NBA Finals MVP Odds: Is This Finally Curry’s Year?

Stephen Curry has done everything in his 12-year NBA career which includes winning three championships, back-to-back MVPs, and he has shattered numerous NBA records. What he has yet to do is capture the NBA Finals MVP. This may finally be his year, at least per the NBA Finals MVP odds, as he leads the board.

Looking Ahead to the NBA Finals MVP: The Contenders

The NBA MVP race, in its essence, boils down to the remaining playoff teams’ best players. In this case, Stephen Curry represents the Golden State Warriors, who are also the favorites to win the NBA Championship. Not far behind are Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, respectively. In fourth place is Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors’ current opponent who they are heavily favored to beat.

Stephen Curry and the First-Timers

The NBA Finals MVP of 2022 will go to a new player this year. Stephen Curry and every player still left playing has not won a Finals MVP in their career. Heck, with the exception of the Warriors’ core, nearly every player has not yet won a Larry O’Brien Trophy. This Makes the race for NBA Finals MVP Odds, even better.

Curry is the favorite for many reasons, he is the best player on the likeliest NBA Champion team and also the favorite to capture the first-ever Western Conference Finals MVP. The two-time scoring champion is averaging 26.4 points in the playoffs. While this seems modest by his standards, Curry could catch fire in the Finals.

Speaking of getting hot, either of his teammates in Jordan Poole or Klay Thompson could do it as well. Both are averaging just under 20 points a game but could “go off” and dump 30+ points on the opponent. They are listed at 20-1 and may be worth betting if the Warriors go all the way.

Going outside Golden State, Tatum is the likeliest winner as the favorite to win the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. The 6’8″ forward has put up monstrous performances such as his 46-point explosion against Milwaukee. Boston needs him to be successful more than Golden State needs Curry.

On the other side is Tatum’s foil, Butler, who has also carried the Heat and is averaging the highest points per game at a hair below 30. Both are at 3-1 odds or longer on the sportsbook.

Last but not least is Doncic. At 10-1, now may be a good time to invest in the Slovenian superstar as the Mavericks find themselves as big underdogs again. If Dallas makes the NBA Finals, Doncic could even be the favorite to win MVP.

The Andre Iguodala Effect: Can a Longshot Win Finals MVP?

The NBA Finals MVP usually goes to a superstar or a future Hall of Famer. There have only been a few who have broken the mold but the Warriors’ Andre Iguodala did it in 2015. The swingman captured the prestigious award as a 100-1 long shot. If any long shot has a chance at the NBA Finals MVP Odds, it’s Iguodala.

Iguodala’s win stunned both the betting world and the NBA fan base alike. It is unlikely to happen again, but there are a few players who could repeat this feat and Golden State has one in Andrew Wiggins.

At 125-1, Wiggins could do what Iguodala did, that is lockdown either Tatum or Butler and swing the series. He has already done a solid job on Doncic – it’s not outside the realm of possibility for him to do it to the East’s best players.

Speaking of Doncic, either Jalen Brunson or Spencer Dinwiddie could pick up the slack if he gets neutralized. Brunson and Dinwiddie already had big games for the Mavs though, 150-1 and 250-1 are intimidating odds, respectively.

Going to the East, the Celtics‘ don’t so much have long shots as they do dark horses like Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart at 20-1 each and Al Horford at 66-1. Should Tatum falter, any of them could step up and lead Boston.

Miami also has plenty of supporting stars should they be able to supersede Butler, should he slow down. Bam Adebayo is the most obvious name at 33-1 and then Tyler Herro at 60-1. The latter could follow in Iguodala’s footsteps as a bench player who captures the award. One thing we know with a certainty, the race to the NBA Finals MVP 2022 award, is going to be fun.