NBA Conference Finals MVP Odds: East & West Favorites

The NBA introduced Conference Final MVP trophies in 2022, naming the Western Conference trophy after Magic Johnson and the Eastern Conference trophy after Larry Bird.

This provided another opportunity for betting, as the NBA odds for conference finals markets are often more favorable than their team’s odds to win the conference title. For example, Jayson Tatum is +125 to win MVP in the East, while his Boston Celtics are -145 favorites to win the conference.

Here’s a look at the latest NBA betting lines and predictions for the 2025 NBA Playoffs:

Eastern Conference MVP Odds 2025

Tatum is the betting favorite (+125) to win the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, offering better value than the Celtics’ odds (-145) to win the East. Tatum has an implied probability of 44.44%, while Boston’s chances of returning to the NBA Finals stand at 59.18%.

Last year’s conference finals provided a perfect example of why pricing differs.

Jaylen Brown, Tatum’s teammate, was honored with the MVP trophy in both the ECF and the NBA Finals. Brown received five of the nine votes for ECF MVP, narrowly edging out Tatum, who garnered four votes.

With Brown dealing with a knee injury, I don’t expect that to happen for the second year in a row.

As a result, I’m willing to take the +125 odds on Tatum to be honored with this award and would be interested in adding more to my position whenever the Celtics lose a postseason game.

I expect Tatum to win MVP in the East this summer.

Prediction: Jayson Tatum (+125)

Western Conference MVP Odds 2025

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander opens as the betting favorite (-130) to win Western Conference MVP, giving him an implied probability of 56.52%. The Thunder are -140 to win the West, suggesting there isn’t as much difference in these odds.

I am more interested in taking long shots in the West anyway. The Thunder are deserving favorites, but this young core has only won one playoff series, and I am not willing to pay the minus odds on that level of reputation.

Still, I’d prefer to delay facing the Thunder for as long as possible, which is why targeting the other side of the bracket is beneficial. Specifically, I believe the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves series will reach at least the conference finals.

As a result, I’ve built a portfolio featuring Luka Dončić (+1200), LeBron James (+2500), and Anthony Edwards (+2500) in this market.

Based on the latest NBA betting odds, I would prefer to back Dončić and get better value on Edwards if the Timberwolves lose a game to the Lakers.

Prediction: Luka Dončić (+800)

NBA Conference Finals MVP Award Winners