2023/24 NBA Championship Betting Odds
At this stage of the NBA Playoffs it isn’t unusual to see futures odds change with the outcome of just one game. A prime example was the defending champion Denver Nuggets. After dropping the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the odds for both clubs swung dramatically. Two impressive Minnesota road wins had the Wolves as the second favorite while the Nuggets odds spiked leaving them ahead of only Indiana and Cleveland on the board. Denver responded, though, in what amounted to a must-win game on Friday, beating the Wolves by 27 points.
It’s obvious by what took place all season that Boston is the best team in the NBA. However, the best team doesn’t always win a championship. The start to the Celtics’ Eastern Conference semifinal series with Cleveland started in similar fashion to their first round matchup with Miami. A big series favorite, the Celtics easily took Game 1 only to suffer a debilitating Game 2 setback. With 29 points Donovan Mitchell was one of three Cavs to score more than 20 points. And just like the first series, the Celtics rebounded with a road win to take control of the series.
The Celtics boast negative NBA championship odds with the only thing getting in their way being themselves. Over the past three seasons that include a trip to the NBA Finals in 2022 and the East Final last year, the Celtics are 17-7 on the road. That’s allowed them to keep playing despite just playing .500 at home in the same time span. The Cavs and Indiana Pacers have the longest odds on the futures board with Oklahoma City and Dallas having nearly the same odds and dueling each other for a trip to the West Final.
NBA Betting Lines
NBA Championship Betting Odds
| ODDS TO WIN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP 2023/24 |
| Boston Celtics -144 |
Dallas Mavericks +808 |
Denver Nuggets +300 |
| Indiana Pacers +10000 |
Minnesota Timberwolves +800 |
New York Knicks +2700 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder +2250 |
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*Odds as of Friday, May 17, 10:00 AM ET
Boston Celtics
With negative odds it’s clear the Celtics are the team to beat. They responded to the few times they faced adversity this postseason, but their failure to win consistently at home is alarming. They are 3-2 through their first five home playoff games with double digit losses to Miami and Cleveland when favored by at least 13 points. However, they made up for it by winning all three road games, including important Game 2s. They ventured to Cleveland following a 118-94 loss and clamped down defensively while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 61 points.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves proved they can win in Denver taking the first two games of the series holding the Nuggets to fewer than 100 points in both. Knocking off a team that won the championship a season ago isn’t easy, though, and the Wolves found that out. Needing a win to avoid the dreaded 0-3 hole, which no NBA team has ever overcome, the Nuggets posted a 27-point victory. A home playoff game may have sparked some jitters with Anthony Edwards the most affected. After scoring a total of 70 points in the first two games he had only 19 in Game 3 and didn’t attempt a free throw. He needs to be involved for the Wolves to have success.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Just like Minnesota, the Thunder had a hot start to the postseason and are now facing the reality of NBA playoff basketball. For a team that won 57 regular season games and its first five playoff tilts, the Thunder are an inexperienced group when it comes to playing in later rounds. Early playoff results may have instilled a false sense of security. OKC routed New Orleans in the first round but didn’t have to face the Pels best player Zion Williamson. They started the second round with a 22-point victory only to have Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving break OKC’s defensive pressure.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks will go as far as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving take them. The duo took them to a pair of wins over the top seed to take control of their West semifinal series. Doncic especially struggled in Game 1 hitting only 1 of 8 three-pointers for 19 points. Irving was a little better scoring 20 points. Doncic made five triples and tallied 29 points with P.J. Washington chipping in seven threes and 29 points. The Mavs shot 49 percent from deep to get the win. Washington added 27 points in Game 3 and his emergence in the series not only gives the Thunder another thing to think about, it also sends notice to the rest of the NBA.
New York Knicks
If you watch long enough you realize that anything can happen in the NBA. Well, anything but a team rallying from 0-3 deficit to win a 7-game series. The Knicks don’t have to worry about that since they opened their series with Indiana taking the first two games. New York thrived behind a defense that allowed the second-fewest points during the regular season and the Knicks will have to slow down a relentless Indiana attack. They allowed eight more points on average in the first three games of the Pacers series than they did during the regular season. The winner of this semifinal series will more than likely be the East runner-up, though.
NBA Teams
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