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
Current 2024-25 MVP Odds
The preseason 2024-25 NBA MVP odds are as follows:
Luka Doncic +350
Nikola Jokic +400
Joel Embiid+650
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.
NEW SHOT FORM: First look at Jayson Tatum’s new, faster shot form with less of a hitch after the catch.
Do you see the difference? 🤔
Via. @JackSimoneNBA pic.twitter.com/GGphVSTb6h
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) September 25, 2024
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.
First 7 seasons
Kevin Durant:
5x All-Star
5x All-NBA
1x Finals appearance
2109 Playoff PointsJayson Tatum:
5x All-Star
4x All-NBA
2x finals appearance
2711 Playoff PointsDoes Tatum have the chance to have a better career than KD? pic.twitter.com/WxEyaFYaOG
— Jeff (@Bostonsportsplu) September 23, 2024
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.
"It just wasn't my time… Steph Curry got 4 rings & he only has 1. Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird didn't win Finals MVP every time… For me, I was happy for [Jaylen Brown]… I know that I'm gonna win Finals MVP one day"
—Jayson Tatum
(via @JaredSGreenberg)pic.twitter.com/0QiJBu0qSE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 25, 2024
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.
