The NBA Finals MVP race is heating up, with Jayson Tatum and Luka Dončić being the clear favorites at BetMGM ahead of Game 1. While Dončić is considered the best player in the series, Tatum has better odds due to the Celtics being favored to win over the Mavericks.
Tatum has been averaging 26 points per game on 44% shooting in the postseason, but his 3-point percentage has been lower than usual at 29%. Meanwhile, Dončić’s field goal percentage has dropped this postseason due to injuries and more defensive focus. He went from averaging almost 34 points per game in the regular season to under 29 points per game in the playoffs.
Jaylen Brown is also a strong contender for Finals MVP at +625, averaging 25 points per game and shooting over 54% from the field in the playoffs. Kyrie Irving is also on everyone’s radar as he faces his former team, the Celtics, for the first time as a member of the Mavericks at +1800. Irving has been playing well for the Mavericks in the playoffs, shooting nearly 49% and averaging 22.8 points and 5.2 assists per game.
The odds for Finals MVP drop significantly after these top four players are listed, with Luka Doncic being favored by +200 while Jayson Tatum being favored by -120. The other players have long odds such as Kevin Love who is listed at +30000 or Gordon Hayward who is listed at +7500 . It will be interesting to see how these players perform throughout
