NBA Odds: Stephen Curry Skyrocketing Up Finals MVP Betting Boards
Curry is now +575 at PointsBet
The NBA Finals MVP betting market is a fascinating one to follow.
American sportsbooks typically open the market before the NBA playoffs and it remains fluid as the postseason treks on. Player odds fluctuate based on team status and series standing. For example, Kevin Durant rose from 10-1 to 15-1 after the Brooklyn Nets dropped their opener to the Boston Celtics.
Things got even more interesting Tuesday night when the best player on the title favorite -- Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker -- left the game with a hamstring injury and did not return. Multiple books have temporarily pulled their odds to win Finals MVP, but a few shops are still taking bets.
And it's impossible to ignore Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry's rise up the sheet.
Curry was as high as 12-1 before the Warriors opened their series against the Denver Nuggets. Then he scored 16 points in 21 minutes in Game 1 and exploded for 34 points in Game 2. Combine those performances with the Curry money that obviously poured into the market and Booker's injury, and the Warriors' path to an NBA title looks much clearer.
Naturally, Curry's odds were slashed down to +575 at PointsBet.
Odds to win NBA Finals MVP at PointsBet:
Devin Booker +450 ($100 wins $450)
Giannis Antetokounmpo +525
Stephen Curry +575
Chris Paul +800
Jayson Tatum +900
Jimmy Butler +1000
Kevin Durant +1500
Joel Embiid +1600
Ja Morant +2000
Bam Adebayo +2500
Deandre Ayton +3000
Kyrie Irving +4000
Jaylen Brown +4000 ($100 wins $4,000)
Even at those prices, you can still find solid value with certain players. Take Miami's Jimmy Butler for example. The Heat are the No. 1 seed in the East and have a very nice bracket with a likely second-round matchup against Philadelphia and then either Boston, Brooklyn or Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference finals. And it's no secret that Miami is Butler's team.
Why bet the Heat to win the title at +700 when you can bet Butler +1000?
Another interesting angle involves Suns guard Chris Paul. Phoenix is as low as +275 to win the whole thing, but you can bet Paul to win Finals MVP at +800. Booker is the best player, but these awards often come down to narratives. If Paul nearly averages a triple-double at age 37 for his first NBA championship, he'll certainly get plenty of love for the award.
Also, Boston's Jayson Tatum is +900 while the Celtics are +700 or +750 to win it all. Just saying.
No matter who you decide to bet for Finals MVP, you shouldn't wait much longer.
Giannis Antetokuonmpo's odds will dip from +525 to +450 when Milwaukee shuts Chicago's lights out. Butler will move in from +1000 to +800 after Miami eliminates Atlanta. And by the time the Warriors likely meet the Suns, Curry's odds could be as short as +300. If Golden State gets by Phoenix to reach the Finals for the first time in three seasons, kiss that value goodbye.
So what are you waiting for?
