The first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs begins Saturday, April 20 with four games on tap. The final 16 teams in the championship chase have been set, which means it’s also a good opportunity to take a look at the odds to win Finals MVP. Here’s a look at the odds to win the honor in 2024 courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Celtics, who enter the playoffs as favorites to win the title, have two players in the top three to win the honor with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum is the slight overall favorite ahead of Nikola Jokic, who won the award last year when the Nuggets took home the championship. Denver is only behind Boston to win the 2024 title.
Two interesting names high on the odds table are Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Clippers star Kawhi Leonard. Antetokounmpo hasn’t been officially ruled out for Game 1 against the Pacers but he’s expected to miss the start of the series. Leonard is set to play in Game 1 against the Mavericks but is dealing with knee soreness which has bugged him for the last three years. Leonard missed the final three games of LA’s first-round series against the Suns a year ago with a knee issue.
One potential longshot option for bettors who want to get in on this market early is Jamal Murray at +2800. The Nuggets are favored to win the West, and Murray had a great Finals a year ago with 21.4 points, 10 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game. There’s a chance he outshines Jokic if the Nuggets do go on to repeat and is probably the best longshot play on the board ahead of the first round.