If you’re just going off MVP betting odds, you’d barely know Jaylen Brown is playing the best basketball of his career - and some of the best in the league - as we hit Christmas Eve.
The Celtics are 18-11, and with Jayson Tatum sidelined for the foreseeable future, it’s Brown who’s stepped in and taken the reins. Yet, according to OddsTrader, which pulls together lines from across the major sportsbooks, Brown is buried in a six-way tie for the seventh-best MVP odds. Not seventh overall - tied for seventh, with five other players, all sitting at +50000.
Let’s break down the current MVP odds leaderboard:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+110, BetMGM)
- Nikola Jokic (+185, Caesars)
- Luka Doncic (+500, BetRivers)
- Cade Cunningham (+8000, BetRivers)
- Victor Wembanyama (+20000, Caesars)
T-6. Jalen Brunson (+25000, BetRivers)
T-6. Tyrese Maxey (+25000, BetRivers)
T-7. Jaylen Brown (+50000, BetMGM)
T-7. Anthony Edwards, Deni Avdija, Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mikal Bridges (all +50000)
Let’s be real: the top three make sense. SGA is the engine behind a Thunder team that’s been electric.
Jokic remains Jokic - a walking triple-double and a perennial MVP threat. Doncic has been on a tear, putting up video game numbers while dragging Dallas into contention.
Cade Cunningham and the Pistons sitting at 24-6? That’s a Cinderella story, and Cade’s leap is a big reason why.
Wembanyama? The kid’s a unicorn, and he’s made a massive Year 2 jump.
No arguments there.
But then we hit the next tier - and that’s where things start to get confusing.
Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey ahead of Brown? That’s a tough sell.
Both are having strong seasons, no doubt. But Brown’s been operating on a different level.
And being lumped in with names like Deni Avdija and Mikal Bridges - talented players, yes, but not in the same tier this season - just doesn’t reflect the impact Brown’s had on this Celtics squad.
And Giannis? He’s only appeared in 17 games. Hard to make an MVP case with that kind of availability, no matter how dominant he is when he’s on the floor.
To be fair, some books have Brown with shorter odds - FanDuel, for example, lists him at +20000 - but the broader point remains: Jaylen Brown is putting up MVP-caliber numbers, and the betting markets are barely acknowledging it.
Let’s run through what he’s done lately.
Jaylen Brown’s last 11 games:
- 31 points vs.
Pacers (12/22)
- 30 points vs.
Heat (12/19)
- 34 points vs.
Pistons (12/15)
- 30 points vs.
Bucks (12/11)
- 30 points vs.
Raptors (12/7)
- 30 points vs.
Lakers (12/5)
- 42 points vs.
Knicks (12/2)
- 19-point triple-double vs.
Cavaliers (11/30)
- 41 points vs.
Timberwolves (11/29)
- 33 points vs.
Pistons (11/26)
- 35 points vs.
Magic (11/23)
That’s not just a hot streak - that’s sustained dominance. Over that stretch, he’s been nearly unstoppable, regardless of the opponent.
And it’s not just scoring. Brown’s averaging 6.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists on the year, while shooting an efficient 49.7% from the field.
He’s fifth in the league in scoring at 29.4 points per game, and he’s doing it with Tatum - Boston’s other offensive alpha - out of the lineup.
So what gives?
Part of the issue is perception. Brown has long been viewed as the “other guy” in Boston, playing in Tatum’s shadow.
But this season, especially in recent weeks, he’s been the guy. The 2024 Finals MVP has taken that next step, not just as a scorer, but as a leader - and he’s doing it while carrying the Celtics through a stretch where they could’ve easily stumbled without their franchise cornerstone.
NBA.com’s latest MVP ladder has Brown at No. 7 - a nod to how players and media around the league are starting to take notice. But for the betting markets, he’s still flying under the radar.
What more does he have to do?
That’s the million-dollar question. Because if we’re going by production, efficiency, leadership, and impact - especially with Boston still holding strong in the East - Brown checks every box. And if this is what he’s doing in December, imagine what the second half of the season could look like.
Boston fans see it. The numbers back it up. And it’s time the rest of the league starts putting some respect on Jaylen Brown’s name.