Jayson Tatum odds-on favorite to win 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP

Following a close Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, won by the top-seeded Boston Celtics 133-128 in overtime over the sixth-seeded Indiana Pacers, Jayson Tatum is now listed as the -280 favorite to collect the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.

Tatum posted a game-high 36 points on 12-of-26 shooting, hit a pair of 3-pointers, and grabbed 12 rebounds while dishing out four assists. He also added three steals and knocked down 10 of 12 free throws, two of which came in the final seconds of overtime to seal a Boston victory.

Tatum's teammate, Jaylen Brown, was the third-highest scorer for the night, with 26 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer to send the game to overtime. The veteran guard also added seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block in 44 minutes of play.

Brown is the +400 second choice to win the Larry Bird Trophy, an award established ahead of the 2022 NBA Playoffs and won by Tatum in its first year. Last year, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler claimed the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.

The Western Conference Finals MVP — recipient of the Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy —  went to Steph Curry in 2022 and Nikola Jokic in 2023. Both players went on to win NBA Finals MVP, respectively, in 2022 and 2023.

Third on the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP odds board is Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton (+1400), who has helped resurrect Indiana's title hopes in his third season with the franchise. Haliburton put in a team-high 25 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals and recorded 10 assists along with three steals and three rebounds. He also committed three of the Pacers' 21 turnovers, which proved costly in a game Indiana could have stolen from Boston.

Fourth on the Eastern Conference Finals MVP odds board is Jrue Holiday (+2000), who scored a season-high 28 points and matched the three steals teammates Brown and Tatum secured, making the Celtics the first team in NBA playoff history to have three players record 25 points and three steals in a game.

Next up in the odds is Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (+2500), who tallied 24 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in Game 1; Celtics guard Derrick White (+2500); Pacers center Myles Turner (+10000); and Celtics big man Al Horford (+20000). Lastly, Pacers bench player Obi Toppin is a +30000 longshot to accept the Larry Bird Trophy. Toppin, in his first season with Indiana, averaged 10.3 points per game and 3.9 rebounds in the regular season. He poured in 15 points and pulled down four rebounds in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

How to watch the Pacers vs. Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals

Game 2 between the Pacers and Celtics is scheduled for Thursday, May 23, at 8 p.m. ET in Boston. The Celtics are a nine-point home favorite and the total is set at 224.5.

The remainder of the Eastern Conference Finals schedule is as listed below:

Game 2: Thursday, May 23, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 3: Saturday, May 25, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 4: Monday, May 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 5: Wednesday, May 29, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN (if game is necessary)
Game 6: Friday, May 31, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN (if game is necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, June 2, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN (if game is necessary)