The 2025 NBA Finals have already been well worth the price of admission, with both the Pacers and the Thunder landing big haymakers early in the series.
Considering OKC was so heavily favored to win it all before the series began — and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was considered an almost shoo-in to win Finals MVP — it seems like a good time to reevaluate those MVP odds now that it's all tied 1-1.
Indiana's Game 1 comeback — yet another improbable victory — felt like a team effort more than anything. Tyrese Haliburton hit the biggest shot — the game-winner with 0.3 seconds left — but he has otherwise been pretty pedestrian by his standards.
The Thunder, meanwhile, continue to be led by league MVP SGA. The superstar point guard had 38 points in Game 1, then put up 34 points and eight assists in Game 2. So, is he still a heavy betting favourite to win the Bill Russell Trophy?
Let's take a look at the updated Finals MVP odds, then go over the best bets, top value wagers and best long-shot.
NBA Finals MVP odds 2025
All odds courtesy of SkyBet.
| Player | Odds |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 1/6 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | 13/2 |
| Pascal Siakam | 16/1 |
| Andrew Nembhard | 50/1 |
| Jalen Williams | 50/1 |
| Chet Holmgren | 100/1 |
| Myles Turner | 50/1 |
| Alex Caruso | 300/1 |
| Aaron Nesmith | 500/1 |
| Luguentz Dort | 350/1 |
| Obi Toppin | 1000/1 |
| Aaron Wiggins | 1000/1 |
MORE BETTING: SN's NBA Finals predictions, best bets
NBA Finals MVP 2025 best bet
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1/6, SkyBet)
Now, this isn't exactly a great bet just because SGA is the best bet to win. Few bettors have £600 to risk on a heavy short-term futures bet for the chance to make £100. And there's always the risk that — God forbid — he gets hurt or something.
That said, he's the clear frontrunner in this race. The Thunder are deep, and they're a well-oiled machine. But SGA remains the engine that keeps this supercar going. He's the leading scorer of the game (not just his team), the vast majority of the time, and he just scored his 3,000th point of the 2024-25 campaign in Game 2. Only 11 other players have ever managed that feat.
Gilgeous-Alexander also racks up assists, grabs boards, makes key steals and hits clutch shots. All those things matter. His "aura" matters. Other players have up-and-down moments during postseason series — he doesn't. He's always up, and that's why he's the heavy favorite to win this award.
NBA Finals MVP 2025 top value bet
Tyrese Haliburton (13/2, SkyBet)
If the Pacers pull off the improbable NBA Finals upset, it will very likely be thanks to the heroics of "Playoff Hali." Indiana has gone 7-0 when Hali has scored 21-plus points this postseason, and it's just 3-3 the past six times he has scored 14 or less. He needs to get more aggressive and take more than 13 shots per game (his shot totals in Games 1 and 2).
He probably will, too. Haliburton has averaged 18.3 shot attempts over Indy's past three home games, and this season, he averaged 3.2 more points per game at home than he did on the road. His home/road shooting numbers were also a stark contrast. Check out Hali's shooting percentage splits:
| Split | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| Home | 49.9 | 41.5 | 86.2 |
| Road | 44.5 | 36.0 | 83.8 |
Rick Carlisle has moved Haliburton off the ball a bunch this series, using breakout Andrew Nembhard and backup T.J. McConnell as his traditional point guard instead. That didn't work out well in Game 2, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Hali move back to a higher-usage role for the remainder of the series.
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If you think Indy has any shot of winning this title, you might want to think about putting a value wager on Hali to win MVP. It's a better bet than Indy 4/1 to win the series. If the Pacers win, Hali will be the driving force.
NBA Finals MVP 2025 top long-shot bet
Luguentz Dort (500/1) or Alex Caruso (350/1)
These are the long-shots of all long-shots, as these guys are both role players on the Thunder. But if a long-shot is going to win it, it's going to be one of these guys.
Both are incredibly adept perimeter defenders, and both hit big-time clutch threes. Dort hit five treys in Game 1 and stifled every Pacers player he guarded. Caruso poured in 20 points in Game 2 and brought the intensity on both sides of the floor.
If SGA gets hurt between now and say, Game 5, each of these two players has a legit chance to be the x-factor and surprise MVP of this series. Even if SGA doesn't get hurt, and he just goes on a cold streak in Indy, but one of these guys bails him out multiple times, they have a better chance than +50000.
Lu and AC are fan and media favorites, and everyone loves a blue-collar story, so never say never. Remember: Andre Iguodala won a Finals MVP over Steph Curry 10 years ago. And Jaylen Brown won over Jayson Tatum last year, despite JT leading the Celtics in points (22.2), rebounds (7.8) and assists (7.2). Crazier things have happened!
MORE: Complete guide to understanding odds in the U.K., including fractional, decimal and American prices