The 2020-21 NBA postseason is fully underway as the first-round action has been nothing short of exciting. However, some fans and experts are looking toward the championship around already, including who’ll take home this year’s NBA Finals MVP Award.
BetOnline is currently favoring Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant to win this season’s Finals MVP at +400 odds. Should he be successful, it’ll be the 32-year-old’s third time winning the award after he did it back-to-back with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
The fact of the matter is that no one should be surprised that Durant is the favorite to win NBA Finals MVP. For starters, the Nets are the current favorites to win the NBA Championship and if they do so, you’d have to think that Durant would play a big role in that. Secondly, he was one of the contenders to win the regular season MVP award throughout 2020-21 until injuries kept him sidelined for a considerable amount of time.
While Durant has always been a force during the regular season, he consistently takes it to another level in the NBA Playoffs. He’s averaged 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 141 career postseason games. He’s also done so on .475/.352/.866 shooting splits, so stopping him is easier said than done. As the Nets make quick work of the Boston Celtics in Round 1, don’t be surprised if Durant continues to dominate the league for the remainder of the playoffs.
NBA Playoff Odds: Finals MVP Award Winner
Odds* via BetOnline as of Friday, May 28
- Kevin Durant (+400)
- LeBron James (+500)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (+600)
- Anthony Davis (+750)
- Joel Embid (+900)
- Donovan Mitchell (+1200)
- James Harden (+1200)
- Kyrie Irving (+1200)
*Odds will be updated at the start of each round of the playoffs.
Complete odds list available on BetOnline.ag.
LeBron James Searching for 5th Finals MVP
When it comes to the NBA Finals, few players perform as well as LeBron James (+500). ‘The King’ has already won the award four times in his career and will be looking to make it five if the Lakers can pull through. Should James be named 2020-21 Finals MVP, he would join Michael Jordan as the only other player to receive the honor five or more times. That’s some pretty good company to be a part of.
James has played suited up for 55 games in the NBA Finals since joining the league nearly two decades ago. During that span, he’s averaging 28.4/10.2/7.8 with an additional 1.7 steals per game. Just when you think that his prime is over, James continues to shine when it counts the most. If the 7th-seeded Lakers make it to the Finals, just know that it’s likely because of No. 23.
NBA Finals MVP Odds: Can Antetokounmpo Win His First?
While Durant and James have experienced winning an NBA Finals MVP Award multiple times, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is searching for his first. BetOnline has given him +600 odds to be successful on his journey, which ranks him 3rd on their list.
There’s no way to deny Antetokounmpo’s talent. After all, there’s a reason why he and the Bucks are dominating the Miami Heat in the first round. However, something that the big man does lack is experience. The deepest that the Bucks have gone in the playoffs during the “Antetokounmpo Era” was when they were eliminated, 4-2, by the Toronto Raptors in the 2018-19 Eastern Conference Finals.
With that being said, Antetokounmpo has looked pretty good in this season’s NBA Playoffs. He’s averaging 24.7/16.0/5.3, which is better than his career postseason averages. If he can keep it up and somehow will the Bucks into the NBA Finals, Antetokounmpo could be a serious contender for the MVP award.
