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It should come as no surprise that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is large and in charge in the NBA Finals MVP odds less than a week into the postseason.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has led the Finals MVP odds board since the 2025-26 season tipped off, and with the Oklahoma City Thunder as the clear NBA Championship odds favorites, SGA sits firmly in control of the playoff MVP award.
It also helps that his chief rival, Victor Wembanyama, has been diagnosed with a concussion, missing Game 3 and potentially Game 4 vs. Portland.
Here’s a look at the latest odds to win 2026 Finals MVP, with the postseason now underway.
🏆 2026 NBA Finals MVP odds
These are the latest NBA odds for the NBA Finals MVP race, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the pack to go for it once again.
Player
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
-115
Victor Wembanyama
+600
Jayson Tatum
+1000
Jaylen Brown
+1100
Donovan Mitchell
+1900
Nikola Jokic
+2800
Cade Cunningham
+3000
Jalen Brunson
+3000
Odds updated as of 4-26. Odds from bet365, one of our best betting sites. Sign up with our bet365 promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.
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NBA Finals MVP favorites
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-115)
It would have been easy if the league’s reigning MVP and Finals MVP had taken his foot off the gas during the 2025-26 season. Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander, however, has done anything but: He unlocked a new gear this year, averaging 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and a career-high 6.6 assists while guiding the Thunder to the best record in the league.
SGA is healthy and, by all reports, fully locked in as OKC looks to become the first team since 2018 to repeat.
Victor Wembanyama (+600)
Victor Wembanyama opened the playoffs around +500 to win Finals MVP and No. 2 on the board, and rightfully so, considering no team has given OKC more fits than the Spurs. That number has dipped slightly after the MVP finalist left Game 2 with a concussion. There’s now a real chance he could miss a chunk of this opening round.
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Jayson Tatum (+1000)
Jayson Tatum is getting better and better with each passing game, and while it was teammate Jaylen Brown who took home Finals MVP honors in 2024, Tatum can get there, too, if he goes up another level.
👑 NBA Finals MVP prediction
Bet
Odds
Bet Date
Units
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
+130
April 10
1.0
Gilgeous-Alexander is poised to repeat as Finals MVP because he is the definitive engine of an Oklahoma City dynasty in the making. Fresh off a dominant 2025 title run where he averaged over 30 points per game, SGA has elevated his game to an even more efficient level in 2026.
As the league’s leading MVP candidate, he boasts the highest usage rate on the NBA’s winningest team. His unmatched ability to manipulate defenses and deliver in clutch moments makes him the clear favorite to secure back-to-back Bill Russell trophies this June.
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📈 NBA Finals MVP opening odds
Here are what the NBA Finals MVP opening odds looked like, just before the postseason.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +130
⚙️ Covers NBA betting tools
🏀 Previous NBA Finals MVP award winners
Year
Player
Team
2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City Thunder
2024
Jaylen Brown
Boston Celtics
2023
Nikola Jokic
Denver Nuggets
2022
Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors
2021
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks
2020
LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers
2019
Kawhi Leonard
Toronto Raptors
2018
Kevin Durant
Golden State Warriors
2017
Kevin Durant
Golden State Warriors
2016
LeBron James
Cleveland Cavaliers
2015
Andre Iguodala
Golden State Warriors
NBA Finals MVP trends
Here are some trends you’ll want to keep in mind when placing a bet on NBA Finals MVP:
Only one player (Jerry West, 1969) has ever won Finals MVP on the losing team.
Nikola Jokic’s 2023 Finals MVP win was the first by a center since Shaquille O’Neal in 2002.
Forwards have won 10 of the past 12 NBA Finals MVPs.
LeBron James is the only player in NBA history to win the Finals MVP with three different franchises (Heat, Cavaliers, Lakers).
Magic Johnson remains the only rookie to ever win the Finals MVP. He is also the youngest winner in history at 20 years and 276 days old.
Three of the last five winners have been international players: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Nikola Jokic (Serbia), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada).
Over the last decade, nine of the 10 Finals MVPs were also the leaders on their team in usage rate during the playoffs.
✅ Best NBA Finals MVP betting sites
Scouting basketball betting websites should be a breeze, but new bettors often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. Here are the must-have basketball betting site features you should target before placing your wagers.
Best odds: Not all sportsbooks are created equally, especially when it comes to odds. Finding the best price for your basketball bets is key to a successful betting strategy.
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Live betting: Watching betting lines move in real-time and comparing statistics allows you to jump into the action at just the right moment.
Fast payouts: Accessing your hard-earned funds shouldn’t feel like breaking a full-court press. It’s important to choose a sportsbook that offers fast and reliable money withdrawals post-game.
Safe money transactions: The days of placing bets with bookies in shadowy back rooms are long over. Major online sportsbooks boast state-of-the-art security measures like SSL data encryption, and each holds a legal operating license from registered authorities.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
