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One Boston Celtic Saw An Insane Increase In NBA Finals MVP Odds Following An Impressive Game 1 Performance

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  • Al Horford has seen an immense jump in his NBA Finals MVP odds following Game 1
  • The big man began the series as a longshot to win the award but is now near the top of the list
  • Read more NBA news here

One game can make all the difference in the world.

That’s certainly been the case for Boston’s Al Horford in the NBA Finals. Entering the series, Horford was an afterthought in terms of potentially winning a Finals MVP award. After the Celtics’ 120-108 win in Game 1, though, he’s seen now near the top of the list.

Horford put out an impressive performance on Thursday, racking up a team-high 26 points on 75% shooting. That included connecting on a career-high six three-pointers.

And when his team needed him the most, the big man didn’t disappoint.

Boston entered the fourth quarter trailing by 12 points. Horford went off in the final frame, shooting 4-for-4 from the field to notch 11 points. He also hauled in an important offensive rebound that led to a Marcus Smart three-pointer to put the Celtics up by 14 late in the game.

It was easily one of the best games of his career, a feat more impressive considering this is his first ever Finals appearance. But it’s far from the first time that Horford has lit it up this postseason.

The center put up a 30-spot on the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, as well as a pair of 20-point nights against the Nets and Heat.

But it’s the Finals performance that will long be remembered if the Celtics bring home a title.

Al Horford sees a huge jump in NBA Finals MVP Odds after Game 1

Horford entered the series as a longshot to win the Finals MVP. Most had Steph Curry or Jayson Tatum taking home the honor depending on which side comes out on top.

Horford came into the series with 100/1 odds, seeing lines as high as 120/1 at some sportsbooks.

Fast forward to Friday and he’s now a top 5 candidate to land the honor. His odds have skyrocketed up to 14/1 at FanDuel.

And if this keeps up, some loyal backers will land some insane payouts. A $100 bet would bring in upwards of $10K for those that caught the lines before Game 1. For those more bullish, the reward could be even greater.

We’ll see if Horford can keep this play up. If so, he’ll make a lot of folks happy in the betting world.