After spoiling the Celtics’ astonishing series comeback in Game 7, the Miami Heat will take on the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. The stars tend to shine brighter when a championship is on the line, but sometimes surprising playmakers can emerge to earn most valuable player (like Andre Iguodala in 2015).
DraftKings has released their NBA Finals MVP Odds, so let’s take a look at who has the best chance to take home the hardware.
NBA Finals MVP Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Nikola Jokic | -360 |
| Jimmy Butler | +330 |
| Jamal Murray | +1700 |
| Bam Adebayo | +4000 |
| Caleb Martin | +5000 |
| Tyler Herro | +10000 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | +10000 |
| Aaron Gordon | +15000 |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 30.
Will Jokic Continue His Dominance?
This is the obvious choice if Denver wins the NBA Finals. Although Jokic lost out on the regular season MVP to Joel Embiid, the Nuggets big man definitely has a chance to take home the MVP award when it matters most if he continues to perform.
The Nuggets catalyst is averaging a triple-double in Denver’s last 15 playoffs games. The numbers are almost unprecedented as the Joker boasts an average of 29.9 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 10.3 APG in the postseason.
Jokic is firing on all cylinders right now and it may even be in the Heat’s favor to focus on shutting down all other pieces of the Denver offense allowing Jokic to score as much as he wants with limited support. No matter how you slice it, he’s the easy favorite for NBA Finals MVP.
Can Jimmy Butler Lead Another Upset?
This is Butler’s eleventh playoff of his career and second NBA Finals appearance, so it is safe to say he has the experience to perform well enough to be an MVP. The question now is can he step up and lead this Heat team as a scorer to an NBA Finals title? It is crystal clear at this point that the Heat can only win if Butler is scoring. Some would place a lot of confidence in the icey free throws in Game 6 that eventually were rendered meaningless.
- Our top NBA props. Everyday. Matt LaMarca runs through his Best NBA Player Props for every game of the NBA Finals.
A closer look though shows that Bulter’s jumper has been off. Perhaps he’s running into tired legs? Scoring 30-plus is almost a necessity if Miami wants to counter Denver’s juggernaut offense.
Right now Butler is averaging 28.5 points. That number has to improve if the Heat have any chance of winning.
Don’t Count Out Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray was defined by a notable 2020 NBA playoffs performance (in the bubble) until a detrimental ACL injury left him thinking he was damaged goods. Now in 2023, Murray is averaging 27.7 points in the postseason compared to “Bubble Murray” posting a 26.5 ppg mark in 2020.
If the Nuggets PG can continue to pair these career numbers with Jokic’s dominance, it may be a coin flip for which player will take home the NBA Finals MVP.