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Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 25, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.
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It’s Jalen Brunson’s world and the NBA is living in it.
The Knicks are headed back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 and it’s hard to imagine they’d be there without Brunson’s show-stopping efforts over the last month.
After the Knicks ousted the Cavaliers in Monday’s 37-point massacre to complete back-to-back sweeps, Brunson sprung up DraftKings’ oddsboard to win NBA Finals MVP at +270.
The Eastern Conference Finals MVP sits only behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the odds-on favorite now listed at -135 as the Thunder took a 3-2 lead over the Spurs in the Western Conference Final on Tuesday.
The difference is that Gilgeous-Alexander, who won Finals MVP last year in the Thunder’s seven-game conquest over the Pacers, opened as the favorite; he was originally priced at +130 while Brunson has climbed from 25/1.
2026 NBA Finals MVP odds
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | -135 |
| Jalen Brunson | +270 |
| Victor Wembanyama | +650 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 15/1 |
| OG Anunoby | 30/1 |
| Jalen Williams | 50/1 |
| Chet Holmgren | 50/1 |
| Stephon Castle | 80/1 |
Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama has traveled in the opposite direction since opening with the second-shortest odds at +500. The 7-foot-4 center dropped to +650 after a disappointing display in Game 5 on Tuesday where he finished with 20 points on just 4-of-15 shooting from the field.
Brunson is averaging 26.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 28, 3 and 8.2, respectively — both the two highest outputs amongst the three teams still alive. He’s shooting 48.6 percent from the field to the back-to-back regular season MVP’s 46.3 percent.
Perhaps the most resonant performance from Brunson was shepherding the Knicks back from a 22-point deficit to steal Game 1 from Cleveland 115-104 in overtime. Brunson scored 38 points (15 in the fourth quarter) and shot 51.7 percent from the field.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) moves on court in the first half of Game 5 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the San Antonio Spurs, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Oklahoma City. AP Photo/Julio CortezGilgeous-Alexander may have the edge in individual stats, but the Knicks lead the playoffs in net, offensive and defensive rating all while no player has recorded a higher time of possession than Brunson.
The Knicks have buried opponents by at least 30 points in all three series-clinching wins — including the historic 51-point smackdown against Atlanta — though intriguingly, each game also marked Brunson’s lowest scoring output of the series.
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What makes these Knicks so dangerous is the balanced contributions from a lineup where role playing hasn’t left everything on Brunson’s shoulders. The Knicks had six players eclipse double digits on Tuesday, led by Karl-Anthony Towns’ 19.
He and OG Anunoby round out oddsmakers’ top-five MVP candidates with prices of 15/1 and 30/1, respectively. No players have gained more ground since both were tagged longer than 90/1 ahead of the postseason.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
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