Historical NBA Championship Futures from Past Seasons

• This page lists the NBA Championship odds from prior NBA seasons since 2017
• The seasons are listed below in reverse-chronological order
• Looking for the latest NBA Championship odds?

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Starting in 2018, SBD has tracked the NBA Championship odds every season. This page preserves the NBA title odds from each season since that time, allowing readers to look back and see how the NBA Championship odds progressed from opening to the last game of the NBA Finals.

Use the jump links below to go to a specific NBA season:

2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018

Odds to Win 2025 NBA Championship

NBA Title Odds Movement Timeline

• June 20 – For the first time since 2016, we’re getting a Game 7! The Pacers’ (+260) decisive Game 6 win is sending the finals back to OKC, where the Thunder (-325) remain as favorites.
• June 17 – The Thunder are just one win away from their first NBA Championship! A dominant win over the Pacers in Game 5 now has OKC as short as -1750 to capture the title in Game 6 on Thursday.
• June 11 – After winning Game 3 116-107, Indiana’s title odds have shortened to +185, but I get the feeling that they won’t officially become favorites until they win a third game in this series.
• June 9 – With the series levelled at 1-1 as it moves to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, OKC is back to being a -550 favorite to win the NBA Finals.
• June 6 – The Pacers have done it again. Indiana erased another double-digit deficit in the 2025 playoffs to win Game 1 in OKC, and have moved to +245 to win the series.
• June 2 – The NBA Finals are set! The Thunder open as massive -700 favorites in their second-ever finals appearance against the Pacers, who are getting roughly +500 to win their first championship.
• May 20 – We’re down to our final four teams! The Thunder head into the conference finals as odds-on favorites to capture their first title in OKC, averaging -169 odds as of Monday night.
• May 9 – Despite stealing a win in Minnesota, the Warriors saw their title odds rise to +3000, largely due to Stephen Curry’s hamstring injury keeping him out for the next week.
• May 5 – The Timberwolves’ average title odds shortened dramatically, from +3371 to +1443, thanks to their defeat of the Lakers in the first round and the benefit of facing the seventh-seeded Warriors in the Western semifinals.
• April 11 – Heading into the last weekend of the season, the best NBA Championship odds in the West belong to the Thunder (+165) and Warriors (+1300), while the Celtics (+215) and Cavs (+650) are leading the charge in the East.
• March 5 – For the first time all season, the Boston Celtics are not favorites to win the NBA Championship. The Thunder are now averaging just +193 to win their first NBA title.
• February 1 – The Lakers and Mavericks completed a blockbuster trade on Saturday night, with Luka Doncic heading to LA for Anthony Davis. The Lakers’ Title odds improved to +2000, while the Mavs faded to +3000.
• June 18 – Boston is a +301 favorite, on average, to win its second straight NBA Championship, with second-favorite Denver back at +740. Minnesota (+860), Dallas (+930), and OKC (+930) round out the top-five favorites.

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2024 NBA Championship Odds

The NBA Championship odds heading into the 2024 NBA Finals heavily favor the Boston Celtics (-215 on average) over the Dallas Mavericks (+180 on average). The Celtics haven’t won an NBA title since the storied 2008 season with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. The Mavericks are searching for their first title since 2011 and second in franchise history.

NBA Title Odds Movement Timeline

• June 15: Extending the series with a dominant 122-84 win, Dallas saw its odds to claw back and win the 2024 NBA Finals improve to +1000. Boston remains a prohibitively short -1800 favorite.
• June 12: After taking a 3-0 lead in the series, the Celtics have shortened to -3500 to win the 2024 NBA Championship. The Mavericks have faded to +1800.
• May 31: The Celtics have opened as -215 favorites over the Mavericks (+180) in the 2024 NBA Finals.
• April 29, 2024: As the first round reaches its close, the Celtics remain +119 favorites followed by the Nuggets at +225.
• Mar. 26, 2024: With less than a month left in the regular season, the same four teams have solidified themselves as NBA Championship favorites; the Celtics (+212), Nuggets (+311), Clippers (+532), and Bucks (+725) are the only teams with odds shorter than +1000.
• Jan. 11, 2024: The LA Clippers (+1012) have moved into fourth in the 2024 NBA title odds, while the Celtics (+314), Nuggets (+408), and Bucks (+484) remain the top three.
• Dec. 12, 2023: The NBA-leading Timberwolves (17-5) are being taken semi-seriously by oddsmakers. Minnesota has improved from +5775 on opening day to +2375, ninth-best odds on the league.
• Oct. 26, 2023: The Celtics (+390) have narrowly overtaken the Bucks (+403) as the outright betting favorite in the 2024 NBA title odds, with the reigning-champion Nuggets (+525) fading to third.
• June 13, 2023: The reigning champion Denver Nuggets have opened as +475 favorites to repeat in 2024, with the Boston Celtics second in the opening 2024 NBA title odds at +538.

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2023 NBA Championship Odds

NBA Title Odds Movement Timeline

• June 8, 2023: After taking a 2-1 lead with a dominant road win in Miami, the Denver Nuggets moved to -900 in the updated 2023 NBA title odds. Miami is now a +600 underdog.
• June 5, 2023: The Miami Heat improved from +550 to +210 on average after a huge upset win in Game 2 in Denver. The Nuggets faded from -750 to -275, but remain heavily favored to win their first-even NBA championship.
• June 4, 2023: The Nuggets’ 2023 NBA championship odds improved to -750 on average after dominating Game 1. The Heat faded to +525, now needing to win four of the next six.
• May 29, 2023: The Denver Nuggets have opened as -350 favorites over the Miami Heat after Jimmy Butler’s team finally managed to finish off the Boston Celtics in Game 7.
• May 26, 2023: The Boston Celtics have improved from +1600 to +290 over the past four days after winnings Games 4 and 5 of the Eastern Conference final against the Miami Heat to avoid elimination.
• May 23, 2023: After knocking out the LA Lakers and advancing to their first NBA finals ever, the Denver Nuggets shortened to -268 on average.
• May 19, 2023: The Boston Celtics have faded to +300 after dropping Games 1 and 2 at home to the Miami Heat (+500). The Denver Nuggets improved to -115 after taking a 2-0 lead on the LA Lakers (+700).
• May 17, 2023: The Denver Nuggets (+140) are the new NBA title favorites after they beat the LA Lakers in Game 1 of the West finals and the Miami Heat upset the Boston Celtics in Game 1 on the East.
• May 14, 2023: After demolishing the 76ers in Game 7, the Celtics moved to +105 favorites in the 2023 NBA championship odds heading into the conference finals. The Nuggets (+230) are second-favorite, followed by the Lakers (+330) and the longshot Heat (+1400).
• May 10, 2023: Big movement today as the Philadelphia 76ers took a 3-2 lead in their matchup with the Boston Celtics. The Sixers are now +290 co-favorites in the NBA title odds alongside the Denver Nuggets, who lead the Phoenix Suns 3-2.
• May 9, 2023: After falling in a 3-1 hole to the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks now have by far the longest odds of any team remaining in the NBA playoffs at +8500.
• April 30, 2023: The Denver Nuggets (+508) moved to second-favorite after dominating Game 1 (125-107) against in their best-of-seven matchup with the Phoenix Suns, who fell to third at +575.
• April 25, 2023: Trailing the Miami Heat 3-1 and just one loss away from being eliminated, the Milwaukee Bucks (+517) remain the third-favorite, on average, behind the Boston Celtics (+220) and Phoenix Suns (+396).
• April 23, 2023: The Boston Celtics (+266) remain favorites, while the Phoenix Suns (+404) are creeping up on the Milwaukee Bucks (+358) for second-favorite.
• April 17, 2023: After dropping Game 1 in lethargic fashion to the underdog Heat, the Bucks (+300) have ceded their position as favorite to the Celtics (+270), who routed the Hawks in their own Game 1.
• April 15, 2023: The Heat and T-Wolves will round out the eight-team postseason field in each conference after winning their respective play-in games last night. Miami sits at +13000 while Minnesota is +18000.
• April 10, 2023: The Bucks will head into the postseason as NBA title favorites over the Celtics with the Suns, Warriors, and 76ers rounding out the top five.
• March 6, 2023: The Suns (+419) have overtaken the Bucks (+442) as the second-favorite behind the Celtics (+294) thanks to a strong start in the Kevin Durant era.
• Feb. 6, 2023: With the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns continuing to struggle, the Nuggets have finally taken over as the favorites out of the Western Conference at +693.
• Jan. 24, 2023: As has been the case for the past month, the top-three favorites all reside in the East: Boston, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn.

2023 NBA Championship Favorites

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Boston Celtics (+165)

The Boston Celtics have re-emerged as NBA Championship favorites after staving off elimination in Game 6 at the Philadelphia 76ers and forcing a Game 7 of their second-round series back in Boston. The 76ers faded from +290 to +750 after failing to close out the series at home.

Denver Nuggets (+230)

The Denver Nuggets earned the top seed in the Western Conference thanks in large part to a dominant 34-7 home record. They have carried over that impeccable home record to the NBA playoffs, where they are a perfect 6-0 in Denver heading into the Western Conference finals, where they will either face the Los Angeles Lakers or Golden State Warriors.

Los Angeles Lakers (+500)

The Los Angeles Lakers are living up to the potential they showed in the abbreviated 2020 season, when LeBron James and Anthony Davis took them to the title. With a supporting cast spearheaded by D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers set aside a lethargic regular-season performance while taking down the No. 2-seed Memphis Grizzlies in round one and how have the defending-champion Golden State Warriors on the ropes, holding a 3-2 series lead in the second round.

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2022 NBA Championship Odds

Odds as of June 14th at Caesars Sportsbook.

[June 13] After taking Games 4 and 5 – and with them a 3-2 series lead – Golden State improved to -400. They will have two chances at winning the title, first in Boston on Thursday (June 16) and then a potential Game 7 on Sunday (June 19) in the Bay Area.

[June 9] Boston held serve in Game 3 at home to take a 2-1 series lead. They are now -230 favorites to win their first title since 2008.

[June 3] An epic 14-point comeback in Game 1 of the finals has led to Boston becoming the -180 favorites, roughly switching positions with Golden State compared to the pre-Game 1 odds to win the title.

[May 29] Despite Jimmy Butler’s heroics in Game 6, the Heat were unable to muster up a winning fight in Game 7 as the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals on Sunday night. They have opened up as underdogs anywhere from +140 to +160 depending on your book

[May 27] Having officially booked their ticket to the 2022 NBA Finals, the Warriors championship odds have shortened further to -160 at Caesars

[May 26] The Heat offense completely fell apart at home in Game 5, and the Celtics have shortened to +140 favorites to win the title – and are odds-on favorites in the Eastern Conference

[May 24] With Golden State holding a commanding 3-0 series lead, they are heavy odds-on favorites to win the title. With the Celtics tying up the ECF on Monday night, their odds have flown past the Heat at +230 while Miami deals with injuries up and down their lineup

[May 20] Miami failed to show up in Game 2 on South Beach, with the Celtics winning in blowout fashion. The Celtics are now back to the East’s favorite to win the title, at odds of +200

[May 19] The Warriors odds shortened further to +100 on the heels of a blowout Game 1 win against the Mavericks

[May 18] After a rousing second half comeback and 41 point performance by Jimmy Butler, the Heat have moved to the championship favorite in the East after taking a 1-0 series lead on the Celtics.

[May 15] Four teams remain after some monstrous Game 7 blowouts, including one of the worst losses in NBA history by the Phoenix Suns to Luka Doncic who ripped the soul out of the desert as Dallas advanced to the Western Conference Finals. They have the longest title odds of the four teams left, while the Celtics are the Eastern favorite despite being the lower seed against the Heat

[May 13] The Heat have eliminated the 76ers in six games, vaulting their odds to win the title as short as +380

[May 12] Following their dismal loss in Game 5 against the Grizzlies, the Warriors price has pulled even with the Suns at +220 on Caesars Sportsbook. The Bucks have also re-taken their place as the East’s top team after a stunning comeback win in Boston

[May 10] After their gritty win in Game 4 to send the series back to Boston at 2-2, the Celtics swapped places with the Bucks, as their championship odds moved to best in the Eastern Conference. The Warriors overcame a horrible first half shooting performance to take a 3-1 lead on Memphis, and shorten further as title favorites

[May 9] We’ve seen the biggest movement in the results of the Warriors-Grizzlies series, as GSW has a 2-1 lead and faces Memphis on Monday without Ja Morant on the floor due to injury. The Grizzlies odds have plummeted as a result. Despite losing both games in Dallas, Phoenix remains a short +275 price at Caesars Sportsbook

[May 4] After the Golden State loss in Game 2 to Memphis, the Suns have retaken the top spot as NBA title favorites

[May 3] The Suns dismantling of Dallas on Monday night (don’t get confused by the final score), shortened Phoenix’s odds to a tie with Golden State atop the board at Caesars Sportsbook, while the Mavs have now dropped to the bottom as long as 35-1

[May 2] After giving up Game 1 at home to the Warriors despite Draymond Green’s first half ejection, the Grizzlies title odds have slipped to worst in the field at +2500 on Monday morning

[April 29] With Devin Booker’s return and a series in Game 6 over the Pelicans, the Suns odds have reversed course and shortened back to +340 at Caesars – just behind the favorite Warriors, who are now +320

[April 28] Golden State’s odds shifted to +300 from +320 after defeating the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 to advance to the 2nd round of the Western Conference playoffs

[April 27] The Miami Heat are safely in to the 2nd round and saw their championship odds move to +600, while the Bucks and Warriors have a chance to join them with wins on Wednesday. Dallas has looked great with Luka Doncic back in the lineup, and their odds shortened to +2500 to +1600

[April 25] After taking a commanding 3-0 series lead, the Boston Celtics have shortened to +380 to win the NBA title as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been an unstoppable duo for the Nets defense. Brooklyn’s season has cratered, and their title odds have cratered to +8000

[April 22] The Bucks odds have taken a hit with Khris Middleton out indefinitely due to an MCL strain, fading to +850 behind both the Heat and Celtics in the East. Golden State is now as short as a +300 favorite as Jordan Poole’s breakout continued in a Game 3 win at Denver to take a 3-0 series lead

[April 21] Boston’s odds have shortened to 3rd best in the league as short as +600 at Caesars, chasing the Warriors at +375 who are now just behind the Phoenix Suns who have seen a small fade. With Devin Booker likely out for both games in New Orleans, the Suns NBA title odds now sit at +300

[April 19] Following the opening weekend of Playoff action, we’ve seen the odds shorten significantly on Golden State as they’ve demolished the Nuggets in two straight. They can be found as short as +500 to win the title. After losing a stunner at the buzzer in Boston on Sunday, the Nets have also seen their price slip to +1200

[April 14] Some major drops in the market happened over the past week, as the Mavericks odds took a major fade with Luka Doncic’s status unknown. The Bulls odds also plummeted to 10-1 with the world expecting them to be swept out of the postseason by the Bucks. Seeing the Celtics in the 1st round, Brooklyn’s championship odds also faded from +650 to +850 at Caesars Sportsbook

[April 11] The postseason is finally upon us, with the Play-In Tournament beginning tomorrow. Milwaukee has seen the most movement in their odds in the recent weeks, and are now as short as +475 to repeat as NBA Champs. The Suns remain significant favorites

[April 4] As Paul George has returned and there’s been a murmur Kawhi Leonard could join him in the postseason, the Clippers odds have shortened ahead of the Bulls at +5000

[March 28] With the calendar nearly turning over to April, the postseason is nearly upon us, and the Miami Heat are the biggest loser in the latest NBA Championship odds. Losers of four straight, they’ve fallen to 2nd in the East standings and also seen their title odds drop to +1200 at Caesars Sportsbook

[March 20} With Stephen Curry now out until at least the beginning of the postseason, Golden State has fallen to third in the odds as Brooklyn regains the 2nd spot (although they remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture).

[March 8] Despite currently sitting at 10th in the East, the Nets remain third in the odds at +600. The Celtics have won eight of their past ten and their odds are on the move, now as short as +1900

[February 17] Now a week removed from the trade deadline, the Suns and Warriors top the board as co-NBA title favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook. The Celtics have also revived their title hopes, having won nine of ten and shortened to odds of +3000

[February 10, 1:30pm EST] Following the long rumored James Harden for Ben Simmons trade, the Sixers price has shortened in to the top five, now +650 at FanDuel Sportsbook. The Nets are still favorites – but have seen their price fall closer to the Warriors as Durant remains out with injury and Kyrie Irving still unable to play home games

[February 7] Despite currently riding a nasty eight game losing streak, the Nets remain favorites. The Suns have only lost twice in the calendar year and have shortened to +500, while the woeful Lakers remain in the top ten at 18-1 with moves likely coming to the roster this week

[January 25] The Grizzlies rise continues, and the Suns have now pulled in to a tie for third spot at odds of +700. The Lakers have seen their odds fade to +1700 as they struggle to stay above .500

[January 13] With the Grizzlies surging towards the top of the West, their odds have shortened to +4200

[January 3] The Warriors price continues to shorten, but with Kyrie Irving’s return imminent we could see odds shift signifcantly for the first time in months

[December 16] While we haven’t seen much movement in the top ten of the title odds, the Cavaliers have proven to be a real group capable of making the playoffs – and their title odds have shortened in to the second tier at +10000

[November 29] The Warriors continue their surge with the best record in the league, now the consensus secondary team in the NBA Championship odds

[November 16] As the Lakers hang around .500 awaiting the return of LeBron James, their odds have faded back to tier two of contenders, now +700 at FanDuel

[November 10] The Golden State Warriors hold the league’s best record as Steph Curry plays at an MVP level, and their odds have shortened as low +850 which you can find at FanDuel Sportsbook

[November 1] Vaulting off their win in Milwaukee Sunday night, the Jazz have jumped the Warriors and shortened to odds of +1000 at the FanDuel Sportsbook to win the title

[October 26] As the only undefeated team in the East remaining after surviving in Toronto on Monday night, the Bulls have seen their odds shorten to +4800. Buoyed by the addition of Kyle Lowry, Miami’s price has shortened as well

[October 19] As it’s still unknown how much Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons will play for their respective teams, the Bucks have seen their average odds shorten to +650

[October 12] With so much uncertainty around Kyrie Irvin’s season availability – the Nets odds have taken a slight fade to +230

[September 24] The 76ers odds are still holding despite Ben Simmons’ reported refusal to report to training camp, while the Nets have seen their average price shorten to +205

[August 31] With reports emerging that Ben Simmons will refuse to report to Sixers camp, Philadelphia’s odds remain unchanged

[August 4] As Kyle Lowry will be joining Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler on South Beach, the Heat saw the biggest move in the 2022 NBA title odds, now the second shortest team in the East at +1600.

[July 30] With the reported acquisition of Russell Westbrook to join AD and LeBron, the Lakers saw their price shorten from as long as +600 at some books to an average of +410 across the web. Arizona fanatics can find the Suns remaining strong contenders after re-signing Chris Paul, at average odds of +1400

[July 21] Despite Giannis closing out his first Finals to win in dominant fashion, the Bucks have only opened at +900 to win the title next season. The Brooklyn Nets are heavy +200 favorites at most NY sportsbooks, while LeBron

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2021 NBA Championship Odds

Odds as of July 20th

[July 21] The Milwaukee Bucks won Game 6, completing a series comeback after being down 2-0 to win their first championship in 50 years

[July 17] In a stunning comeback, the Bucks got phenomenal performances out of Giannis, Middleton and Jrue Holiday all on the same night to take a 3-2 advantage following a 123-119 Game 5 victory. Milwaukee are now -350 favorites to clinch the title on home court Tuesday night

[July 15] With the Bucks having tied the series at two games a piece, Milwaukee’s odds have shortened to +115

[July 12] Milwaukee punched back to win their first NBA Finals in over 50 years, blowing out the Suns to win Game 3 and shorten to +205 to win the series

[July 9] Weathering the Bucks early storm to put together three consecutive 30-point quarters, the Suns cruised to a 2-0 lead in the series and saw their odds to win the 2021 NBA Championship move to -500

[July 7] After their blowout win in Game 1 of the series highlighted by Chris Paul’s 32 point, 9 assists Finals debut, the Suns moved to heavier -300 favorites to win the series

[July 5] Public bettors are loading up on Suns tickets on the eve of Game 1, as Phoenix has moved to -200 at DraftKings

[July 4] The Phoenix Suns have opened as -177 favorites against the Bucks in the championship series

[July 1] With their elimination of the Clippers in Game 6, Chris Paul’s Suns have shortened to -210 odds to win the 2021 NBA Championship

[June 30] Giannis Antetokounmpo’s knee injury has totally shake up the title race. The Phoenix Suns are now heavy -134 favorites while the Bucks faded to +330. LAC and ATL have also seen their odds improve in wake of the news

[June 29] LAC moved out of the basement with their Game 5 win over the Suns, and saw their title odds shorten back to +800 from +2500 before the game

[June 28] After their comeback win in which Khris Middleton took over the 4th quarter on Sunday night, the Milwaukee Bucks are once again odds-on favorites to win the 2021 NBA title

[June 24] Following their disappointing Game 1 loss to Atlanta, the Bucks have fallen out of title favorite’s position – as the Phoenix Suns are now +100 to win the title. The Hawks odds also shortened to +650 after the road victory

[June 23] With their stunner of a win on DeAndre Ayton’s buzzer beating dunk to take a 2-0 lead on the Clippers, the Phoenix Suns are now tied with the Milwaukee Bucks as title favorites

[June 20] Down to the final four, the Milwaukee Bucks are now odds-on favorites to win the NBA title heading into the Conference Finals. The Suns are +135 to win the title after winning Game 1 against the Clippers

[June 18] With the Bucks forcing a Game 7, their odds have shortened to third best in the league, while the Nets have fallen back from runaway favorites

[June 17] Both the Clippers and Hawks saw improvement in their championship odds after pulling off stunning road wins in their Game 5’s on Wednesday night

[June 16] The Clippers were dealt a brutal blow with Kawhi Leonard reported as out indefinitely after suffering a knee injury in Game 4 vs the Jazz. Their title odds have slid to +950. Phoenix also saw their price slightly fade after news of Chris Paul going into COVID-19 protocols broke.

[June 14] With the timeline of Kyrie Irving’s injury rehab unknown, the Nets have seen their price as heavy favorites fade. They are now just ahead of the Jazz and Phoenix Suns

[June 8] Following their demolition at the hands of the Nets in Brooklyn over the weekend, the Bucks have faded to title odds of +1400 at DraftKings

[June 4] By eliminating the Lakers (and LeBron James for the in the 1st round for the first time ever), Phoenix has seen their price significantly shorten, as the Suns odds to win the 2021 title are now +600 at DraftKings

[June 3] Now both down 3-2, the LA teams have seen their championship odds fade significantly

[June 2] After eliminating the Celtics on Tuesday night, the Nets average championship odds shortened to +175

[May 31st] With Donovan Mitchell’s return and a 2-0 record since he’s taken to the court, the Utah Jazz have seen their title odds shorten back to +450 at DraftKings

[May 25] Lots of shakeup after the first weekend of playoff action in the 2021 Championship odds. The Clippers have faded away from the top to odds of +750 after a disappointing opener against the Mavs while the Bucks have shortened to +600 after a demolition of the Heat in Game 2

[May 21] With the field nearly set for the NBA playoffs, the Nets are now a heavy +250 favorite, while the Lakers sit at +450 and the Clippers are just behind at +500

[May 12] With what should be a clean bill of health heading into the postseason, the 76ers are seeing their average odds continue shortening

[May 6] The Suns keep winning, and their odds keep shortening – as DraftKings has moved Phoenix to odds of +1400 from +2000

[April 28] After a brief lengthening, the Clippers have shortened back to odds of +500 to win the title at DraftKings

[April 23] Utah has overtaken the Milwaukee Bucks at DraftKings, leaving just the Brooklyn Nets as the Eastern Conference team in the top four

[April 14] With Jamal Murray now out for the season, the Nuggets odds have taken a significant hit, fading from an average of +1700 to +3750

[April 8] The Nets have continued to re-inforce their roster with the signings of Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge – and with Kevin Durant finally returning and not missing a shot on Wednesday night, Brooklyn are league favorites at average odds of +255

[March 25] While teams at the top await reinforcements on the buyout market, Denver saw their odds shorten the most on deadline day as their price moved to +2100 after trading from Aaron Gordon from Orlando

[March 16] Not much movement in the odds at the top of the board, while Utah slightly shortened to an average price of +825

[March 10] Brooklyn has nearly pulled even with the Lakers in the wake of adding Blake Griffin via buyout, now at average odds of +300, to the Lakers’ price of +270

[March 4] Utah has slightly cooled from their torrid pace to start the new year, going 6-4 in their last ten games, but their average championship odds have improved to +825 from +925 last week

[February 25] With AD on the shelf due to his calf injury, the Lakers are laboring as they’ve lost five of six, opening the door for the Nets to close the gap. Brooklyn has improved to average odds of +313, while LAL sits at +270

[February 18] Utah’s odds are continually improving as they keep mowing teams down nightly, now at an average odds of +1150

[February 9] The Sixers and Jazz have seen their odds dramatically improved as two of the hottest teams in the league, while the preseason darkhorse Mavericks have all but ejected from the title race, now at average odds of +4300

[February 2] Despite currently owning the best offensive rating in the league, the Nets also own the worst defensive rating in the league and have seen their average odds fade to +388

[January 20] The Lakers and Nets are consensus favorites a week after the James Harden trade

[January 13] After the blockbuster deal for James Harden, the Nets have surged to +270 favorites for the championship, just behind the Lakers who are +260

[January 11] Despite now dealing with COVID-19 issues, the 76ers odds continue to improve, as they’ve shortened to +1600 from last week

[January 5] After assuming 2nd favorite position, the Nets have faded back into a tie behind the Lakers with the Clippers and Bucks. LAL are still well ahead of the pack at average odds of +245

[December 28] Through the opening week of play KD and Kyrie have impressed in Brooklyn, as the Nets average odds are down to +520

[December 23] Despite big opening night wins, the Nets and Clippers odds remain unchanged, while the Miami Heat have surged into the top five, at average odds of +1550 to return to the Finals and win a title

[December 16] Odds have mostly held steady with less than a week to go before the season begins, with the Lakers in pole position at +273

[December 3] With Russell Westbrook headed to DC and the unsure thing that is John Wall joining James Harden in Houston, the Rockets average title odds have fallen from +3100 to +6500

[November 30] The majority of roster movement is likely finished for the league as training camps near, and the Lakers have strengthened their favorite position, now at odds of +285 to go back-to-back as champions

[November 23] By signing Harrell and Gasol, the Lakers got needed reinforcements for AD in the front court, and are now heavy +290 favorites to repeat after the first weekend of free agency. With Klay Thompson confirmed out for the season, the Warriors average odds have plummeted to +2750

[November 19] With Klay Thompson reportedly suffering some kind of serious right leg injury and the drafting of James Wiseman, the Warriors odds have been on the move, but are settling at an average of +1000

[November 16] In the first blockbuster of the season, Phoenix acquired Chris Paul from the Thunder for a package anchored by Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre. The Suns average odds shortened to +4250 from +6500 after the deal. The Nets odds have also shortened to an average of +700, as speculation heats up James Harden could be traded from Houston to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving

[November 10] The Clippers have slightly faded to average odds of +550 for the ’21 title, and we should expect more shifting amongst contenders after next week’s draft

[October 27] The Nets have shortened to +800 on average to win next year’s title, although the potential Christmas start date to next season that’s been reported as an option could have Brooklyn shorthanded early on as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are still rehabbing their injuries.

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2020 NBA Championship Odds

 

• [October 12] The Los Angeles Lakers ended the 2020 NBA season on Sunday night, by blowing out the Heat and taking home the championship as the heavy favorites they’d been all season long
• [October 10] After staying alive on Friday night, Miami are now at average odds of +605 to comeback and defeat LAL in seven games for the title
• [October 7] Following the Lakers 102-96 win in Game 4, they have surged to -9000 favorites to wrap up the NBA Championship on Thursday night in Game 5
• [October 4] The Miami Heat have officially made the 2020 Finals a series with their win in Game 3 behind Jimmy Butler’s triple double. The Heat are now at average odds of +1200 to defeat the Lakers. Game 4 goes Tuesday night.
• [October 1] After the Lakers dominant Game 1 win vs the Heat, they are now average -455 favorites to win the 2020 NBA Championship
• [September 27] With the Lakers and Heat wrapping up their Conference Finals over the weekend, LAL has opened as heavy favorites with odds of -365 to win the 2020 Finals
• [September 23] Despite dropping Game 3 to the Nuggets, LeBron’s Lakers remain very heavy -400 favorites to win the NBA title
• [September 21] LAL remain heavy favorites after moving up to 2-0 in their series vs Denver, while Miami is still +350 to win the title despite dropping Game 3 to the Boston Celtics
• [September 18] Before their WCF series starts, the Lakers are odds-on favorites to win the title
• [September 16] The final four have been set, and the LA Lakers are now consensus favorites for the 2020 title at average odds of +120
• [September 13] While they await the winner of the LAC-DEN series, the Lakers are now consensus favorites at average odds of +150 to win the title
• [September 9] After eliminating the Bucks, the Heat have seen their price surge to +390, while the Lakers odds have also shortened to +210 after beating the Rockets in Game 3 of their series
• [September 8] The Miami Heat have seen their average odds shorten all the way down to +400, and they could likely improve even more if they finish off the Bucks in Tuesday night’s Game 5
• [September 3] Having fallen behind 2-0 to the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks have seen their title odds plummet to +700 – the longest they’ve been all year
• [September 2] As the Boston Celtics have taken a commanding 2-0 lead over the Toronto Raptors, they’ve vaulted themselves to a top four contender at average odds of +650
• [September 1] The Thunder improved their odds mightily by forcing a Game 7 vs Houston, now at an average of +6500 for the title. James Harden and the Rockets have dropped out of the top five to average odds of +1500
• [August 31] After dispatching the Dallas Mavericks, the LA Clippers moved back into top spot at average odds of +260. Denver has also climbed ahead of Utah with their first round series heading to Game 7 on Tuesday
• [August 24] Denver finds themselves in a 3-1 hole to the Utah Jazz after Sunday night’s loss, and their odds have skyrocketed all the way to +7500 to win the title.
• [August 21] With their dominant start and 2-0 series lead over the OKC Thunder, Houston has surged back to odds of +1000, and firmly in contention to make a run to the Finals – even with Westbrook still sidelined
• [August 17th] As the playoffs begin today, the Toronto Raptors have moved into the top four contenders at average odds of +1100, while the Houston Rockets have slightly faded while awaiting Russell Westbrook’s return from his quad strain
• [August 11th] The 76ers have plummeted out of contention with the news of Ben Simmons being out for the remainder of the season due to his knee surgery – and Philadelphia’s odds have taken the hit to +8500
• [August 4th] With Houston’s strong 2-0 start in the seeding games, their average odds have overtaken the Celtics at +1100, now fourth behind the Lakers, Bucks and Clippers
• [July 27th] The Lakers are strong average favorites at +200 after dominating their opening scrimmages within the NBA bubble. Their restart begins Thursday vs. the Clippers
• [July 8th] As the restart inches closer, the Lakers have pushed slightly ahead of the Bucks for pole position
• [June 4] Despite no home court advantage with the season’s resumption in Orlando, Milwaukee and the Lakers remain favorites to capture the title
• [May 25] With some momentum building around the season resuming in a “campus environment” at Disney World, your top three favorites remains as LAL, LAC and MIL are the top contenders
• [March 30] Amidst suspension, the top three remain unchanged with the Lakers average favorites of +200, with Milwaukee & the Clippers just behind
• [March 19] The Jazz have faded amidst their COVID-19 diagnoses to Rudy Gobert & Donovan Mitchell, while the Lakers and Bucks remain favorites as we sit in suspension
• [March 10] Although they won head-to-head against Milwaukee on Friday night, the Lakers still trail them in average odds, +225 to +235, respectively
• [March 1] Despite their win in Boston on Saturday, Houston’s average odds have fallen behind the Celtics at +1133, while Brad Stevens team is +1067
• [February 26] The Lakers are once again slight favorites at an average of +225 after beating the Grizzlies, Celtics & Pelicans out of the AS Break
• [February 18] Milwaukee is favorites on average coming out of the All-Star break, at +267 to walk away with the 2020 NBA title
• [February 7] While LAL remain the favorites, after an active deadline that netted them Andre Iguodala & Jae Crowder, the Heat are now an average of +2300
• [January 26th] The Lakers remain the average favorites across the books, at a price of +248
• [January 13th] With their latest swoon and Embiid’s finger injury hovering over their play, the Sixers have fallen off to average odds of +1133
• [December 26] Despite falling to 0-2 against the Clippers this season, the Lakers remain championship favorites on average, at odds of +258
• [December 16] The 76ers are back down to an average of +817 after going 5-1 in their last six games
• [December 3] After a week of strong play buoyed by the resurgence of Carmelo Anthony, Portland has jumped back into the Top 12 with average odds of +5000
• [November 26] Buoyed by Luka Doncic’s spectacular run of play, the Mavs have entered to the Top 12 contenders with average odds of +5500 to win the title
• [November 19] The Lakers have now usurped the Clippers as favorites across the books, with average odds of +290
• [November 12] Mired in a mini-slump following their undefeated start, the Sixers have seen their average odds fade to +700
• [November 5] The Miami Heat have entered the Top 12 contenders as Jimmy Butler has fit in perfectly with their deep and athletic young core, with average odds of +4300
• [October 29] As both teams have hit their stride following their opening night clash, the Clippers and Lakers are now co-favorites with average odds of +300
• [October 25] After comfortable wins over the Lakers and Warriors, the Clippers average odds continue to shorten, now at +325
• [October 21] With the season tipping off this week, the Lakers remain the presumptive favorites, with average odds of +270
• [October 4] As preseason schedules open around the league, the Los Angeles Lakers are the presumptive favorite for the title with average odds of +320
• [July 12] With the addition of Russell Westbrook from OKC, the Houston Rockets’ average odds have shortened from +1200 to +700
• [July 6] After adding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Los Angeles Clippers are now the favorites to win the 2020 NBA Championship
• [July 1] After landing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in free agency, the Brooklyn Nets’ championship odds went from an average of 20-1 to 16-1
• [June 21] The Pelicans’ average championship odds shortened overnight from +600 to +4667 after drafting Duke star Zion Williamson.
• [June 16] The Lakers’ 2020 NBA Championship odds shortened even further after trading for All-NBA center Anthony Davis.
• [June 14] Being without Kevin Durant for the 2019-20 season, even if he does re-sign, and Klay Thompson likely to be out until February – again, if he does re-sign – the Golden State Warriors have not opened as NBA Championship favorites for the first time since 2015-16, the Lakers own that title

2020 NBA Championship Odds

Odds taken October 10th

The best way of predicting the future is to look back into the past. Here are some interesting trends to consider before making a wager:

• The Western Conference has won seven of the last 11 NBA championships
• Five of the last 11 NBA championships have been won by a team from the Pacific Division
• LeBron James has been to the NBA Finals in seven of the last eight seasons
• Teams that win the first game of a best-of-seven series win the series 76% of the time
• Teams that win the first two games of a best-of-seven series win the series 94% of the time
• Teams that win the first three games of a best-of-seven series win the series 100% of the time

Eastern Conference Top Contenders

Despite winning the championship, the Toronto Raptors did not open with the best odds among teams in the Eastern Conference. That honor has been bestowed upon the Milwaukee Bucks.

Atlantic Division

The Toronto Raptors did open with the best 2020 championship odds among teams in the Atlantic division.

That changed with Brooklyn landing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, while Kawhi Leonard left Toronto for Los Angeles.

Central Division

The Bucks may not face much competition for the NBA Championship in their own division, as the next best team is the Pacers, who opened with average odds of +7500.

Southeast Division

The Southeast doesn’t look to contain any contenders in the 2019-20 season, as the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks opened with the best championship odds in the division at an astronomical 100-1. The Heat may at least be respectable now with Jimmy Butler, which pushed their average odds as short as +4000.

Western Conference Top Contenders

The 2019 NBA Finals was a costly one for the Golden State Warriors. Not only did they lose to the Raptors in six, but they will be without Klay Thompson until likely February, and Kevin Durant has left in free agency.

Northwest Division

No NBA division has produced fewer championships than the Northwest, whose lone title belongs to the 1977 Trail Blazers. But Portland went the furthest among Northwest teams last season, making it to the Western Conference Finals before being swept by the Warriors.

However, it’s the Nuggets who open with the best NBA Championship odds in the division.

Pacific Division

The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers didn’t open as the top two favorites for the 2020 NBA Championship. But after the Lakers landed Anthony Davis and the Clippers acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, they’re now seen as the class of the league.

Southwest Division

When you think of the Spurs, the first word that comes to mind is “consistency.” San Antonio has reached the playoffs in each of the last 22 seasons and has won six conference titles and five NBA championships during that time.

But the Rockets are the team to watch in the Southwest. After trading Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook, Houston saw their average odds shorten from 12-1 to 7-1.

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2019 NBA Championship Odds

• [June 13] Leading up to Game 6, it’s clear the money has poured in on the Raptors, as their odds have shortened to an average of -325 from -290
• [June 11] After stealing Game 5 on the road, the Warriors’ championship odds shortened from +440 to +240
• [June 8] With a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals, the Raptors have seen their odds shorten to -600
• [June 7] For the first time since May of 2016, the Golden State Warriors are not favored to win the NBA Championship; the Toronto Raptors have overtaken them as -120 favorites
• [June 6] After the Raptors won Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead, both the Raptors and Warriors are given -110 odds to win the NBA Finals
• [June 3] The Warriors claimed Game 2 on the road and their odds to win the NBA Finals jumped back to -270, just a touch longer than what they were to start the series
• [May 31] Despite winning Game 1, the Raptors still find themselves as +130 underdogs in the NBA Finals
• [May 30] The Raptors’ odds have gotten slightly better since May 26, moving from +240 underdogs to +230
• [May 26] The Golden State Warriors have opened as -290 favorites over the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals
• [May 24] The Raptors NBA Championship odds shortened to an average of +400 after beating the Bucks in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead
• [May 21] After sweeping the Blazers in the Western Conference Final, the Warriors average NBA Championship odds sit at -210
• [May 16] The Warriors NBA Championship odds continue to shorten, now listed at -180, while the Bucks are seeing their shortest average odds of the season (+180); both won Game 1 of their respective conference final
• [May 13] The Raptors and Blazers won their respective Game 7s, setting the table for the Conference Finals: Toronto vs Milwaukee in the East and Portland vs Golden State in the West; the Warriors remain the odds-on favorites
• [May 11] After eliminating the Houston Rockets in Game 6 without Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors are again the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship
• [May 9] The Golden State Warriors now have plus-odds for the first time since June 2018.
• [May 6] The Milwaukee Bucks are finally being given the second-best odds to win the 2019 NBA Championship
• [April 29] The Warriors are still favored, but the Rockets are gaining ground. Houston now has +600 odds to win it all.
• [April 11] The Warriors enter the playoffs as the favorites with average NBA Championship odds of -220.
• [March 11] Oddsmakers are souring on the wildly inconsistent Celtics. Boston now has its longest odds (+1500) of the season.
• [January 2] The Nuggets are finally getting some respect among oddsmakers. Denver is now at +3000 after being as long as +15300 in early September.
• [November 26] Are the Clippers for real? LA’s “other team” now has average odds of +6000 after being pegged at +38300 when the 2018-19 season began.
• [November 11] After sporting average odds of 89-1 less than a month ago, the Bucks are now just 19-1
• [June 15] The Lakers joined the party on June 15th when they became the favorites to sign LeBron James, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard. That Big 3 has since become a Big 1 as George resigned with OKC and Leonard was traded to the Raptors.

Closing 2019 NBA Championship Odds

*Odds taken on June 13, 2019

Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference Top Contenders

The Toronto Raptors found themselves looking up at the Milwaukee Bucks in championship odds for the last handful of weeks in the 2018-19 NBA season. But they defeated them in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals.

Atlantic Division 2019 NBA Championship Odds

The Nets found themselves in familiar territory again, as they entered the 2018-19 season as serious longshots. Brooklyn hasn’t won a championship since entering the league.

Central Division 2019 NBA Championship Odds

The Cavaliers had opening odds of +2500, but that changed in a hurry thanks to LeBron James decision to leave town for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Southeast Division 2019 NBA Championship Odds

The Southeast Division sent just one team to the postseason, the Orlando Magic, who was eliminated in the first-round by the Raptors.

Western Conference

Western Conference Top Contenders

The Warriors’ championship odds got even shorter on July 6th when the defending champs signed DeMarcus Cousins to a one-year deal. But they just couldn’t three-peat with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson both removed from the series due to injuries.

Northwest Division 2019 NBA Championship Odds

The Portland Trail Blazers went on a great run in the playoffs, making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately, they would get swept by the Golden State Warriors.

Pacific Division 2019 NBA Championship Odds

Any discussion about the Pacific Division begins with the Warriors, who entered the 2018-19 season as overwhelming favorites yet again. Golden State had won three of the last four titles and was perfectly positioned to become the first team in 17 years to pull off a three-peat.

Southwest Division 2019 NBA Championship Odds

The Houston Rockets came up short yet again, falling to the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the playoffs, even after Kevin Durant left in Game 5 with a calf injury.

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2018 NBA Championship Odds

The 2017-18 NBA season ended not with a bang, but a whimper as the Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to win their second straight championship.