Odds For Nba Title

Understanding NBA Championship odds is important for any basketball fan looking to bet on the NBA Finals.

Betting on the NBA Championship requires making a futures bet on a chosen team. An NBA Championship futures bet can be made at virtually any point during the regular season or playoffs. Wagering during the offseason is even possible, as sportsbooks set NBA odds for the following season’s champion soon after the current season ends.

2021 NBA Championship odds: Philadelphia 76ers are a valuable futures bet By Reed Wallach. The NBA second half is about to get underway, and the title picture is not as clear as. Sportsbooks will also adjust the NBA title odds based on handle and liability to certain teams. NBA Championship odds will usually look like this: Milwaukee Bucks +240 This means that on a $100.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented situation for the 2019-2020 NBA season. After a nearly five-month pause, 22 teams remain in the hunt to hoist the NBA Finals trophy.

Current NBA Finals Odds 2021

Odds To Win The NBA Finals – Whose Odds Are Increasing?

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers go into the NBA restart as one of three favorites topping the futures odds list. The legendary franchise added perennial all-star forward Anthony Davis before the 2019-2020 season. Davis joined a roster that already featured LeBron James, one of the NBA’s all-time greats.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Lakers have switched back and forth as the sportsbook favorite to win the NBA Finals Championship several times throughout the season. Anchored by all-star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks stand as virtually dead even with the Lakers as the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship.

Los Angeles Clippers

Sitting just behind the Lakers and Bucks, the Los Angeles Clippers stayed near the top of the list of NBA Championship favorites throughout the season. With a loaded lineup featuring all-NBA players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers should attract plenty of interest from futures bettors as the season resumes.

Odds To Win The NBA Finals – Who’s In Trouble?

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz battled the Denver Nuggets for first place in the NBA Northwest Division for much of the 2019-2020 season. Turmoil hit the Jazz just before the season paused, with Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell becoming the first NBA players to test positive for COVID-19.

Houston Rockets

Graphing the NBA Finals Championship odds on the Houston Rockets throughout the season reveals an up-and-down rollercoaster. Different sportsbooks hold various views on the chance of the Rockets winning the championship, with lines varying from +1200 to +1700 going into the season restart. With explosive players like James Harden and Russell Westbrook on the roster, however, don’t count out the Rockets.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers were just seconds away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018-2019. After entering the season among the top five contenders at many sportsbooks, Philadelphia now sits as a longshot to claim the NBA title, with odds hovering around +2300 according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

What’s Different In The 2020 NBA Season

The NBA shut down the 2019-2020 regular season on March 11, as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic began to take effect around the world. Weeks of uncertainty about the remainder of the season followed.

Most of the NBA’s 30 teams played about 65 of the 82 games on the regular-season schedule before the pause. After a nearly five-month hiatus, the season finally resumes July 30.

The remainder of the season commences from the NBA “bubble” in Orlando, Florida. All games will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.

Only 22 of the NBA’s 30 teams return for the remainder of the season. Each team will play a total of eight “seeding games” before the playoffs begin.

NBA Playoffs Format For 2019-2020

The regular NBA format sees the top 16 teams (eight from Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference) advance to the playoffs. The 2019-2020 postseason also uses that format, but with an extra addition.

The top seven teams from each conference automatically advance to the postseason. The eighth seed also automatically advances if it’s four games of more ahead of the ninth-place team after the seeding games are played.

If the eighth-place team is fewer than four games ahead of the No. 9 team at season’s end, the eighth and ninth seeds play each other for the final playoff spot.

The two teams play each other in a maximum of two games, and if the No. 8 seed wins either it advances to playoffs. If the No. 9 seed wins both games, it goes to the postseason.

When the eight playoff teams from each conference are set, the playoffs proceed in the traditional format. Teams play each other in best-of-seven series until the champion is determined.

The unprecedented setting and changes to the playoff format could mean that NBA Championship favorites face a tougher road to the NBA Finals trophy. While the Lakers, Bucks, and Clippers still stand as the favorites, bets on teams with longer odds could prove profitable.

Where Can I Bet On The NBA Finals Online?

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook stands as one of the top destinations for legal online sports betting in the US. New players can sign up for an account and enjoy a risk-free bet up to $500 on their first wager.

The FanDuel Sportsbook platform operates in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, and West Virginia.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook takes a spot as one of the most popular online sportsbooks in the US. Bettors in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia enjoy access to the platform.

Bonuses for new players at DraftKings Sportsbook include a risk-free bet up to $500, a 20% deposit match bonus up to $500, and a $25 no-deposit bonus.

BetRivers

BetRivers recently launched as the first online sportsbook to go live in Illinois. The platform also operates in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Indiana.

BetRivers offers one of the most generous deposit match bonuses in the sports betting industry. New players can get a $100% deposit match, up to $250, with just a 1x playthrough requirement.

FOX Bet

FOX Bet operates through a partnership of FOX Sports and The Stars Group. This online sportsbook brand is available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

New player bonuses include a 50% deposit match bonus up to $500 and a risk-free bet up to $500.

PointsBet

The PointsBet brand offers “PointsBetting”, a unique way of betting that awards bigger payouts based on a selected team’s margin of victory.

PointsBet operates in New Jersey, Indiana, and Iowa. Players in those states can take advantage of a risk-free bet bonus, up to $200.

Online Sportsbook Odds On The NBA Finals

Where Can I Bet On The NBA Finals In Vegas?

Taking a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, puts you right in the center of one of the best places to watch sports in the world. Finding a place to bet on the NBA Championship is as easy as venturing to one of the city’s legendary retail sportsbooks.

The Westgate SuperBook, Caesars Palace, Wynn, South Point, Venetian, and many other Las Vegas casinos host sportsbooks. All of these venues offer numerous ways to bet on the NBA.

Nevada hosts legal online sports betting as well. William Hill, Westgate SuperBook, Station Casinos, Golden Nugget, and Circa Sports represent just a few of the many options for mobile sports betting in Nevada.

How NBA Championship Odds Are Calculated

The following table shows the NBA Championship futures odds at FanDuel Sportsbook before the 2019-2020 season restart:

This table displays the lines on the NBA Champion as moneyline odds. All “+” moneyline odds display the amount of profit made off a $100 bet.

A $100 bet on the Milwaukee Bucks, for example, yields $240 profit if it wins. This means if you bet $100 and the Bucks win, the sportsbooks returns $340 to you ($240 profit plus the original $100 bet).

To calculate “+” odds for any moneyline bet, divide the odds by 100, and multiply that figure by the amount of the bet. So for instance, a +240 line means you must divide 240 by 100, which yields 2.4. You then multiply your bet amount by 2.4 to calculate the amount of profit.

A $50 bet results in $120 profit ($50 x 2.4), a $75 bet yields $180 in profit ($75 x 2.4), and so on.

If the Bucks were set at -240 odds, that number means you have to bet $240 to earn $100 in profit. You can calculate a -240 line by dividing 100 by 240, which yields 0.416.

Multiplying the amount of your bet by 0.416 gives you the amount of profit realized on a -240 moneyline bet. A $50 bet yields $20.80 in profit ($50 x 0.416), a $75 bet results in a $31.20 profit (75 x 0.416), etc.

What Might Affect The NBA Finals Odds?

As the NBA regular season plays on, the championship picture becomes clearer. A team that appeared as a strong championship contender in the preseason might be completely out of the running come playoff time.

Injuries, trades, coaching changes, and other factors can greatly affect futures odds. For example, the Golden State Warriors began the 2019-2020 season as one of the top five favorites to win the NBA Finals Championship.

All-star guard Stephen Curry broke his hand in the second game of the season, however, and the injury kept him out of the lineup virtually the entire season. As a result, the Warriors posted the NBA’s worst record, and aren’t among the 22 teams returning to Orlando for the season restart.

Betting Odds For The NBA Finals Breakdown

Milwaukee Bucks (+240)

Following up on a strong 2018-2019 campaign, the Bucks come into the season restart with the NBA’s best record. All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is second in the league in both points (29.6 PPG) and rebounds (13.7 RPG). Milwaukee goes to Orlando as the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship.

• 53-12 record (1^st in the Eastern Conference, best overall record in the NBA)
• +240 odds to win the NBA Championship (according to DraftKings Sportsbook)
• Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.6 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 54.7 FG%) and Khris Middleton (21.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG 41.8 3FG%)

Los Angeles Lakers (+260)

The Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks lead the pack among NBA Championship contenders as the season restarts. The addition of All-Star forward Anthony Davis to a lineup that already included LeBron James made the Lakers instant preseason favorites. That trend continued throughout the season.

• 49-14 record (1^st in the Western Conference)
• +260 NBA Finals odds
• Top players include LeBron James (25.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 10.6 APG); Anthony Davis (26.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.44 BPG).

Los Angeles Clippers (+320)

The addition of All-Star players Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the offseason placed the Clippers high on the list of preseason favorites. The new roster lived up to expectations before the regular season pause, and the Clippers remain a strong contender to the title.

• 44-20 record (2^nd in the Western Conference)
• +320 odds to win the NBA Finals Championship
• Key players include Kawhi Leonard (26.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.8 SPG), and Paul George (21.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.33 SPG).

Houston Rockets (+1700)

All-purpose threat Russell Westbrook reunited with former teammate James Harden in Houston before the season. With Westbrook and Harden on the same team, NBA oddsmakers set the Rockets as one of the top picks to win the NBA championship before the season. Those odds went up and down throughout the season, but Houston’s explosive offense makes the Rockets a factor in the Orlando bubble.

• 40-24 record (tied for 5^th in the Western Conference)
• +1700 odds to win the NBA Championship (according to DraftKings Sportsbook; odds on the Rockets vary significantly across different sportsbooks).
• Led by James Harden (34.4 PPG, 271 3FGM, 7.4 APG) and Russell Westbrook (27.5 PPG, 7.0 APG, 1.66 SPG).

Toronto Raptors (+2000)

The defending NBA champions saw star player Kawhi Leonard leave in the offseason to play on the Los Angeles Clippers. While Leonard’s departure stands as a significant loss, the Raptors still battled the Bucks for Eastern Conference supremacy throughout the season.

• 46-18 record (2^nd in the Eastern Conference)
• +2000 odds to win the NBA Finals
• Top players include Pascal Siakam (23.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.00 SPG), and Kyle Lowry (19.7 PPG, 7.7 APG, 1.35 SPG).

Learn more in our Guide To Placing A Sports Bet Online.

NBA Finals Odds And Betting

What Is An NBA Futures Bet?

A futures bet in any sport represents a wager on an event that spans longer than a single game or playoff series. Futures bets generally refer to season-long events.

NBA futures bets include opportunities to wager on what team will win the NBA Championship, what player will win the Eastern Conference, what team will lead the league in wins, and so on.

Other futures bets include totals (over/under) wagers on how many games a chosen team will win in the NBA regular season.

Futures bets can be made at any time up until the wagered-on event happens.

What Is An NBA Finals Prop Bet?

Wagering on an in-game or in-series event not related to what team wins or loses means making a prop bet.

Prop bets on the NBA Championship could include what player will win the NBA Finals MVP, or whether a certain player will average over 30 PPG. Exotic prop bets on the NBA Finals could include wagers on whether the combined point total in the final game of the series ends up as odd or even.

The 2018-2019 NBA Finals (Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors) featured numerous prop bets. Some of these wagers included whether the series would end in a 4-0 sweep either way, what player would lead the series in scoring, and what player would win the NBA Finals MVP.

NBA Prop Bets

Most regular-season NBA prop bets function as futures bets on different statistics and player awards. These wagers can include betting on what player will lead the league in scoring, what player will win the NBA Rookie of the Year award, and so on.

Going into the 2019-2020 restart, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo stands as the overwhelming favorite to win the league MVP.

DraftKings Sportsbook sets the odds on Antetokounmpo winning the MVP at -5000. LeBron James comes in a +1000, with Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, and James Harden all set at +10000.

The NBA will award the MVP and other 2019-2020 accolades based on games played before the season paused on March 11.

See our full Guide To Sports Betting Odds.

Odds For The NBA Finals Championship FAQ

Yes, in states with legalized sports betting. Going into the NBA season restart, 19 US states allow legal sports betting, with 13 of those states offering legal online sports betting.

Some of the states that offer both land-based and online sportsbooks include Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana, and Illinois.

Office pools and other betting on the NBA Championship outside of legal sportsbooks are technically against the law.

21 in most US states. The minimum age for betting on the NBA Championship, and sports betting of any kind, is 21 in most states. Exceptions to this rule are Rhode Island and Montana, each of which offers legal online sports betting to players 18 and over.

Legal online sportsbooks offer the most convenient way to bet on the NBA Finals. Top choices for online sports betting include DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, FOX Bet, BetRivers, and PointsBet.

Many other legal online sportsbooks operate in the US, but this list represents some of the most popular and reliable platforms where you can find NBA Championship betting.

These different platforms operate in different US states, so be sure to check out each brand’s website to find out where each is available.

Yes. As long as you’re betting at a state-regulated, legal online platform, placing a bet on the NBA Championship at an online sportsbook is perfectly safe.

Legal online sportsbooks function as extensions of land-based casinos in the states in which they operate. As such, placing a bet at a legal online sportsbook is just as safe as placing that same bet at a legal retail casino.

Yes. Like all other NBA regular season and playoff games, the NBA Finals presents numerous ways to bet in-game at legal online sportsbooks.

All of the different in-game and in-play bets that could be made in a regular-season game can also be made during any game of the NBA Finals.

The Milwaukee Bucks, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bucks sit at +240 odds to win the championship, with the Lakers (+260) and the Clippers (+320) also sit as strong contenders.

The Bucks and Lakers have traded places throughout the season as the favorite to win the title, and odds on these teams, as well as the Clippers, vary across different sportsbooks. The odds can also change based on what happens in the rest of the NBA regular season.

Yes. The NBA Finals will begin September 30 and play through October 13 at the latest. All games will be played from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

With the 2020-21 season underway, it’s time to dig into the latest NBA Vegas odds and find out how all 30 teams stack up in their bids for a championship.

Yes, preseason optimism is something fans of almost any NBA squad can talk themselves into, yet unlike other major sports leagues, the highest level of pro basketball tends to be top-heavy. Superstars drive title hopes, and the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers are clear favorites to repeat.

With LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way, the Lakers could well hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy again. Let’s see the latest betting lines on the Purple and Gold, along with all the other NBA futures odds, courtesy of VegasInsider.com.

NBA Vegas odds: 2020-21 championship futures

NBA Vegas odds: Top 2020-21 championship contenders

Los Angeles Lakers (+230)

These Lakers got better during the offseason, acquiring first- and second-place finishers for Sixth Man of the Year in Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder, not to mention a former Defensive Player of the Year in center Marc Gasol.

Harrell provides a unique big man off the bench with more athleticism and scoring ability than anyone L.A. had in its frontcourt rotation last season. He averaged 18.6 points per game for the Clippers in 2019-20. As for Schroder, he’s another ball-handler who can help LeBron work off the ball, and gives coach Frank Vogel more lineup versatility.

Whatever Gasol can provide is icing on the cake. If he’s anywhere near top form, Gasol and Davis would make one heck of a defensive duo in the paint.

It’s easy to see why the Lakers are so heavily favored. They might be worth betting now while the odds are this long.

Milwaukee Bucks (+550)

Giannis Antetokounmpo is staying, and he has a legitimate two-way guard in Jrue Holiday to play alongside him, something he’s never had before. Milwaukee fans have to be doing backflips.

Between Holiday, Giannis and a third All-Star in Khris Middleton, the Deer may have the best trio of perimeter defenders in the Association. That’s not even to discuss what they each bring to the offense. All three can make plays off the dribble, and Holiday in particular is a true lead guard who can take the pressure off Giannis to have to make every play in crunch time.

Don’t sleep on the firepower Milwaukee boasts off the bench, either. Stretch 4 Bobby Portis and guards Bryn Forbes and D.J. Augustin all provide instant offense.

If Donte DiVincenzo can take another big step forward like he did in Year 2, there’s little reason to bet against the Bucks at least making it to the NBA Finals, if not winning.

Los Angeles Clippers (+550)

Losing Harrell to the Lakers hurts the Clips, who were already undersized and lacking offense off the bench. However, Serge Ibaka bailing from Toronto to reunite with Kawhi Leonard is a big deal.

Ibaka gives this Los Angeles squad rim protection it didn’t have before, not to mention a matchup problem on offense due to his ability to stretch the floor. Harrell does most of his damage around the rim, whereas Ibaka can step out to the 3-point line and knock down clutch shots.

The big wild card here is Tyronn Lue. Having won a championship with LeBron in Cleveland, Lue steps in for fired coach Doc Rivers. Those are big shoes to fill, and King James isn’t around this time.

Although there’s nothing to indicate Kawhi will leave the Clippers, he does have a player option for next season. If things go south, especially early on, L.A. could crumble and make the Lakers’ playoff path in the West easier to navigate.

Brooklyn Nets (+600)

Kyrie Irving toying with and insulting the media. Kevin Durant coming off a torn Achilles. A first-time head coach — and Hall of Fame player at Irving’s position — in Steve Nash.

What could possibly go wrong? A lot actually, but then again, if the Nets figure this thing out, these +600 odds to win the championship will seem overly generous.

Irving and Durant are quite volatile personality types who just so happen to have downright historic skill sets. Perhaps no one in basketball history has better handles than Irving, or can finish around the rim so ambidextrously. Durant may be the biggest matchup nightmare and purest, most versatile scorer there’s ever been.

Combine those elements with returning core pieces like Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris and Caris LeVert, and you’ve got a great-looking Brooklyn squad on paper. It all comes down to how well Nash can manage the locker room.

NBA Vegas odds: Best dark-horse value bets

Denver Nuggets (+2000)

Being slotted eighth after reaching the NBA’s version of the Final Four last postseason is some serious disrespect for Denver.

Beyond the ascent of point guard Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic establishing himself as the prototype for a modern center, Michael Porter Jr. is a real X-factor.

The 22-year-old who fell in the 2018 draft because of a back injury is proving to be a big hit in Denver. Porter’s per 36-minute averages from this past season? 20.4 points and 10.3 rebounds. His shooting splits were 50.9/42.2/83.3. Those are bonkers numbers from an efficiency standpoint.

In a four-game stretch during the Orlando bubble seeding games, Porter saw the biggest minutes of his young pro career, and responded with 29.2 ppg. If he’s who we think he is, look the heck out for the Nuggets.

Dallas Mavericks (+2200)

How far can Luka Doncic take the Mavs, and how soon? Already an MVP-caliber superstar at age 21, those questions account for one of the league’s most fascinating storylines.

A compelling argument can be made that if Doncic hadn’t suffered a sprained ankle, and Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t dealing with his own injury problems, Dallas would’ve knocked off the Clippers in the opening round of the bubble playoffs. As it stood, the Mavs still pushed L.A. to six games when they had no business doing so.

Odds For 2020 Nba Title

Doncic can create open shots for his teammates in ways so few players can. His size, strength and knack for drawing contact to get to the free throw line are bettered by no one besides James Harden. The difference is, Doncic hasn’t shown himself to be a selfish player.

If Dallas’ relatively unheralded supporting cast can do enough around him and Porzingis is healthy, these Mavs may well be ready to contend for a title now.

Portland Trail Blazers (+3500)

This line is rightly moving, going from +5000 before the season started and shrinking already through the first week. It really should, because Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum might be the NBA’s best backcourt right now.

Vegas Odds For Nba Title 2020

Lillard lifted his game to another level in the bubble, yet the Blazers’ defensive limitations were on full display when the Lakers dominated them in the postseason’s opening round. To be fair, center Jusuf Nurkic was inconsistent, because he was knocking the rust off after returning from a serious leg injury. That was a big part of the equation.

Portland made a huge defensive upgrade in landing dynamic wing Robert Covington in a trade with Houston. While Covington can also knock down treys at a decent clip (35.6% for his career), his real value is on defense thanks to his length, ability to switch and guard about any position on the floor. He may prove to be the most underrated acquisition for any playoff contender of the 2020 offseason.

Odds For Golden State To Win Nba Title

New Orleans Pelicans (+7000)

Is this the 2021 playoffs’ version of the 2020 Miami Heat? It’d be a bunch of young studs banding together on a rapid ascent, led by second-year phenom Zion Williamson, reigning NBA Most Improved Player Brandon Ingram and a fiery, NBA Finals-experienced coach in Stan Van Gundy.

Ingram was among numerous ex-Lakers who were involved in the Anthony Davis trade. How poetic would it be if this long-shot group were the ones to upend the defending champs?

As far as dark horses go, the Pelicans aren’t a supreme stretch. If Zion plays big minutes and stays healthy, he could well dominate in a way never seen before. His blend of athleticism, strength for his size and playmaking ability, along with defensive upside, make Zion a true 1-of-1 NBA player.

Vegas Odds For Nba Title

Landing center Steven Adams to start at center will upgrade the Pels’ struggling defense. Adams should also help the locker room as a great mentor to sleeper breakout candidate Jaxson Hayes, and a key veteran leader to pair with ace sharpshooter J.J. Redick.