2026 NBA Finals MVP Odds: Race Tightens After Spurs’ Game 3 Win

After collapsing in crunch time at home in the first two games of the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs needed a big response in the Big Apple last night to get back into the series against the New York Knicks.

They did just that, making all the right moves down the stretch to close out a 115-111 win that trims the Knicks' lead to 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

How does the Game 3 result affect the latest NBA Finals MVP odds?

Following New York's sweep in San Antonio, Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns led the way at top NBA betting sites, with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama third in line.

After last night, that trio remains far out in front, though there has been a shift.

2026 NBA Finals MVP Odds

Odds are from Lucky Rebel as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

Though his team came up short, Brunson did not harm his case for NBA Finals MVP with 32 points, five rebounds, and five assists. And after shooting poorly in Game 1 (12 of 31 FG, 2 of 9 3PT) and Game 2 (7 of 25 FG, 2 of 8 3PT), he had his best shooting performance of the Finals, making 11 of 25 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 from three.

In the process, Brunson recorded his second 30-point performance of the series and his seventh of the playoffs. However, he also had five fouls and five turnovers.

Wembanyama, who had a disastrous end to Game 2, strengthened his and the Spurs' hopes with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and two steals. It was one of his best all-around performances of the playoffs, and it included just one turnover after he had 10 in the first two games.

Towns, meanwhile, came back down to earth after recording double-doubles in the first two games. In 38 minutes, he had 11 points, eight rebounds, and three steals. It was his second-worst scoring performance of the playoffs, beaten only by an eight-point game in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Can Anunoby or Castle Move into the Mix?

As it stands, these are the three likeliest NBA Finals MVP winners. But could someone else make their way into the mix?

It's hard to see it happening given how important Brunson and Wembanyama are to their respective teams. But Game 3 featured notable support performances by OG Anunoby (28 points, five rebounds) and Stephon Castle (23 points, five rebounds, five assists). The latter delivered the dagger last night, nailing a three that put the Spurs up seven with 1:53 left.

Ultimately, the award is likely to come down to the two main men in the series.

Out of the past 20 NBA Finals MVP winners, only two won after entering the Finals with odds of +1000. Kawhi Leonard opened the 2014 Finals at +1800 to win Finals MVP before leading the Spurs to their most recent title, while 2015 winner Andre Igoudala opened at +12500.

Also, Leonard, Iguodala, Tony Parker (+500 in 2007), Paul Pierce (+500 in 2008), and Jaylen Brown (+700 in 2024) won after starting with odds of +500 or longer. Brunson and Wembanyama were the only two players with odds shorter than +1000 entering this year's NBA Finals, and no matter how the series itself pans out, it will take a lot for someone outside of that duo to take home the hardware.

Check Out Our Other NBA Finals Content

Betting News has you covered from a variety of angles for the 2026 NBA Finals.

For every game, we have Varun Sharma's expert picks and consensus picks from reputable industry sources, and with odds from top online sportsbooks such as Lucky Rebel and BetOnline, we help streamline your line shopping and find the best value for your NBA Finals bets.

In addition, our catalog of sports betting guides is a valuable resource, whether you like to bet on NBA player props for the names mentioned above, wager on Finals and Finals MVP futures odds, or make basic moneyline and spread bets.

That's not all we offer. If you want even more thoughts and tips for the rest of the series between the Spurs and Knicks, check out our social media channels.

That includes the Betting News Twitch channel, where you can tune in to Betting News Network shows such as Afternoon Betspresso, The Morning Spread, and All-Sauce Team to not only get thoughts and tips from Varun, Nate Hornung, and other members of the team, but also chime in with your own.