NBA Finals MVP Power Rankings (Luka Doncic Surging, Jayson Tatum Clear Favorite)
By Peter Dewey
There are two conference semifinals series that are tied at two games apiece, and there's a chance all four could be after Monday night's playoff action, which makes for a ton of intrigue in the futures market.
One of the markets where we can truly see who oddsmakers think will make the NBA Finals is by looking at the NBA Finals MVP. Jayson Tatum is favored with the Boston Celtics favored to win the title, but Nikola Jokic has surged since the last edition of these rankings.
So, is there a player to bet in the NBA Finals MVP market that may be undervalued? Here's a look at the latest odds and rankings:
Latest Odds to Win NBA Finals MVP
- Jayson Tatum: +125
- Nikola Jokic: +450
- Anthony Edwards: +850
- Luka Doncic: +1000
- Jaylen Brown: +1100
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: +1300
- Derrick White: +2500
- Jalen Brunson: +3000
- Kristaps Porzingis: +3500
- Kyrie Irving: +4000
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
NBA Finals MVP Power Rankings Based on Odds
1. Nikola Jokic (+450)
All of a sudden, the defending champs look like the defending champs again.
Denver won two road games in Minnesota to even the series, and it now has home-court advantage with the series shifting back to Denver for Game 5. Jokic was amazing in Game 4, putting up 35 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
At +450, he's the best bet amongst players remaining since he's a near lock to win Finals MVP if Denver takes it all this season -- and the Nuggets have soared in the latest title odds.
2. Jayson Tatum (+125)
Jayson Tatum is the favorite in this market, but he may not be that far ahead of some his teammates given his play in the postseason. Tatum is averaging 23.1 points per game, but he's shooting just 41.3 percent from the field.
The Celtics are likely going to be in the Finals, but I'm not sold on Tatum being this heavily favored over Jaylen Brown to win Finals MVP where I'd put him No. 1 on this list.
3. Luka Doncic (+1000)
Luka Doncic is playing through knee and ankle injuries, but he has the Dallas Mavericks up 2-1 on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Doncic's jumper has started to come around after a slow stretch, and he's a triple-double threat nightly. With the Nuggets and Timberwolves in a battle in the other Western Conference series, Luka could find himself waiting in the Western Conference Finals.
4. Anthony Edwards (+850)
Anthony Edwards is playing out of his mind in the playoffs, but the Timberwolves have squandered a 2-0 series lead against Denver. Ant Man has a real argument here if the Wolves advance, but they are now set as underdogs to beat Denver in the second round.
5. Jalen Brunson (+3000)
If you're looking for a long shot, Jalen Brunson is worth a shot at +3000, if you believe the Knicks will take down the Indiana Pacers.
Brunson would win Finals MVP in essentially any scenario where the Knicks somehow win, as he entered Game 4 against Indiana leading the playoffs in scoring.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.