Have you heard? Stephen Curry, the two-time NBA MVP and first to ever win it unanimously, has never won an NBA Finals MVP award.
If you think Steph is likely to finally add that trophy to his very-full shelf at home, you aren't alone. He's the heavy favorite at Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as of Wednesday afternoon.
2019 NBA Finals MVP Odds
Stephen Curry: opened -140, currently -140
Kawhi Leonard: opened +250, currently +300
Draymond Green: opened +1000, currently +600
Klay Thompson: opened +1400, currently +1600
Kevin Durant: opened +2000, currently +2500
Kyle Lowry: opened +4000, currently +4000
Pascal Siakam: opened +4000, currently +5000
Marc Gasol: opened +10000, currently +10000
Andre Iguodala: opened +20000, currently +10000
Serge Ibaka: opened +30000, currently +20000
Fred VanVleet: opened +30000, currently +30000
Field: opened +10000, currently +10000
Durant has won each of the past two NBA Finals MVP awards, but he's listed at 25-1 as of writing due to the uncertainty around when he will return from a calf injury that sidelined him the entirety of the Western Conference Finals. He's already been ruled out for Game 1 on Thursday, and it's likely he won't return until a few games into the series.
Kawhi Leonard is second behind Curry with +300 odds — slightly higher than the odds of the Toronto Raptors winning the Finals (+240 at Westgate).
And don't be fooled: A bet on Kawhi is a bet on the Raptors to win. Jerry West, in the first year NBA Finals MVP was awarded in 1969, remains the only player to win despite losing the series. LeBron James got close in 2015, but the award ultimately went to his defender, Andre Iguodala, who is at 100-1 to win it this season.
Steph will likely be the most public bet, even at -140 odds, but the other starters could warrant some attention from bettors. Especially Draymond Green, who dominated the Blazers in the WCF with Durant out.
If the series goes short enough where Durant is unable to play or play very little, Draymond and Klay could be sneaky bets at low odds.
