Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the heavy favorites to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Here's an updated look at the betting leaderboard for all contenders vying for the Bill Russell trophy.
2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder | -165 |
| Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks | +500 |
| Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | +750 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers | +900 |
| Jalen Williams | Oklahoma City Thunder | +3000 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | New York Knicks | +4300 |
| Julius Randle | Minnesota Timberwolves | +4500 |
| Pascal Siakam | Indiana Pacers | +4600 |
| Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | +5500 |
| Myles Turner | Indiana Pacers | +12000 |
| O.G. Anunoby | New York Knicks | +20000 |
| Mikal Bridges | New York Knicks | +20000 |
Odds as of May 19, 2025 at FanDuel Sportsbook
2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Betting favorite: shai gilgeous-alexander, oklahoma city thunder (-165)
History isn't on Gilgeous-Alexander's side here, especially if he ends up winning regular season MVP which he's currently projected to do. There have only been 15 instances in league history when a player has taken home both MVP awards, and it hasn't happened since 2013 when LeBron James did so with the Miami Heat. Even so, if there's anyone capable of breaking the trend and possibly even becoming the first to ever win three MVPs in a single season, what with the addition of a conference finals MVP, it's undoubtedly someone of SGA's talents.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 or more points in each of the final three games against the Denver Nuggets and five out of seven overall. His 29 points per game are the most by any player still actively competing in the conference finals.
2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Betting contender: Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks (+500)
The New York Knicks have punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000, thanks in large part to the contributions of All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson.
He currently ranks sixth in the postseason in scoring at 28.8 points per game with five instances in which he's dropped 30 or more points thus far. The newly-crowned Clutch Player of the Year has also picked up right where he left off during the regular season with 43 clutch points, with no one else across the Association having more than 26.
Past 10 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Winners
| Year | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics |
| 2023 | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets |
| 2022 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| 2021 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2020 | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2019 | Kawhi Leonard | Toronto Raptors |
| 2018 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 2017 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 2016 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2015 | Andre Iguodala | Golden State Warriors |
Only former Warriors forward Kevin Durant has managed to repeat as Finals Most Valuable Player over the last decade. He s LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players since 2000 to do so.
Who Has Won The Most NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards?
| NBA Finals MVP Wins | Player | Team | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 |
| 4 | LeBron James | Miami Heat (2), Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers | 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020 |
| 3 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 1999, 2003, 2005 |
| 3 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 1980, 1982, 1987 |
| 3 | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | 2000, 2001, 2002 |
| 2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers | 1971, 1985 |
| 2 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | 1984, 1986 |
| 2 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | 2009, 2010 |
| 2 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors | 2017, 2018 |
| 2 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors | 2014, 2019 |
| 2 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 1994, 1995 |
| 2 | Willis Reed | New York Knicks | 1970, 1973 |
The Finals Most Valuable Player award was first introduced in 1969 and won by Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West. Since its inception, only Michael Jordan and LeBron James have captured the award four or more times.
NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Winners By Position
| Position | Winners |
|---|---|
| Small Forward | 15 |
| Center | 14 |
| Shooting Guard | 11 |
| Point Guard | 9 |
| Power Forward | 7 |
How To Read NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Odds
When you visit your NBA betting site of choice, you’ll notice 2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player odds laid out like this:
- Jayson Tatum +750
- Jaylen Brown +850
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +850
- Nikola Jokic +900
Unlike a moneyline bet where favorites are shown by the minus sign (-) and underdogs have a plus sign (+), the player with the lowest odds with the plus sign (+) is the favorite. In this scenario, Jayson Tatum is favored. If you were to bet $100 on Tatum in the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player betting odds and it hits, you would win $850 – your $100 is returned and you would get $750 in profit.
If you were to bet on which player will be named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, you would make a futures bet.
What Is A Futures Bet?
This is a bet made on events that will happen in time. In this case, it’s NBA Finals Finals Most Valuable Player. To make a Odds Calculator can give you an idea of how much you’d win based on the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player odds and the amount of money you bet.
