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Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic lead the odds for the award

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And then there were four. The Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks are the last teams still fighting for the 2024 NBA championship. In the first game of the conference finals, Boston beat Indiana 133-128 in overtime in the East. In the West, Dallas held Minnesota at bay 108-105 and took a 1-0 lead.

There is still a lot of basketball left before the 2024 NBA Finals. In the last three playoffs, there has only been one conference finals series that ended in four games: the eventual champion Denver Nuggets' victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.

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That doesn't stop speculation about which teams will play in the NBA Finals – or which star player will shine on the way to a championship – though. Here's who has the best odds to win NBA Finals MVP, according to BetMGM's latest basketball odds:

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The Celtics' leading scorer was named to the All-NBA First Team earlier this week. He is scoring fewer points (25.4 per game) in this round of playoffs than in previous seasons, but leads the Celtics in rebounds (10.5) and assists (5.6) per game in the postseason.

Boston has lost just two playoff games at the time of publication, the fewest of the last four teams. If the Celtics win their first title since 2008, recent form suggests Tatum will play a key role in that success.

Like Tatum, Dončić is another All-NBA First Team player who carries a heavy offensive load in the postseason. He led the NBA in points per game (33.9) during the regular season, but that number dropped to 27.7 per game in the playoffs. However, he still averages 9.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game in the postseason, leading the Mavericks in both categories.

Dallas secured home court advantage with its Game 1 win. Even though teammate Kyrie Irving excelled in the playoffs, Dallas' success is down to Dončić, and that is unlikely to change in the NBA Finals.

Unlike the two players before him, Edwards has been more productive in the playoffs. His points (28.1), rebounds (6.6) and assists (6.1) per game are all above his regular-season averages. He has arguably the most viral clip of the playoffs so far, telling Charles Barkley to “bring his ass to Minnesota” after the Timberwolves secured a spot in the conference finals.

By advanced metrics, he's the best player left in the playoffs. His box plus/minus (8.3), value against replacements (1.3) and win shares (2.1) are better than anyone else on this list. He's not likely to slow down much on the road to the NBA Finals.

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Brown is one of the favorites for Finals MVP. Tatum is Boston's frontrunner, but Brown is no slouch. He made up for his playoff lows of 11 points in Boston's series-clinching win over Cleveland in the second round by scoring 26 points in Game 1 against the Pacers.

By most measures, Brown was better than Tatum the last time this Boston core made the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors in 2022. In that six-game series, he scored more points (23.6 to 21.5) and shot better from the field (43.1% to 36.6%) than Tatum. If the Celtics make the NBA Finals again, Brown could easily win MVP honors with another good series.

White has improved so far in the playoffs and his play is reflected in these numbers. Boston has played seven of 11 playoff games without Kristaps Porziņģis and White has scored more points in his absence. He is averaging 17.9 points per game and making 43% of his three-pointers, the best percentage of any Celtics starter. If he hits the ground running in the NBA Finals, he could be in contention for the MVP award.

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Irving has been a key part of the Mavericks' offense in the playoffs, forming a one-two punch with Dončić. After scoring no more than 22 points in a second-round game against Oklahoma City, Irving scored 30 points in Game 1 against the Timberwolves.

If Dallas reaches the NBA Finals, he will be the only player in the Mavericks' playoff rotation with an NBA title, and his experience could help him deliver an MVP performance in the Finals.

Towns has been the Timberwolves' second-leading scorer throughout the playoffs. He's just behind Edwards in most scoring, but he struggled in Game 1 against the Mavericks, shooting one of his worst games of the playoffs (6-of-20 from the field). If Minnesota makes the NBA Finals and their opponents look to stop Edwards on that side of the court, Towns could capitalize and claim the title of Finals MVP.

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Rounding out the top eight in terms of odds is the Pacers' only representative on this list. Haliburton's odds are low, but he's the key cog in the Pacers' best offense in the playoffs. Indiana shoots better and scores more points than any other team in the playoffs. Pascal Siakam is the team's leading point scorer in the postseason, but Haliburton is the best assist man (8.2 per game).

By advanced metrics, Haliburton is one of the best players left in the postseason, trailing only Tatum and Edwards in win shares (1.8) and Edwards and Dončić in value over replacement player (1.0). If Indiana manages to win the franchise's first NBA title, Haliburton will likely be the most important player for the team and win Finals MVP as a result.

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