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Updated 2020 NBA Championship Odds for All 16 Playoff Teams

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball

Updated Mar 8, 2021 · 2:28 PM PST

Anthony Davis has been diagnosed with a calf strain which is set to keep him out of the Lakers lineup for a minimum of 2-3 weeks. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)
  • Bucks enter 2020 NBA Playoffs with best odds to win championship
  • LeBron James had made the Finals eight straight times before he and the Lakers missed the playoffs last year
  • Read below to see the 2020 NBA Championship odds heading into the playoffs

Well, that was fun.

After the Trail Blazers and Grizzlies put the final bow on the regular season with a thrilling play-in game that Portland just prevailed in, the 16-team field is finally set, with the NBA playoffs beginning on Monday, August 17.

And much like 2020 NBA Championship odds have been for much of the year, there are three clear-cut favorites, and then a field of next-tier competitors to choose from.

2020 NBA Championship Odds

Team Odds
Milwaukee Bucks +260
Los Angeles Clippers +300
Los Angeles Lakers +320
Toronto Raptors +1000
Houston Rockets +1300
Boston Celtics +1700
Denver Nuggets +2400
Miami Heat +3000
Dallas Mavericks +4900
Portland Trail Blazers +4900
Utah Jazz +4900
Oklahoma City Thunder +6500
Philadelphia 76ers +6500
Indiana Pacers +10000
Brooklyn Nets +24000
Orlando Magic +24000

*Odds taken on August 15th

In a year of uncertainty, and a season like we’ve never witnessed in the history of the sport, do you really believe these brackets are staying chalk? Let’s look a little deeper into the playoff picture, and see if we can’t find you the best value on the board.

LeBron James is Back

For almost the last decade, LeBron James has been the center of the basketball ecosystem. Since 2011, James’ teams had reached the Finals eight consecutive times, winning three, until a groin injury and an especially weak Los Angeles roster ended with James missing the playoffs altogether in his first season with the Lakers.

But as the world goes topsy turvy, the basketball world reverts back to form. James is back, his 17th straight season of averaging 20+ points (25.3) and for good measure he led the league in assists for the first time in his career, at 10.2 a game.

His next talented running mate is Anthony Davis, and together they led LA to the top seed in the West. Yes, Portland is probably the worst matchup for them, and the Lakers are currently the lowest scoring and worst shooting team in the bubble. It’s why they’ve seen their odds lengthen to +320, as they struggled after beating the Clippers.

But the King is back, and his track record tells us we know what that means.

Bucks, Clippers are Business

Can a top seed in basketball have as much uncertainty as the Bucks? Perhaps we’re looking too much into their crushing 2-0 blown series lead to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in last season’s Eastern Conference Final. Because their bounce back has been unreal.

They practically clinched the top seed by the All-Star break, and finished the year as the highest scoring team, the top rebounding team, second in shooting from the field and sixth in assists. They also were the only team to finish with a double-digit point differential of +10.1. No other team cracked +6.5.

They were led by the overwhelming back-to-back MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who should also take home the Defensive Player of the Year award, a rare double in the same season in the NBA.

And then there’s the Clippers, a team that finished the year with exactly 11 total games played with their entire roster intact – including none in the bubble. Yet the other LA team happens to sport the two-best wing defenders in Kawhi Leonard (also, the reigning Finals MVP) and Paul George — also the ninth and 26th-highest scorers this season — the best reserve duo in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, and the most annoying defensive guard pest in Pat Beverley.

They still finished with 49 wins, and had the second-best point differential in the league. They are top-5 in field goal and three-point percentage defense. If they can come together, it will be more impressive than current head coach Doc Rivers’ Ubuntu Celtics of 2008, who won it all in their first season.

Who’s the Value in the Next Tier?

There was a time when the Toronto Raptors were at +3800 before the new year, and even as high as +2000 on Aug 1. Still, after finishing with the second best record in the NBA and considered the elite defense in hoops — lowest points allowed, lowest 3-point defense and second lowest field-goal percentage — they’re at a valuable +1000.

Minus a go-to superstar, they have a unit that generates offense regardless of who’s on the floor. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet are two of the best guards in the East, and they have the bodies to tackle any defensive assignment. Like most teams, they will look bad if they can’t hit shots, as evidenced by a blowout loss to the Celtics in the bubble. But they are the champs for a reason, and the toughest out in the East.

Speaking of tough outs, the Miami Heat are basically Toronto South, but they have a stud in Jimmy Butler to take big shots at the end of games. They’re probably the only team that can go deeper down their bench than the Raptors, with the quality of play and style of play remaining at starter levels.

Goran Dragic off the bench is a monstrous plus, Kelley Olynyk can go x-factor at any moment and Tyler Herro seems poised to make a big impact as a rookie. At +3000, they are too good to pass up.

And a quad injury that has slowed Russell Westbrook has me less bullish on Houston’s “let’s get weird” style from advancing far in the postseason.

But if he stays healthy, the ability to score the basketball is going to be more key than consistent defense, and the Rockets will have that advantage over most teams in the West with their MVP duo of James Harden and Westbrook.

What’s the Best Bet?

Until someone takes him out in a seven game series prior to the last round, LeBron James gives you the best chance to get to the Finals. From there it’s a 50-50 proposition. But feel free to sprinkle it around. Both Toronto and Miami have the ability to knock the Bucks out of the East, and they’re great value.

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