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2024 NBA Finals MVP odds and predictions: Who is the favorite after 2 games?

The Boston Celtics have a 2-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals after great games from two players who weren’t even on the team last year.

Dane Arlauckasdfinesttweets
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The Boston Celtics have a 2-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals after great games from two players who weren’t even on the team last year.
David Butler IIUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown and the Boston Celtics have a 2-0 lead over Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks as the series shifts to American Airlines center for Games 3 and 4. While the series is looking a bit lop sided after the opening two games from TD Garden, the Finals MVP race is wide open.

Boston dominating every facet of Finals

The Boston Celtics built a team from the ground up specifically for this moment. We have seen “Super Teams” and “Big Threes” come and go, but the Celtics have gone to six Conference Finals in the last eight years and two NBA Finals in the last three years. Everything turned around when they took Jaylen Brown in the draft back in 2016 and Jayson Tatum the next year.

While these two have played well in the series so far, it’s tough to say one of them has stood out above the rest. Jaylen Brown led the team with 22 points in Game 1, just edging out Kristaps Porzingis who dropped 18 of his 21 in the first half of his return to the floor after nearly 40 days sidelined with a calf injury.

Brown had 21 in the second game, but was outshined by Jrue Holiday who exploded for 26. Holiday showed his championship experience with his second highest scoring game of the season in the Game 2 win over Dallas. Holiday had 12 in the first game and Porzingis had 12 in the second game, so unless either one of them have another big game or two, it would be tough to imagine either one of them are named MVP.

While Jayson Tatum is thought of as the MVP of this team, with all due respect to Jason Kidd (claiming that Brown is the best on Boston), he has struggled from the field in this series. He had 16 points and 11 rebounds to go with his 5 assists, but shot 6/16 from the field in Game 1. Tatum had 18, 9 rebounds and 12 assists in the second game, but shot 6/22 on Sunday night and is 4/14 from three in the series.

Then there’s Luka Doncic, who despite his team’s two game deficit has excelled in his first appearance in the NBA Finals. He posted 30 and 10 rebounds in Game 1, and almost brought the Mavs back from 29 down before Dallas eventually got blown out. In Game 2 he had his first Finals triple-double with 32, 11 and 11 rebounds but also had 8 turnovers in the loss. While his stats may be the best in the series, his team’s situation might work against him when the MVP of the Finals is named.

Here’s how BETMGM has the Finals MVP odds are looking heading into Game 3:

  • Jayson Tatum, BOS, (+130)
  • Jaylen Brown, BOS, (+160)
  • - Luka Doncic, DAL, (+650)
  • - Jrue Holiday, BOS, (+700)
  • - Derrick White, BOS, (+5000)
  • - Kristaps Porzingis, BOS, (+6000)
  • - Kyrie Irving, DAL, (+10000)
  • - P.J. Washington, DAL, (50000)

Prediction:

Jayson Tatum is the leader on the board through two games and people are saying he is yet to have a good game in the series. He mentioned that in the postgame interview after Game 2, claiming he’s fine with doing all the little things to help his team win, but he wants to see the ball start going in the basket. I think it’s only a matter of time before he has a 40 point game and secures his page in the Boston Celtics history books as the MVP of the record setting18th Championship.

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