest player on the odds list. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who surprisingly returned from a hyperextended knee for Game 1, is in second at +350 and Devin Booker, who was in second entering Game 1, is third at +400. 

Paul seems to have a stranglehold on the award, and if the 11-time All-Star continues his strong play, it’s hard to see anyone else winning the award as long as the Suns take the series. WynnBET currently has Phoenix as a -320 favorite to win the NBA Finals. 

While Paul is a major favorite, there are a few players that could make a case for the award, and they may be worth a look considering the longer odds that they are facing. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo NBA Finals MVP Odds (+350)

Antetokounmpo’s return to the lineup has moved him up the odds list at WynnBET, but he didn’t have the best performance in Game 1. 

The two-time MVP wasn’t nearly as aggressive as Milwaukee would like, as he attempted just 11 shots despite going 6-for-11 from the field. Antetokounmpo finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds, but he will need to get back to the 28.2 points per game he was averaging this postseason before the injury. 

The 11 shots were Giannis’ lowest shot total in a game that he finished this postseason, but it also could be a sign that he can only get better from here in the series. 

The Suns don’t have much size after Deandre Ayton, and backup big Dario Saric was injured in Game 1. Giannis should be able to feast on the Phoenix defense, and at +350 odds he’s a great pick if the Bucks can come back and win the series. 

Khris Middleton NBA Finals MVP Odds (+550)

Yesterday, I wrote about Middleton’s chances of winning Finals MVP under the assumption that Antetokounmpo, who was doubtful, would at least miss Game 1. 

Now that Giannis is back, Middleton’s Finals MVP odds look less enticing, but he did have a strong performance in the series opener. 

This is a great sign for the Bucks, as Middleton has been extremely inconsistent this postseason. He put up 29 points, seven rebounds and four dimes on 12-of-26 shooting in Game 1 and was the clear-cut No. 1 option for Milwaukee. 

Obviously, the Bucks need to get Antetokounmpo more shots, but with Jrue Holiday taking a step back in Game 1, Middleton could play his way into the Finals MVP conversation if Milwaukee wins it all. 

Deandre Ayton NBA Finals MVP Odds (+1000)

If you want a value pick for Finals MVP, Ayton is your guy. 

Look, Paul is a major favorite for a reason, but if the Suns are able to parlay their Game 1 win into an NBA title, then Ayton certainly deserves a look for the award. 

Paul and others have praised him as the key to the Suns’ playoff run, and Ayton put up his 12th double-double of the postseason in Game 1. He finished with 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, 18 rebounds and was plus-13 in 39 minutes. 

The Suns destroyed the Bucks in pick-and-roll situations, as they either found Ayton on a switch for an easy bucket or allowed Booker and Paul to take Brook Lopez one-on-one. 

If Milwaukee doesn’t adjust, Ayton could be a double-double machine in these Finals. 

Devin Booker NBA Finals MVP Odds (+400)

Booker put up 27 points in his NBA Finals debut, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line in the process, but his path to Finals MVP seems firmly blocked by Paul at the moment. 

Since CP3 returned from his bout with COVID-19, Booker has taken a step back as a playmaker after posting a 40-point triple-double in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. 

While Booker’s primary responsibility is to score, he’s shot just 35.2 percent from the field since Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, and he’s taken a back seat to Paul down the stretch in the last two Suns wins. 

If Booker gets hot again, he certainly could surge up the odds list, but if his shooting struggles continue, he doesn't have much more of a case to be the Finals MVP with Paul playing at this level.