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Updated NBA Championship Odds After All Second Round Series Now Set

Blair Johnson

by Blair Johnson in NBA Basketball

Updated Mar 8, 2021 · 12:33 PM PST

LeBron driving
LeBron may need to the carry the Lakers vs the Grizz on Friday (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire)
  • The Clippers are slight favorites to win it all (+230) now that all second round series are set
  • Boston – up 2-0 on Toronto – has the best odds of any Eastern Conference team (+500)
  • See the title odds for all teams remaining in the NBA postseason within the story to below

The NBA title odds have updated now that all second round series are set. The Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as slight favorites to win it all in the bubble at +230, with the Lakers a close second at +300.

Following Wednesday night’s action that saw Miami take a a surprising 2-0 series lead over Milwaukee, Boston has emerged as the Eastern Conference team with the best odds to win it all at +500.

Meanwhile, former sleeper pick Houston is at +1100 after barely escaping Oklahoma City in a thrilling Game 7.

2020 NBA Championship Odds

Team Odds at FanDuel
Los Angeles Clippers +230
Los Angeles Lakers +300
Boston Celtics +500
Miami Heat +700
Milwaukee Bucks +700
Houston Rockets +1100
Toronto Raptors +1900
Denver Nuggets +3600

Odds taken Sept. 2

After slamming the door on a pair of plucky opponents in the first round, the L.A. teams are unsurprisingly the top two favorites now that all conference semifinal series are locked in.

Miami (+700) is the most intriguing team, especially considering their heavy long-shot status according to previous NBA Championship odds  (this is a team that was +30000 just nine weeks ago)! And oddmakers still like Houston, even though James Harden and Russell Westbrook have struggled mightily in back-to-back close out games against OKC.

Team to Beat

Doc Rivers’ Clippers are rightfully the favorites to win the title this season, which would be a first for the once woebegone franchise. A big reason why has been a certain two-time NBA Finals MVP.

Kawhi Leonard has been the team’s catalyst and arguably the best player in the playoffs so far. After Luka Doncic and the Mavericks tied their first-round series with the Clips at 2-2, Leonard continued to show why he’s so clutch in the postseason in Games 5 and 6.

Now, rested and ready to take on a tired Denver team, I look for Kawhi and Co. to continue their quest for a championship. Heck, their next opponent’s best player didn’t even know when Game 1 was.

With all due respect to Jamal Murray, the Clippers are just better. And with Patrick Beverley expected back in action for the first time in the playoffs after missing the first round with a strained calf, L.A.’s elite defensive status will get better. I’m a big believer in this team.

East Beast

Boston is clearly for real after going up 2-0 on defending champion Toronto. Especially after Milwaukee, the team with the best record in the NBA this season that features presumptive two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, went down 0-2 Wednesday after a 116-114 loss to Miami.

The Celtics have long been considered a title contender due to elite coaching by Brad Stevens and a savvy roster, featuring the likes of Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker. If you project the Heat to eventually finish off the Bucks and the C’s to ultimately vanquish the Raptors, Boston’s potential path to the Finals becomes believable.

Especially because Miami will theoretically be spent after upsetting Giannis and Co. Then, all Boston would have to do is win four games against their Western Conference counterpart. Boston is a worthy title pick.

Houston Problems

I’m fading the Rockets. While their All-Star backcourt – featuring a pair of former MVPs in Westbrook and Harden – present a second consecutive matchup issue for the Lakers, I don’t see how they beat the Purple and Gold based on their last two games against the Thunder.

Houston beat L.A. 2-1 in the season series, but the last game – a 113-97 Houston win Aug. 6 – was mostly meaningless for the Lakers as they had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the West. With a rested LeBron James, Anthony Davis and – in some ways of extreme importance – Rajon Rondo, the Lakers should easily prevail here. Rondo’s ability to defend the perimeter will prove huge.

The duo of Westbrook and Harden have been disappointing in the last two, going for a combined 13-for-35 from the field in Game 7 (yes, Harden did have a game-saving block). And Westbrook had a forgettable final 40 seconds in Game 6 against OKC, putting up an airball and a costly turnover to help the Thunder win.

It feels like this team is spent.

I love the chalk Clippers to win it all. But if you’re looking for a sleeper, go with Boston and the franchise that owns an NBA-best 17 titles.

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