Nikola Jokic, Jimmy Butler favorites to take home MVP trophy
The 2023 NBA Finals commence Thursday night, and fans are already speculating who will take home this season’s Finals MVP award. According to odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Denver Nuggets are favored to win the series at -460. It’s no surprise that their two-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, is also favored to be the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP (-340). On the other hand, the underdog Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler has the second-best odds to win the award (+430).
Other players with better odds are Denver’s Jamal Murray and Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin with odds better than 100/1 to win. In this article, we will take a deeper look at the favorites to be this season’s Finals MVP.
Nikola Jokic -340
An NBA Finals MVP award would be a fitting end to Jokic’s historic playoff run. He is currently averaging a triple-double (29.9 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 10.3 apg) in these playoffs. His eight triple-doubles are the most for any player during a single postseason. Jokic received all nine votes for the Earvin “Magic” Johnson Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Western Conference Finals after the Nuggets’ four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers. He runs everything in the offensive end for Denver, and if the Nuggets are able to pull off a series win, he will almost assuredly put up big numbers.
Jimmy Butler +430
After an incredibly impressive playoff performance of his own, Butler is averaging 28.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, and 5.7 apg this postseason, leading the Heat to massive upsets of the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics during an improbable NBA Finals run. He is the undisputed leader of this Miami team. If they are able to, somehow, pull off another upset of the Nuggets, Butler will be at the center of it.
Betting on the NBA? NBA Finals MVP long shots
Jamal Murray +1200
Murray has once again proven to be a worthy second fiddle to Jokic’s greatness. He is averaging 32.5 ppg on 52.7 percent shooting and 40.5 percent on 3-pointers during the Nuggets’ series against the Lakers. Murray likley will have to play even better against the Heat to dethrone Jokic as the team’s MVP, but he has done it before. He famously scored 40-plus points in three straight games, including two 50-point showings, during Denver’s first-round series against the Utah Jazz in 2020. That’s the type of performance he will need if bettors want to hit on this long shot.
Caleb Martin +6500
Martin fell just one vote short of beating Butler out for the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award. The undrafted forward scored 19.3 ppg on 60 percent from the field during the series again Boston while going a white-hot 22-for-45 on 3-pointers, including 26 points and 10 rebounds in Game 7. If Martin can win the MVP, he would be the biggest long-shot since Andre Iguodala won the trophy during the 2015 NBA Finals at 125-1 odds before the series.
FAQs:
When do the 2023 NBA Finals take place?
The 2023 NBA Finals began on Thursday night.
Who are the favorites to win the NBA Finals MVP award?
Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic is favored to be the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP (-340), followed by Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler (+430).
Who are the long shots to win the NBA Finals MVP award?
Long shots to win the NBA Finals MVP award are Denver’s Jamal Murray (+1200), Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin with odds better than 100/1.
Jokic and Butler are leading contenders for the MVP award.
The 2023 NBA Finals are just around the corner, and the latest betting odds are in for the season’s Finals MVP Award. With the Denver Nuggets as heavy favorites to win the series at -460 (FanDuel), their two-time MVP Nikola Jokic is also the favorite to be the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP (-340). Meanwhile, the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler has the second-best odds to win the award (+430) as the team’s underdog status has yet to deter his impressive playoff performances.
Other players, such as Denver’s Jamal Murray and Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin, have odds better than 100/1 to be the Finals MVP. It’s worth noting that if Martin wins, he would be the biggest long-shot to win it since Andre Iguodala took the trophy during the 2015 NBA Finals at 125-1 odds.
Jokic’s legendary playoff run could culminate with the NBA Finals MVP Award. He has averaged a triple-double (29.9 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 10.3 apg) in this season’s playoffs and garnered recognition when he got all nine votes for the Earvin “Magic” Johnson Trophy as the Most Valuable Player during the 2023 Western Conference Finals, following the Nuggets’ four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers. With everything on the offensive end of the game revolving around him, Jokic could easily put up big numbers if the Nuggets win the series.
Butler’s performance places him second in line for the Finals MVP Award, with the Heat relying heavily on his leadership skills. He has maintained an average of 28.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 5.7 apg this postseason, leading the Heat to massive upsets of the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics during their improbable NBA Finals run. His impressive performance has even secured him better odds to win the Finals MVP Award than the Heat have of beating the Nuggets in the series.
Jamal Murray [+1200] and Caleb Martin [+6500] are two long shots who could surprise fans and win the Finals MVP Award. Murray, who has played second-fiddle to Jokic throughout the season, has proven himself as a worthy teammate, with an average of 32.5 points on 52.7 percent shooting and 40.5 percent on 3-pointers during the Nuggets’ series against the Lakers. Martin fell just one vote short of beating Butler out for the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, and his performances in the playoffs have caught the attention of many fans.
All eyes will be glued to the court as the NBA Finals kick off Thursday night. With the latest betting odds predicting a Nuggets win, fans will have to wait to see who will take home this season’s coveted NBA Finals MVP Award.