One bettor in Indiana has wagered $3,500 on Kristaps Porzingis to win Finals MVP

Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals starts this Thursday. The Celtics are the heavy betting favorites but the Mavericks are not going down without a fight. This series is going to bring plenty of drama with Kyrie Irving returning to Boston and Kristaps Porzingis returning to Dallas. On top of that, Porzingis is looking to make his return in general. The 28-year-old has played in four of Boston’s 16 games this postseason due to a calf injury. 

There's no official word on when Kristaps Porzingis is going to return. Many expect him to be ready for Game 1 on Thursday. The big man has had well over a month to rest and rehab. Caesars Sportsbook announced that one bettor has placed a $3,500 wager on Kristaps Porzingis to win Finals MVP.

What are the chances that Kristaps Porzingis will win Finals MVP?

This past offseason, the Celtics were involved in a three-team trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. The Celtics knew they had a solid roster and Porzingis made them even more talented. During the regular season, the one-time all-star averaged (20.1) points, (7.2) rebounds, (2.0) assists, and (1.9) blocks per game. Porzingis did deal with some injuries during the regular season and played in 57 of their 82 games. He missed three of their final regular season games but was ready for the start of the playoffs. 

Porzingis played in the first four games of the first round for the Celtics. In those contests, he averaged (12.3) points, (5.0) rebounds, (1.8) assists, (1.3) steals, and (1.5) blocks. The former first-round pick was doing a little bit of everything for Boston despite his scoring numbers being down. He was shooting (.400) percent from beyond the arc on (5.0) three-point attempts per game. Impressive shooting numbers in just four games this postseason. Technically three and a half. Boston’s big man only played 13 games in Game 4 of the first round after suffering the injury. 

For Kristaps Porzingis to win Finals MVP this postseason, he’s going to need to be close to, if not 100% health. We saw how effective Porzingis was in the regular season. Boston always took advantage of mismatches and got him touches in the paint. Additionally, Porzingis is highly effective in the pick-and-roll. His teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have lower odds of winning Finals MVP in 2024.