Jamal Murray, Bam Adebayo among favorites to win 2023 NBA Finals MVP

The 2023 NBA Finals will have plenty of Kentucky flavor sprinkled throughout. A pair of former Wildcats figure to play major roles for their respective teams in hopes of winning a world championship.

According to FanDuel, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo hold the third- and fourth-best odds, respectively, to win the Finals’ Most Valuable Player award. Murray has +1200 odds to win Finals MVP while Adebayo is set at +4000 odds. Heat guard Tyler Herro, who is expected to return at some point from a broken hand that has sidelined him since mid-April, holds +50000 odds to win the award.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic has the best odds to win Finals MVP at -340 while Miami’s Jimmy Butler comes in next with the second-best odds at +430. Since the award was introduced in 1969, no former Kentucky player has taken home Finals MVP. Could Murray or Adebayo become the first?

MVP odds entering the 2023 NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, per @FDSportsbook: pic.twitter.com/2z2KCm5mSo

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 31, 2023

As for the actual series, Denver is the overwhelming favorite with -460 odds. The Nuggets winning the Finals in five games is currently the most bet-upon outcome. Additionally, Murray has the third-best odds to finish the Finals as the leading points scorer in the series behind only Jokic and Butler, respectively.

Heading into Thursday night’s Game 1, Denver will enter as a nine-point favorite with the over/under set at 219. To prepare yourself for what should be an exciting Finals between a handful of former Wildcats, KSR previewed the series where we gave our thoughts and final predictions, which you can check out here.

• Game 1: Heat @ Nuggets | Thurs., June 1 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
• Game 2: Heat @ Nuggets | Sun., June 4 | 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
• Game 3: Nuggets @ Heat | Wed., June 7 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
• Game 4: Nuggets @ Heat | Fri., June 9 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
• Game 5: Heat @ Nuggets | Mon., June 12 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) * if necessary
• Game 6: Nuggets @ Heat | Thurs., June 15 | 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) * if necessary
• Game 7: Heat @ Nuggets | Sun., June 18 | 8 p.m. ET (ABC) * if necessary