The 2025 NBA Finals wasted little time delivering incredible drama, with the Indiana Pacers staging another late-game rally... and winning on a difficult shot by Tyrese Haliburton in the waning seconds.
Hali's latest heroics shortened his NFA Finals MVP odds... but he's still chasing the big odds-on favorite in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the Oklahoma City Thunder are still favored to win the series based on the NBA Championship odds.
This won't be the last dramatic moment of this series, but here are the latest NBA odds to win Finals MVP after a thrilling Game 1.
🏆 2025 NBA Finals MVP odds
Here are the latest NBA odds for the NBA Finals MVP race. SGA remains the betting favorite, but Haliburton has dramatically closed the gap:
| Player |  |
|---|---|
 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
-300 |
 Tyrese Haliburton |
+350 |
| Pascal Siakam |
+1200 |
| Jalen Williams |
+5000 |
| Chet Holmgren |
+12500 |
| Myles Turner |
+17500 |
| Andrew Nembhard |
+20000 |
| Aaron Nesmith |
+40000 |
| Alex Caruso |
+40000 |
| Luguentz Dort |
+40000 |
| Bennedict Mathurin |
+50000 |
| Obi Toppin |
+50000 |
👑 NBA Finals MVP favorites
Despite blowing a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter (on their home court), the Oklahoma City Thunder still have the shorter NBA Finals odds, so their biggest star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, remains the leader at -300.
SGA dropped 38 points in Game 1 of the finals, but saw his price drop from -600 before the series started... because Tyrese Haliburton continued to do Hali things.
Haliburton was just 6-of-13 from the field and finished with 14 points and six assists in Game 1, but all anyone will remember is him hitting the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left to give Indy a stunning 111-110 victory.
Here are some NBA Finals MVP betting numbers from BetMGM, prior to the start of the Finals:
- Highest NBA Finals MVP ticket percentage: Tyrese Haliburton (13.3%)
- Highest NBA Finals MVP handle percentage: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (23.3%)
- Biggest NBA Finals MVP liabilities: Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam
📈 NBA Finals MVP opening odds
Here are what NBA Finals MVP opening odds looked like, just prior to the start of the postseason.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+190)
- Jayson Tatum (+250)
- Donovan Mitchell (+650)
- Luka Doncic (+2200)
- Jaylen Brown (+2400)
- Steph Curry (+2700)
- Kristaps Porzingis (+3100)
- Nikola Jokic (+3300)
- Darius Garland (+3600)
- Evan Mobley (+3600)
- Kawhi Leonard (+4600)
- Jalen Brunson (+4900)
- LeBron James (+4900)
- Anthony Edwards (+5000)
- Karl-Anthony Towns (+6500)
- Jalen Williams (+6500)
- Chet Holmgren (+10000)
- Jimmy Butler (+11000)
- Derrick White (+12000)
- James Harden (+12000)
- Alperen Sengun (+13000)
- Tyrese Haliburton (+13000)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (+17000)
⚙️ Covers NBA betting tools
NBA Finals MVP betting splits
Highest NBA Finals MVP ticket percentage: Tyrese Haliburton
Highest NBA Finals MVP handle percentage: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Biggest NBA Finals MVP liabilities: Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam
Odds leader: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Data courtesy of BetMGM.
NBA Finals MVP trends
Here are some trends you'll want to keep in mind when placing a bet on NBA Finals MVP:
- Only one player (Jerry West, 1969) has ever won Finals MVP on the losing team.
- Nikola Jokic's 2023 Finals MVP win was the first by a center since Shaquille O'Neal in 2002.
- Forwards have won 10 of the past 12 NBA Finals MVPs.
Popular NBA futures odds
- NBA championship odds
- NBA MVP odds
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds
- NBA Most Improved Player odds
- NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds
🏀 Previous NBA Finals MVP award winners
The adage of needing versatile forwards in today's NBA rings especially true when looking at the recent Finals MVP winners. Despite Giannis being one of the most position-amorphous players in NBA history, eight of the past 10 Finals MVPs have been, at least by most definitions, forwards.
| Year | Player | 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 |
✅ Best NBA Finals MVP betting sites
Scouting basketball betting websites should be a breeze, but new bettors often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. Here are the must-have basketball betting site features you should target before placing your wagers.
Best odds: Not all sportsbooks are created equally, especially when it comes to odds. Finding the best price for your basketball bets is key to a successful betting strategy.
Live betting: Watching betting lines move in real-time and comparing statistics allows you to jump into the action at just the right moment.
Fast payouts: Accessing your hard-earned funds shouldn't feel like breaking a full-court press. It's important to choose a sportsbook that offers fast and reliable money withdrawals post-game.
Safe money transactions: The days of placing bets with bookies in shadowy back rooms are long over. Major online sportsbooks boast state-of-the-art security measures like SSL data encryption, and each holds a legal operating license from registered authorities.
NBA Finals MVP Odds FAQs
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder is the current Finals MVP favorite.
Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics is the reigning Finals MVP winner.
Yes. Legendary Lakers guard Jerry West won NBA Finals MVP honors in 1969 despite the fact Los Angeles lost to Boston in seven games. The Hall of Famer averaged 37.9 points per game in the series.
Michael Jordan won NBA Finals MVP honors six times during his time with the Bulls, including three consecutive times from 1991-93 and again from 1996-98.
The NBA Finals MVP award is determined by a panel of eleven media members, who cast votes following the deciding game of the series.
