Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat NBA Finals MVP Betting Odds

Alex Murray
By:
Alex Murray
01 Jun 23
Betting Magazine
News - NBA
Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat NBA Finals MVP Betting Odds

The NBA Finals have arrived and the matchup is one that not many people would have predicted. The Denver Nuggets cruised to their first ever Finals appearance while the eighth-seeded Miami Heat scraped and clawed their way to their second Finals in four years. The Nuggets are massive favorites to win the title, so it makes sense that their best player, Nikola Jokic, is the moneyline favorite to win Finals MVP, but who else has a shot at bringing home the hardware according to sports betting sites and betting apps?

Highlights

  • Nikola Jokic was the NBA MVP in 2021 and 2022
  • Only one player from the losing team has ever won NBA Finals MVP
  • There are five players with odds shorter than +6,000 to win Finals MVP

Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat NBA Finals MVP Odds

The only player to win the NBA Finals MVP award despite his team losing the series is Jerry West, who won the first ever Finals MVP award. West averaged video game numbers in that series, putting up 37.9 points and 7.4 assists a game, so it’s safe to say the winner this year will be the best player on the winning team, as it has been the last 53 years. All odds provided by Bet99 app.

Player

Team

Finals MVP Odds

Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets

-371

Jimmy Butler

Miami Heat

+360

Jamal Murray

Denver Nuggets

+1,000

Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat

+3,400

Caleb Martin

Miami Heat

+5,900

Nikola Jokic Finals MVP Odds Analysis

By far the best player in these playoffs, this award is Nikola Jokic’s to lose. The Nuggets are massive favorites to win the title, but the Big Cevapi is an even bigger favorite to take home the Finals MVP award.

Jokic has notched a triple-double in six of his last eight games, which speaks to how Jokic’s play has improved with each passing round. His matchup against Bam Adebayo is one he should absolutely dominate, so it would be hard to imagine the Joker having a bad series. He’s the odds-on favorite for a very good reason here.

Jimmy Butler Finals MVP Odds Analysis

Miami’s leading man was the talk of the playoffs through the first two rounds, but he slowed down considerably in the Conference Finals. Whether it’s his gas tank that’s running short or it’s the ankle injury that’s been bothering him, who’s to say.

Despite that, Butler has still been hooping late in games, often having a quiet first three quarters before heating up and closing out in the final frame. Butler has been getting a ton of help from the supporting cast in recent games, but as Butler goes is still as the Heat go in general.

Jamal Murray Finals MVP Odds Analysis

This is the option we like the most because at +1,000 Jamal Murray is offering a ton of value and has a pretty realistic chance of winning the award. We once saw Andre Iguodala win Finals MVP over that year’s MVP, Steph Curry, so anything is possible with this award.

Murray has been a deadeye shooter throughout these playoffs, but it’s the sequences when he goes nuclear that could be the catalyst for him to pay out on those +1,000 odds. He could have easily been the MVP of Denver’s first round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves and led Denver in scoring against the Lakers. If he can explode and win two games for Denver in this series, the Blue Arrow has a great shot at becoming the first ever Canadian Finals MVP.

Bam Adebayo Finals MVP Odds Analysis

The Heat’s big man has been a bit of an enigma in these playoffs, playing a massive role in Miami’s success one night and disappearing the next. After his performances in the Eastern Conference Final, Bam Adebayo clearly needs to build a more varied post game and needs to work on his ball security down low as well.

Bam needs to take and make high percentage shots on the offensive end, but his argument for Finals MVP will almost certainly hinge on his defensive presence against Jokic. Adebayo’s path to Finals MVP is a very specific one, but it’s definitely plausible. If Bam can get the Serbian big man in foul trouble on offense and frustrate the Joker enough on defense to push the Heat to victory, Adebayo’s case will be a good one, and at +3,400 odds, it’s worth a flier.

Caleb Martin Finals MVP Odds Analysis

A lot of people thought Caleb Martin could have won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award over Butler, as he was a much more consistent scorer throughout each game of the series. Perhaps no one in the NBA made a bigger leap from regular season to postseason than Martin has.

After posting 9.6 points per game on a 46/36/81 shooting line during the regular season, he has taken his game to a new level in the playoffs. He was especially good against Boston, averaging 19.3 points and 6.4 rebounds on an unconscious shooting line of 60/49/88. If he averages 20+ on similar efficiency and the Heat win, he’ll have to be part of the MVP conversation, and at +5,900 odds, that’s all you can ask for.

Alex is a recent graduate of Ryerson's Sport Media program in 2019 and has been contributing to BettingTop10 since 2020. He has worked in the field of sports and sports betting for several years, including writing for theScore and daily fantasy sports website FantasyPros as one of their lead NBA news writers. A dedicated sports fan and experienced sports bettor, Alex has the knowledge to provide you with the best betting advice and the sneakiest props no matter what the sport may be.