2025 NBA Larry Bird Trophy Odds and Predictions

The second round of the 2024-25 NBA playoffs is officially underway, with eight deserving teams eyeing a trip to this year’s Eastern Conference and Western Conference Finals.

Before long, we’ll find out if our NBA Championship predictions were correct. The good news? If your first bet didn’t take (I’m looking at you, Lakers fans), there’s still time to get back in the green if you can place a winning bet on something that hasn’t come to fruition yet.

One such wager involves who will win the conference finals MVP. There are Eastern Conference Finals MVP odds out, so I figured now was a good time to get in front of this betting market and come away with a prediction.

When Will The Eastern Conference Finals Start?

The 2024-25 NBA Eastern Conference Finals are tentatively scheduled to begin on May 21st, although if the second round of the NBA Playoffs finishes early, it could start as early as May 19th. The last game of the ECF would be June 2nd, if not earlier.

What Is The Name Of The Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy?

The 2024-25 NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, aka the Larry Bird Trophy, goes to the best player (usually on the winning team) from the Eastern Conference Finals.

NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP Odds

Check out the latest NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP odds, courtesy of the best sports betting sites: 

We are getting down to the nitty gritty in the Eastern Conference, with four teams vying for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics are the top two seeds, are the best bets to reach the NBA Finals, and are fully expected to get out of the second round. Due to that, you’ll see the top six options in terms of NBA odds are players from those teams.

Jalen Brunson is the first player listed that isn’t on one of those two teams, and he does make sense as the standout, assuming his New York Knicks stage the upset against the Celtics.

That said, everything points to a Cavs or Celtics player here. Jayson Tatum is a very solid value as the favorite if you believe Boston once again gets to the NBA Finals. If you think the Cavs live up to their billing as the #1 seed in the east, then Mitchell, Mobley, and Garland all look like very compelling bets.

If you want my top ECF MVP picks, read on. For more advice as to how to bet on NBA markets such as this, be sure to take advantage of the best handicapping experts available online.

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NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP Favorites

The following NBA players are considered the odds-on favorites to win the Eastern Conference Finals MVP due to their odds, NBA Teams, and season to date:

Jayson Tatum (+115)

How you view Tatum for this bet all depends on where you place the Celtics. I think they’re going to win it all again, so naturally, I think Tatum is a steal here.

Tatum’s numbers regressed this year, but he still averaged 26.8 points per game and helped Boston to the #2 seed in the east. He also historically brings his A-game in the playoffs, while he is now vying for a third trip to the NBA Finals.

I fully expect Tatum and co. to at least get out of the second round, and I’d be shocked if he didn’t put forth a massive effort against the Cavs or Pacers in the ECF.

Cleveland would be his most likely opponent, and considering the two sides split the season series (2-2), I like Boston’s chances to advance. Tatum also enjoyed a lot of success in this series during the regular season, putting up 46 points in a loss in one game, while being a top contributor in both of the Celtics’ wins in the series.

Donovan Mitchell (+250)

If Boston fails, then Spida is the most logical pivot. You’re getting double the value here, and Donovan Mitchell is clearly the engine of Cleveland’s offense. 

Both of these teams are pretty deep, but the winner of the ECF MVP is always always one of the team’s best players. It’s true that Cleveland can kill you in a number of ways, but taking out Boston won’t be easy. The Cavs will need a lot of help from their supporting cast, but they will almost surely need one of their top stars to beast out.

The early money is on Spida, and I can’t disagree with the logic. Mitchell put up just 24 points per game during the regular season, but he’s elevated his game a bit in the postseason so far, twice dropping 30 points on the Miami Heat in round one.

Assuming Cleveland gets to the ECF, Mitchell will probably need to be even better, and his regular season series with Boston (35.5 points per game) suggests he’s capable of doing just that.

I don’t buy the Cavs as league champs just yet, and getting through the Celtics won’t be easy. But Spida is capable of proving me wrong, and his +250 odds look pretty good when you consider how badly he’s roasted Boston’s defense this year.

Jaylen Brown (+800)

Tatum is the logical bet to win the Larry Bird Trophy if Boston wins the ECF, but we can’t ignore Brown – especially at this price tag. After all, Brown is the Robin to Tatum’s Batman, and we know that the lesser star can often rise up under pressure.

Brown certainly did that when he claimed this award last year. It’s entirely possible Tatum has a good series, but Brown once again dominates and plays high-level basketball at both ends of the floor to the point where he is simply undeniable.

Tatum bested his teammate in his averages during the regular season, but Brown still put up 22.2 points per game and also had some success against Cleveland. That mostly came in a 37-point eruption in one of Boston’s two losses in the season series, while he only faced the Cavs three times this year.

I still prefer Tatum here with both of these Celtics coming in at plus money, but Brown is absolutely in play.

Evan Mobley (+1000)

There are other legit ECF MVP contenders, but the last guy priced like someone we should feel really good about is Evan Mobley. He was in the running for Most Improved Player and NBA DPOY, ultimately winning the defensive award.

Hats off to Mobley for an amazing season, as he’s displayed elite two-way ability, can clean the glass, and has morphed into a reliable scorer. 

At first glance it’s a bit difficult to peg him as the ECF MVP, though, seeing as Mitchell is a more trustworthy option, and Boston presents a difficult matchup down low. Mobley did enjoy two solid outings in this matchup during the regular season, but as you might have guessed, two of the games saw him disappear.

Mobley could still turn it on during the playoffs, while his +1000 odds are naturally pretty alluring. He has a clear path to a double-double for the series if he can be productive and avoid foul trouble, while he’s had numerous blow-up games throughout the year.

Of the top contenders, though, he’s the last one I’d be confidently betting on.

Best NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP Betting Value

The following NBA players offer betting value based on their current odds:

Kristaps Porzingis (+2000)

My favorite betting value for this market is without a doubt Kristaps Porzingis. There are definitely some issues here. The first problem is that some sportsbooks still like Cleveland to get to the NBA Finals, and you probably need the Celtics to win the ECF for Zinger to get the nod.

A second possible problem is his general health. He is notorious for getting hurt and missing time. This would be a bad time for that to pop up, but it absolutely could, and missing even one game could derail his chances to win this award.

Thirdly, there’s the issue of potentially having his minutes held in check. Whether it be foul trouble, matchups, or Boston simply trying to keep him fresh, it isn’t crazy to think Porzingis could be limited enough to actually secure this hardware. He admittedly wasn’t exactly needed in the first round, but he still failed to top 22 minutes in either of Boston’s last two games.

I do think he’d play quite a bit with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, however, while Boston simply needs his size and offense against the Cavs. In addition, I think the Celtics are the better team, while literally anyone can get hurt come playoff time.

Porzingis is not the alpha of this offense, but he is still a huge asset and we did see Jaylen Brown win the Eastern Conference Finals MVP last year. To his credit, Porzingis only faced the Cavs twice during the regular season, and he put up 19-7 and 21-8 stat lines in those games.

All things told, Porzingis is no sure thing, but if you want to aim high, he feels like a really fun value bet.

Jalen Brunson (+2200)

The Cavs and Celtics guys are all where I’d start this conversation, but what if someone else finds a way to get past both of them? I highly doubt that it will be the Indiana Pacers, but the New York Knicks do have the defensive aptitude, coaching, experience, and starting lineup to possibly shock the world.

It is not something I anticipate happening, but if they did, Jalen Brunson would undoubtedly have something to do with it. Brunson just got done playing the hero in round one, where he scored 40 points and hit the game-winning shot to oust the Detroit Pistons.

Beating Detroit isn’t the same as getting out of round two and then also taking down the top-seeded Cavs. However, Brunson could actually provide us with a rare case of a non-winning player claiming some hardware.

We don’t see it happen often, but Connor McDavid reminded us in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals that sometimes an individual player’s performance is too good to ignore. Brunson’s high usage and efficiency could earn him a shot at something similar, as he is coming off a series where he scored 30+ points in five of six games.

Brunson, of course, does have to get past the Celtics first – something I deem to be highly unlikely.

Top NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP Longshot 

The best longshot bet to win the 2024-25 Easter Conference Finals MVP award is undeniably Karl-Anthony Towns. 

The man better known by some as KAT endured an up and down first round series, but there’s a world where the Knicks reach the ECF and if they’re going to actually somehow win, he’d have to enjoy a monster series.

The reality is KAT has been a monster all season. The usage flows through mostly Jalen Brunson at the moment, but Towns has been a high usage guy in this offense, and he puts up stats across the board. If New York is playing for a trip to the NBA Finals and he comes through with a huge series, there’s no doubt he’d have the potential to crush this surprising +6600 price tag.

Assuming the Knicks manage to get past the defending NBA champions this round, KAT would face off with the likes of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen down low in the ECF. That would appear to be damning at first glance, especially since Mobley just won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

That said, Towns did enjoy some success in a couple of the games against Cleveland this year. It’s unlikely the Knicks actually win the series, seeing as Cleveland swept them 4-0 during the regular season, but for them to stand a chance, KAT would need an amazing series.

He is a true longshot bet, but if anyone is worth targeting at odds like this, it’s Towns.

NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP Predictions

If you’re trying to come up with some good NBA picks for this betting market, I’d side with the teams favored to get here in the first place.

Guys like Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson are big names who offer compelling prices, but their series prices suggest they’re unlikely to get out of round two. And even if they do, they’re even less likely to take down the other top seed they’d run into.

Naturally, that has me focusing on players from the Cavs or Celtics. From there, it just comes down to which team you think will win a series between those two squads. I still think Boston is the more complete and more battle tested team, and I won’t bet against them until I see the Cavs truly prove they’re for real.

I’d definitely consider solid values like Brown and Porzingis, but if you bet on Boston, you know going with Tatum is the correct call. Luckily, you’re getting him at plus money, which feels like a bit of a steal.

Bet: Jayson Tatum (+115)

NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP Winners

The following is a list of recent NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP winners: