The NBA introduced the Conference Finals MVP award during the 2022 playoffs to mixed reception. So far, the following players have won: Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Nikola Jokic.
Based on the current odds, Tatum and Jokic are once again among the favorites to take home the Larry Bird Trophy (East) and Earvin “Magic” Johnson Trophy (West), respectively. However, as with all things NBA odds this postseason, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards is making a hard charge and is now the favorite in the West.
NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP odds
The odds and public betting splits below are via BetMGM.
| Round 1 Opening Odds | May 6 Odds | Current Odds | May 6 Ticket% | May 6 Handle% | |
| Jayson Tatum | +115 | -120 | -130 | 23% | 47.9% |
| Jalen Brunson | +1400 | +320 | +350 | 17.1% | 6.7% |
| Derrick White | +4000 | +1200 | +1100 | 5.2% | 7.5% |
| Tyrese Haliburton | +6600 | +1600 | +2500 | 5.2% | 2.3% |
| Jaylen Brown | +500 | +800 | +600 | 3.3% | 15.4% |
| Donte DiVincenzo | +50000 | +20000 | +20000 | 3.3% | 0.7% |
| Pascal Siakam | +20000 | +3000 | +6600 | 2.2% | 3.3% |
| Josh Hart | +25000 | +6600 | +6600 | 1.9% | 0.6% |
| Myles Turner | +100000 | +25000 | +25000 | 1.9% | 0.1% |
| Donovan Mitchell | +2200 | +2000 | +6600 | 1.5% | 0.4% |
| Jrue Holiday | +4000 | +15000 | +12500 | 1.1% | 0.1% |
| OG Anunoby | +50000 | +25000 | +25000 | 1.1% | 0.1% |
| Evan Mobley | +25000 | +25000 | +50000 | 1.1% | 0.0% |
Boston rosters three of the top four favorites to win the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, which speaks to the Celtics’ dominance. Superstar Jayson Tatum has minus odds (-130), which means he is actually favored over the field.
Meanwhile, Derrick White, in particular, has experienced a dramatic line change; he has shifted from +4000 odds at the start of the playoffs to +1100 now. Given his hyper-elite efficiency and all-around stats, White’s odds may continue to move.
New York’s Jalen Brunson currently leads the postseason in scoring, and the veteran owns the second-shortest odds to earn the honor. Indiana upsetting Milwaukee torpedoed Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam’s odds, although it will be an uphill battle against New York’s elite defense.
It’s worth noting that every top player saw a decent to significant drop in Finals MVP odds after advancing past the first round except for Donovan Mitchell. This may be due to two factors: Cleveland looked incredibly flimsy in the first round and during game one, and Boston appears to be a juggernaut.
Eastern Conference Finals MVP betting trends
A pair of Celtics are seeing plenty of action over the past two days. From May 4 to May 6, Tatum went from 39% of the handle to 47%, while White climbed from 3.6% to 7.5%. However, Jaylen Brown’s handle numbers shrunk almost 5 percentage points during this timeline. Outside of those three, every other player experienced a slight increase or decrease in handle percentage for NBA betting sites.
NBA Western Conference Finals MVP odds
The following odds and public betting splits are from BetMGM.
| Round 1 Opening Odds | May 6 Odds | Current Odds | May 6 Ticket% | May 6 Handle% | |
| Nikola Jokic | +160 | +250 | +750 | 33.2% | 57% |
| Anthony Edwards | +1000 | +250 | +125 | 13.6% | 11.2% |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +700 | +325 | +250 | 9.2% | 6.5% |
| Luka Doncic | +750 | +400 | +700 | 9.2% | 4.7% |
| Jamal Murray | +1800 | +3000 | +8000 | 8.3% | 5.9% |
| Kyrie Irving | +8000 | +2500 | +2500 | 2.1% | 1% |
| Chet Holmgren | +15000 | +5000 | +6600 | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Jalen Williams | +10000 | +6600 | +4000 | 1.8% | 1% |
| Michael Porter Jr. | +12500 | +15000 | +30000 | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | +3500 | +3000 | +1400 | 0.6% | 2.2% |
| Josh Giddey | +50000 | +15000 | +30000 | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Naz Reid | +25000 | +15000 | +15000 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Rudy Gobert | +10000 | +10000 | +5000 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Aaron Gordon | +12500 | +15000 | +30000 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
After a stellar postseason run — including two consecutive victories over Denver — Edwards is now favored to win Western Conference Finals MVP. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has jumped to the clear second favorite, while Jokic and Luka Doncic of Dallas form the second tier. If Denver and Dallas turn the tide in their respective series, then look for these superstars to descend towards even money.
Second options Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyrie Irving, and Jalen Williams are still within striking distance, according to online sportsbooks.
With Edwards, Doncic, and Gilgeous-Alexander drawing the vast majority of defensive attention, it’s highly possible that these second options produce explosive scoring outbursts, thus giving them a clear path to the award.
Western Conference Finals MVP betting trends
Edwards has been a popular figure for bettors over the past few days, including with NBA Finals MVP odds. From May 4 to May 6, the Timberwolves superstar spiked from 8.6% of the handle to 11.2%, and he also saw a 3.2 percentage point increase in ticket percentage. Nikola Jokic still easily dominates with 57% of the handle, but it would hardly be surprising if the gap closes even further throughout the series.
No other player has experienced a radical change during this span, although a commanding lead by Dallas or Oklahoma City over the next few games could cause an avalanche of action on Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, or the respective team’s second options.
