Over the past few days, the NBA awarded its first-ever winners of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals MVPs, with Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics winning the former and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors taking home the latter. Curry and Tatum are certainly front-runners to win the 2022 NBA Finals MVP award for their respective teams, but there are plenty of other notable names worthy of the distinction on both sides as well.

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out some timely assists to our bettors all throughout the 2022 NBA Playoffs and beyond. This time, let’s make a case as for who’ll win the 2022 NBA Finals MVP race, as well as these players’ current odds to win the coveted award after this season’s champion has been crowned.

2022 NBA Finals MVP Odds, Preview and Expert Picks

READ MORE: Celtics vs. Warriors Game 1 2022 NBA Finals Odds and Preview – June 2nd

Favorites

Stephen Curry

Despite winning three NBA titles in his already amazing career, it’s hard to believe that Stephen Curry has yet to win an NBA Finals MVP award. Curry played second fiddle to Andre Iguodala in the Warriors’ first of three championships in the Steve Kerr era and was overshadowed by Kevin Durant twice over in the Dubs’ next two title-winning runs.

This time around, Steph is undoubtedly the main focus of Golden State’s offense, averaging a team-high 25.9 points and nearly four three-pointers made per game in the playoffs, including seven 30-point explosions. For as long as the two-time league MVP balls out like he’s done this postseason, the Finals MVP hardware is basically his for the taking.

Jayson Tatum

The Celtics are currently (+135) underdogs to win the series against the Warriors (-179), but their odds of pulling off an upset over the NBA’d modern-day dynasty could certainly be worse if not for the phenomenal postseason that Jayson Tatum is having.

Tatum won the inaugural Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP award as the fitting heir to the Celtics organization after averaging 25 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. The three-time All-Star has been Boston’s most consistent performer in the playoffs by far and Tatum is definitely hungry to cement his legacy as the best player to have won another title for an already-decorated Celtics organization.

Dark Horses

Andrew Wiggins

Klay Thompson has been getting a ton of attention for his triumphant return in the league. On the other hand, it’s actually been Andrew Wiggins who’s been Golden State’s stabilizing force on both ends of the floor.

Wiggins is averaging close to 16 points and seven boards in the postseason whilst also seeing his field-goal percentage of 44.1 percent during the regular season improve to 48 percent in the playoffs. If the former first-overall pick gets plenty of looks at the basket to throw the Celtics’ stingy defense off, Wiggins could very well deny his fellow teammate Curry the glory of hoisting the NBA Finals MVP trophy when the series wraps up in the Dubs’ favor.>

Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart’s counting stats (15.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 39.5 FG%, 33.0 3P% this postseason) pale in comparison to someone like Wiggins, but his intangibles on defense may be visible enough to say that he’s Boston’s best player of the series after all.

This season’s Defensive Player of the Year is coming off a terrific showing in Game 7 against the Heat, finishing with 24 points, nine boards, five dimes, and two steals. If Smart builds off of that ECF series-clinching performance, he could very well stun basketball’s biggest bettors whilst handsomely rewarding the DPOY’s ardent backers in the process.

Huge Reach

Al Horford

After running into the postseason gatekeeper that is LeBron James in countless playoff battles of recent past, Al Horford’s 15-year journey in the NBA has finally come to the final stop for the first time in his career. His maiden trip to the NBA Finals is certainly a fantastic story on its own that will only be made better if the Dominican big man finally wins his first ring.

However, Horford’s averages of 12 points and nine rebounds per game this postseason will likely be overshadowed by the likes of Tatum, Smart, and even Jaylen Brown in Boston’s pecking order. Then again, a renaissance playoff outburst from the 35-year-old veteran is still a possible outcome that could very well reward Horford’s die-hard fans.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more NBA game previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Basketball betting odds on the sportsbook.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.