As the NBA Finals prepare for tip-off later this week, one brave Indiana bettor is banking heavily on a triumphant return for an enigmatic Latvian.
Ahead of Thursday’s Game 1, Caesar’s sportsbook shared an outlandish $3,500 wager on Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis to win NBA Finals MVP. At +3500, the massive ticket could cash in at a staggering $122.5K.
A bettor in IN wagered $3,500 on Kristaps Porzingis (+3500) to win NBA Finals MVP 😧
— Caesars Sportsbook & Casino (@CaesarsSports) June 2, 2024
Potential win: $122.5K pic.twitter.com/MrzY7WFC7O
When healthy, Porzingis played a pivotal role in the Celtics' continued ascension into the cream of the NBA’s crop. Acquired over the summer in a multi-team blockbuster, the 28-year-old served as an imposing piece of the puzzle alongside Jayson Tatum and Eastern Conference Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.
The trio helped lead the Celtics to a top-5 finish in franchise history, while Porzingis played a part in the Celtics dismantling of the defending Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat in Round 1 before, notably, sustaining a calf injury that has held him out of game action since Game 4 and has him questionable ahead of the NBA Finals.
Reports have indicated he could be good to go in time for the Celtics to meet Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, but the long layoff certainly won’t help matters for the 7-foot-2 big.
“It’s something…not nothing,” the big man told media members in early May, the last time he spoke regarding the injury.
The Celtics star has since shared optimism of a return via his social media, sharing on X (formerly Twitter) in his native Latvian to his fans that he would “See you in the Finals.”
A Perplexing Bet
That optimism surrounding the return of Porzingis may assuage some fears, but that certainly still doesn’t make this bettor's enormous gamble any less of a puzzling decision. Notably, beyond the extended layoff and rust sure to be a factor, Porzingis also serves as arguably the Celtics' fourth option, particularly given the emergence this postseason of Derrick White.
Those two factors alone undoubtedly will make things interesting at best and dicey at worst, but even more astonishing is that Porzingis is offered at a better price at multiple books.
While Caesars, DraftKings, and Bet99 are among the sites to offer Porzingis at +3500, multiple other retailers, including FanDuel, Bet365, and Sports Interaction have the former all-star listed at a much more compelling price of +5000, making this one of the more confusing bets you may see ahead of this year’s NBA Finals.
Tale of the Tape
While Porzingis and his health are sure to be a substantial storyline ahead of this year’s NBA Finals showdown, the Mavericks and Celtics are poised to compete in one of the more compelling finals matchups of the past number of years.
The Celtics, returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since losing to the Golden State Warriors in 2022, are coming off an NBA-best 64-win season, and have largely cakewalked their way through a weaker (and often injured) Eastern Conference. Dallas, comparatively, has thrived behind the incredibly clutch play of their backcourt in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Doncic in particular, currently listed by most books as the second likeliest Finals MVP bet behind the Celtics Tatum, has been excellent, helping lead the Mavericks past three higher-seeded opponents in the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
