An injury to Devin Booker plus the early postseason play of Stephen Curry has forced a change in NBA Finals MVP odds.
Booker opened the playoffs as the betting favorite at BetMGM with +500 odds (bet $100 to win $500) and took more bets than any other player, but a hamstring strain he suffered in the Suns' Game 2 loss to the Pelicans will sideline him into the second round should the No. 1 seed advance. Phoenix holds a 3-2 lead in the series after a Game 5 win on Tuesday.
NBA Finals MVP Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Steph Curry | +450 |
| Jayson Tatum | +550 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +750 |
| Chris Paul | +800 |
| Devin Booker | +800 |
| Jimmy Butler | +900 |
| Ja Morant | +1800 |
| Jaylen Brown | +1800 |
| Luka Doncic | +1800 |
| Joel Embiid | +2000 |
| Jordan Poole | +2000 |
| Odds as of April 27 and via BetMGM | |
Meanwhile, Curry has ascended to the top of the NBA Finals MVP oddsboard. After opening +1400, Curry is down to +450 as of writing on Wednesday. The Warriors guard is averaging 27.5 points per game despite playing just 28 minutes per game off the bench as he returns from a foot injury.
The Warriors hold a 3-1 series lead over the Nuggets and are 8.5-point favorites in Game 5 on Wednesday (check real-time NBA odds here).
According to data released by BetMGM, more money has been bet on Curry to win the award than any other player this postseason. Booker is second in total handle, while Giannis Antetokounmpo (+850) is third.
The other notable riser is Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who has the second-best odds at +550. In a clean sweep of the Nets in the opening round, Tatum scored 29.5 points per game with 7.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds. The Celtics will most likely meet the Bucks in the second round, where they are favored in the series on lookahead lines.
Other notables include Chris Paul, who remains at his opening number of +800. Jimmy Butler is down to +900 from his opener of +1800 as the Heat advanced past the Hawks into the second round. Joel Embiid's odds have lengthened from +1400 to +2000.
