NBA Finals MVP Odds 2025: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Top Betting Favorites Analyzed
Who has the best odds to win the NBA Finals MVP? Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the runaway favorite, but there are many other contenders to win the award, from Jayson Tatum to Nikola Jokic. Mark Harris breaks down the 2025 NBA Finals MVP odds.
Mark Harris - May 8, 2025, 4:28 PM EDT
5 minNBA Finals MVP Odds 2025: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Top Betting Favorites Analyzed
The 2025 NBA playoffs have been one unexpected twist and turn after another. From upsets to injuries, it's hard to predict what will happen on a given night.
That unpredictability does not apply to the NBA Finals MVP odds, however.
The oddsmakers think that one of the favorites will win the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award. Probable regular-season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also expected to take home Finals MVP, listed as a +125 favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook.
After SGA, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum slots in as the second favorite with +440 odds. Tatum has been far from perfect this postseason, but the sportsbooks still give Boston the second-best odds to win the championship, and if that happens, he would likely win MVP.
Seven players are under +2000 odds to win the NBA Finals MVP, and I break down their chances to win the award below:
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NBA Finals MVP Odds
NBA Finals MVP Odds 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +125 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
It's easy to see why SGA is the odds-on favorite to win Finals MVP. He is the clear best player on the team that is favored to win the championship, and history tells us the best player on the championship-winning team also wins Finals MVP.
Now, it doesn't happen all the time. Many considered Tatum as the best player on last year's Celtics, yet Jaylen Brown played better in the Finals and took home Finals MVP. Andre Iguodala's Finals MVP for the 2015 Golden State Warriors also comes to mind.
If you think that kind of trend will repeat itself this season, consider Jalen Williams (+5000) or Chet Holmgren (+7500) for this award. Secondary players winning Finals MVP are exceptions to the rule, however, and with SGA averaging roughly 30 points per game in the playoffs, he'll win Finals MVP if OKC is cutting down the nets.
Jayson Tatum +440 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
The oddsmakers trust Tatum and the Celtics more than this writer.
Maybe Boston can claw back against the New York Knicks and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals... maybe. Even if the Celtics do move on, they cannot be trusted to win two more rounds.
Something just feels off with this team. Their offense looks stagnant, and Tatum plays a big role in that. He's settled for way too many 3-pointers and has not looked comfortable against the Knicks. It is very difficult to envision him winning Finals MVP at this point.
Anthony Edwards +1100 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
I'm a little surprised to see Edwards with the third-best odds, if I'm being honest.
He's been too inconsistent in the playoffs. In Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers, he went 8-of-22 from the floor, he only scored 15 points (5-of-19) in Game 5, and he and the Timberwolves were atrocious in Game 1 vs. the Golden State Warriors.
Sure, I'm cherry-picking games, but if Minnesota makes it to the Finals, he'll need to score efficiently in order to win Finals MVP. Steph Curry being out with a hamstring injury should help the Timberwolves advance to the Western Conference Finals, so that is a big plus in Edwards' favor.
Donovan Mitchell +1100 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Mitchell's individual play warrants his ranking. Unfortunately, his teammates are crumbling around him.
Injuries to Darius Garland, De'Andre Hunter, and Evan Mobley have thrown Cleveland's championship aspirations off course and it seems like it is too much for Mitchell and the Cavaliers to overcome.
Even his 48-point outburst in Game 2 wasn't enough for Cleveland to win. Mitchell will clearly be the Cavaliers' best player if he single-handedly beats the Indiana Pacers and goes on to win the Finals, but he's got to get there first, and that is a lot to ask with three important teammates out.
Jalen Brunson +1400 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
The Knicks can't keep getting away with this, right?
Five of New York's postseason wins have been by 10 combined points, and Brunson has played a crucial role in the Knicks emerging victorious in those games. He hit the series-clinching 3-pointer in Game 6 against the Pistons, he powered New York's comeback in Game 1 against the Celtics, then scored the final six points in Game 2.
Like SGA, Brunson is also averaging around 30 PPG, so he's also providing the bulk scoring. He's the heart and soul of the Knicks, and if they somehow win it all this year, he would win Finals MVP.
Nikola Jokic +1700 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
The only guy who has a Finals MVP on his resume and the player who most consider the best in the world has the sixth-best odds to win another Bill Russell MVP Award.
Jokic and the Nuggets will have to beat this juggernaut Thunder team for this to even be a possibility. But if they do, then watch out.
If Denver can take down OKC, which would be a huge upset, then it will have home court advantage in the Western Conference Finals and likely will avoid Boston or Cleveland in the NBA Finals.
That is a very clear path, and we know Jokic will put up unreal stat lines with ease. He just needs to get past the Thunder first...
Tyrese Haliburton +1900 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Haliburton should not be this low. The "overrated" point guard has already played a huge role in the Pacers building a series lead over the Cavaliers, and it's very possible he and Indiana won't have to play the Celtics.
The road to the NBA Finals is right there for the Pacers, and that's half the battle in winning Finals MVP.
Haliburton will have the production to back up the award as well. He's dishing out 10.7 assists per game in the playoffs and scoring at an efficient rate (47.1% FG in playoffs) while stepping up in the clutch.
Add in a solid supporting cast and championship-level coach in Rick Carlisle, and Haliburton has a real chance of playing at this biggest stage. His +1900 Finals MVP odds are great value for an ascending playmaker in the unstable Eastern Conference.
NBA ODDS
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