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2024-25 NBA MVP Odds: Jayson Tatum Unlikely To Win MVP

Jayson Tatum is a +2100 to win MVP.

Sometimes, the MVP award goes to the best player on the best team. Last season, Jayson Tatum was just that. The Boston Celtics were by far the league’s best team, and Tatum was their best player. Despite that, Tatum was only sixth in MVP voting this last season. He followed up his great regular season with a somewhat disappointing playoff and Olympic performance, potentially fueling a strong season this year. This 2024-25 NBA preview will look at the Jayson Tatum MVP odds to determine if they are worth taking for a best NBA bet today. 

2024-25 NBA MVP Odds: Jayson Tatum Unlikely To Win MVP

*All Jayson Tatum MVP odds are courtesy of FanDuel.com*

Current 2024-25 MVP Odds

The preseason 2024-25 NBA MVP odds are as follows: 

Luka Doncic +350

Nikola Jokic +400

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +500

Joel Embiid+650

Giannis Antetokounmpo +850

Anthony Edwards+1400

Jalen Brunson+1400

Jayson Tatum +2100

Despite finishing sixth in MVP voting last season, oddsmakers are predicting Tatum as the ninth most likely player to win the award. This doesn’t mean you should expect a bad season from Tatum or the Celtics, but the other MVP hopefuls may have an easier path to the award. 

Players like Doncic, Jokic, and SGA are the unquestionable focal points and leaders of their teams. Tatum is certainly the best player on the Celtics, but on any given night, Jaylen Brown or Jrue Holiday could be Boston’s best player. 

Great is not Good Enough

No doubt, Tatum is one of the best players in the league. He is a smooth offensive player who can score from anywhere on the court and has been improving his playmaking year by year. Tatum is also a formidable defender, often guarding the opposing team’s best wing player for the Celtics, one of the best defenses in the league. 

Last season, Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 74 games. He made his fifth All-Star game and was named to his third straight All-NBA team this season. Tatum helped lead the Celtics to the best record in the NBA at 64-18. They then cruised to the NBA Finals, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Tatum was excellent throughout the playoffs, but his star was outshone by running mate Jaylen Brown. Notably, Brown won both the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP awards. 

Too Much Boston Talent

The main factor holding Tatum back from winning an MVP is that his team is too talented. Similar to when Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant teamed up in Golden State when a team has too much talent, the star players seem to get less recognition. Curry went from being the back-to-back MVP to not even an MVP finalist during his years playing with Durant. 

The Celtics roster is deep and incredibly talented. They had three players represent Team USA in Paris 2024, and that doesn’t even include Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Although they are primed to dominate again next season, sharing the glory (and statistics) with three to four-star-level players will make it nearly impossible for Tatum to get MVP recognition. 

Jeremy Kruger

Jeremy Kruger

"You're not tall enough to make the NBA," they said. They were right. But now Jeremy is doing the next best thing: sharing his passion for basketball with the world through his writing.

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