NBA Finals MVP odds, best bets: Curry, Tatum favored to win for 1st time

The NBA Finals are just a few days away and we've already got you covered with a full preview of this series between the Warriors and Celtics. This time, we'll be breaking down everyone's favorite title market: the Finals MVP.

Traditionally, the MVP is awarded to the leading scorer on the winning team - hence the short prices for Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum, who are the clear leaders of their respective clubs. But we've seen defensive stalwarts steal the honor after locking down an opposing star, which could spell value on some long shots in this year's field.

Here are the odds for this year's NBA Finals MVP at theScore Bet, along with four names to consider:

Stephen Curry (even)

Curry already has one of the most impressive resumes in NBA history: two MVPs, three championships, and the title of greatest shooter of all time. But his trophy case has one glaring omission: a Finals MVP award.

Narrative is a compelling factor for awards like this, and that should favor Curry, who has been the central figure of this Warriors dynasty. He's been all over the court in this postseason, too, averaging 23.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.6 rebounds in 16 games.

Still, it's not as though his past MVP snubs were conspiratorial: he simply didn't play well enough. Sure, he probably deserved it over Andre Iguodala in 2014-15, but Curry also shot 44.3% in that series and had nearly as many turnovers (28) as assists (38). In 28 career Finals games, he's hit just 42% of his shots and 38.5% of his threes - both below his career averages in the regular season or postseason.

He'll likely need a much better showing to not only win this series but win this award, too, which is a risky proposition at such a short price. That said, narratives die hard, and awarding Curry with his first MVP trophy will be hard to resist if the favored Warriors win it all.

Jayson Tatum (+190)

I love the Celtics' chances of winning this series outright, so naturally I like Tatum's odds to win this award after he locked up MVP honors in the Eastern Conference finals.

He's done a bit of everything this postseason: his 27 points per game lead all players in this series, and he's chipped in 6.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game while drawing some stiff defensive assignments, too. Those numbers might look even better if he hadn't sat late in a pair of blowouts against the Heat - both sparked by his stellar play.

This price is short but fair: Celtics are +135 to win the series, so this price suggests that Tatum earns the nod roughly 80% of the time in a series win. That seems about right, given how central he is to everything the team does. There may be better values down the board, but Tatum would be my outright pick to win Finals MVP, which isn't bad at nearly 2-1 odds.

Marcus Smart (+2500)

I highlighted Smart as a worthwhile MVP long shot at 28-1 ahead of the conference finals; I love the value at this price for the Defensive Player of the Year and arguably the second-most important player on the Celtics.

Smart is easily the best perimeter defender in this series, which is a skill we've seen rewarded in the past (see: Iguodala). But he's not just a one-way player: Smart leads the Celtics in assists (6.2) and already has five 20-point games in 15 contests, including a 24-point effort in Game 7 to close out the Heat.

If he draws Curry as his defensive assignment, Smart will have the spotlight firmly on him in this series. And if he succeeds in slowing Curry while facilitating Boston's offense in a title win? Watch out.

Andrew Wiggins (+3200)

There may only be one player in this series with the ability to score 30 points on one end and lock up the opposing superstar on the other. That would be Wiggins, who averaged 18.6 points in the Western Conference finals while giving Mavericks phenom Luka Doncic fits as a primary defender.

The former No. 1 pick has long had the talent to play at this level, as his two-way potential keyed his selection atop the 2014 draft. He seems to finally be unlocking it this postseason, as his 27-point, 11-rebound display on 55% shooting in Game 3 of the semifinals put the league on notice.

Wiggins almost certainly won't lead Golden State in scoring this series, but he could come close, and he'll undoubtedly factor into the defensive mix on Tatum throughout this series. That's a recipe for a Finals MVP dark horse with an attractive price, to boot.

C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at [email protected].