2025 NBA playoff odds: Tatum, SGA favored to win conference finals MVP awards
The official NBA playoffs tip off on April 19.
For now, bettors are diving into the odds for which team will win it all, which squads will face off in conference finals and more.
Speaking of conference finals, there's another market that might pique fans' interest and that's conference finals MVP.
While we're still weeks away from the matchups being set in each conference, it's never too early to find a couple of players to back in this spot.
Let's take a look at the odds as of April 16 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
2025 Eastern Conference Finals MVP
Jayson Tatum, Celtics: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total)
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers: +370 (bet $10 to win $47 total)
Kristaps Porziņģis, Celtics: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Jaylen Brown, Celtics: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Jalen Brunson, Knicks: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Evan Mobley, Cavaliers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Darius Garland, Cavaliers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
2025 Western Conference Finals MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70 total)
Stephen Curry, Warriors: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
Luka Dončić, Lakers: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
LeBron James, Lakers: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Jalen Williams, Thunder: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Last year, Jaylen Brown edged out Jayson Tatum for Eastern Conference Finals MVP. It actually resulted in a bad beat for bettors who had backed the favorite Tatum, as Brown's odds shifted during the final game of Boston's series against the Pacers.
In the Western Conference, Luka Dončić earned WCF MVP honors in 2024, as he led his Mavericks to a 4-1 series victory over Minnesota. In that series, Dončić averaged 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.
The Eastern Conference (Larry Bird Trophy) and Western Conference (Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy) finals MVP awards have been in existence since 2022.
In the East, Tatum won it in 2022, Jimmy Butler won in 2023, and as mentioned, Brown won last year. Out West, Steph Curry won in 2022, Nikola Jokić won in 2023, and Dončić last season.
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After the Denver Nuggets lost to the Thunder in the conference semifinals, Gordon was critical of the schedule that also required his Nuggets to play a Game 7 and Game 1 in a 48-hour span. 'I would really, really appreciate it if there were a couple of days in between games in the playoffs instead of every other day,' Gordon told reporters. 'The product of the game would be a lot better. You'll see a high level of basketball. Probably less blowouts.' Advertisement Kerr hopes the league takes action and either spaces out the existing schedule by adding a week to the season calendar or cutting regular season games. But in his discussions with the league both publicly and privately, he hasn't gotten very far. I think all the complaints of the wear and tear, and the scheduling, are all valid. But they all fall on deaf ears because of the dollar sign. Warriors coach Steve Kerr 'I think all the complaints of the wear and tear, and the scheduling, are all valid,' Kerr says. 'But they all fall on deaf ears because of the dollar sign. I don't think the league's constituents are willing to give up any money, that's the problem. But we all know this is not healthy or sustainable if you want guys to survive out there and not have injuries.' Teams around the league are studying the issue ahead of the draft and free agency. Said another longtime assistant coach: 'Experience matters. So does strength. But with how the game is played, being able to move has skewed the importance more towards athleticism and youthful ability to recover more.' Kerr hopes every stakeholder will look in the mirror — including coaches. Advertisement 'We've got to try something,' Kerr says. 'It's going to take representatives from the players' association, the coaches association, the owners, the league and the TV partners to actually acknowledge all of this.' Kerr doesn't want to take away from the terrific play — and superior health — of the remaining teams. He isn't resistant to the idea of leaning on younger players — Golden State's 22-year-old Brandin Podziemski was the youngest starter in the conference semifinal field. The Gen Z takeover is happening whether the millennials are ready or not. Where does the league go from here? With the Thunder being the odds-on favorite to win it all at BetMGM, it does seem like a generational shift is occurring before our very eyes. If younger teams are indeed outpacing their older foes, it holds important implications on long-term planning projections around the league. Advertisement That's especially true for the teams hailing from the state of Texas. The Houston Rockets, whose 52-win core relied heavily on players barely of drinking age, may have reservations about giving up the farm for Durant, who turns 37 in September and has one year remaining on his contract with the Phoenix Suns. How much should they read into Butler's fast decline in the postseason with the Warriors? Up the road in San Antonio, the Spurs have already signaled they see Victor Wembanyama's title window as appearing sooner than initially assumed. At the trade deadline, the team acquired 2022-23 All-NBA guard De'Aaron Fox to upgrade from the 40-year-old Chris Paul, who provided a steady hand as the team's point guard. With Paul set to become a free agent, Harrison Barnes, 32, remains the team's only player older than 27. Advertisement It'll be fascinating to see how the Spurs complement Wemby, who missed half the season with deep-vein thrombosis. Do they put Stephon Castle and/or their No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft in a potential package for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will be 33 years old by the time his contract expires in 2027-28? And then there's Dallas, which could make Golden State's two-timeline experiment look timid by comparison. Does it make sense for Dallas to add an 18-year-old Cooper Flagg to a team anchored by a trio approaching their mid-30s in Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis? Or does Dallas cut bait on the millennial core? Despite Kerr's misgivings about the rigors of the NBA season, it doesn't seem like reform is on the way. Looking at the remaining teams in the postseason, it does seem like it's a young man's game now. Kerr feels conflicted in going that far. 'I wouldn't put a blanket comment saying, 'It's a young man's game,' because in some ways that's always been true,' Kerr says. Advertisement He gives it another thought. 'Maybe now,' he says, 'they're going to be taking over the league a little bit earlier than they were 10, 20 years ago.'
