Curry the betting favorite to capture Finals MVP
Stephen Curry already beat out LeBron James for an MVP award once this season. According to the betting odds, he's poised to do it again.
Curry is the odds-on favorite to capture the Bill Russell award for NBA Finals MVP, with Bovada giving the guard 5-to-8 odds.
James, meanwhile, a four-time MVP and two-time Finals MVP in his own right, is listed at 8-to-5, his line offering less value than it did last week.
In the end, Curry's favoritism comes down to the fact that the top-seeded Golden State Warriors are heavily favored to win the series, at -190. James' Cleveland Cavaliers are listed at +165.
No player from a losing team has captured Finals MVP since Jerry West took home the inaugural honor in 1969, despite his Los Angeles Lakers falling to the Boston Celtics in seven games.
Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving and Draymond Green round out the top five, according to the oddsmakers.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Curry | 5-8 |
| James | 8-5 |
| Thompson | 12-1 |
| Irving | 12-1 |
| Green | 14-1 |
(Courtesy: Bovada)
Curry could become the 11th player in league history - and the first since James two years ago - to capture both the regular season and Finals MVP awards in the same year.