The 2023-24 NBA season tipped off just over a month ago, and according to top legal sportsbooks, the Celtics () are now the betting favorites to win the 2024 NBA Finals, ahead of the reigning champion, the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets () and the Bucks ().
The Phoenix Suns () and Golden State Warriors () round out the top five favorites according to NBA betting odds.
NBA Championship Odds 2024
Below, you’ll find odds to win the NBA championship in 2024 at the best NBA betting sites in the US:
** NBA championship odds are updated regularly.
NBA Championship Best Bets
Here, we break down some of the best bets you can make on the latest NBA championship odds. Check back often to get top value for your favorite choices to hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy next June.
Denver Nuggets ()
The previous year’s champ often struggles in the NBA, but the Nuggets look as well-suited to go back-to-back as any team in a while. Every member of last year’s Finals-winning starting five is back, and all five are in their prime. Through the first few weeks of the season, Denver looks like a legitimate threat to win the Finals again, but the early injury to Jamal Murray is a concern.
Boston Celtics ()
The Celtics made key offseason upgrades at center (Kristaps Porzingis) and point guard (Jrue Holiday), giving them arguably the league’s best starting five. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and the big offsesason acquisitions make Boston a title contender, but they’ll need to stay healthy and find some firepower off the bench besides Al Horford to make a deep playoff run.
Boston is off to a good start, with Porzingis and Holiday both living up to their high offseason expectations. The Celtics’ depth is still a question, but they addressed that concern in emphatic fashion against the Sixers on Nov. 15, beating Philadelphia with both Jaylen Brown and Porzingis unavailable due to injury.
NBA Championship Value Picks & Longshots
Longshots offer some of the best value in any betting market. The teams listed here have reasonable chances to make the NBA Finals in 2024 and you might not get better value on them if they keep winning.
Philadelphia 76ers
It’s hard to pick against Boston in the East, but Philly already has beaten the C’s once this year (though Boston won the rematch earlier this week). Tyrese Maxey’s play to date makes the Sixers a legitimate threat in the East, and Philadelphia could still conceivably add an impactful player before the trade deadline. Even if they stand pat, the 76ers have a chance to make noise in the playoffs if Maxey continues to play the way he has so far this year.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks, along with the Clippers, are one of the biggest wild cards in the league. Luka Doncic gives them a chance every night, and the early results this year have been outstanding, for both Doncic and the Mavs collectively. Kyrie Irving is one of the highest-variance players in the league, but if he stays locked in and he and Doncic are on the same page, the Mavericks could be dangerous.
NBA Championship Line Movement & Implied Probability to Win
The implied probability — or chance of winning the NBA championship — will shift for teams throughout the course of a season. Winning streaks, losing streaks, player transactions, and injuries are some of the most common factors impacting NBA futures.
A team’s implied probability to win is derived from their odds of winning the NBA Finals. For example, if a team has -225 odds, it has a 69.23% implied probability (or chance) of winning it all.
If a team has +225 odds, its implied probability is 30.77%. To figure out the implied probability for a wager, you can use our implied probability calculator.
Why Do NBA Game Betting Lines Move?
The betting lines for an NBA matchup can move for several reasons. Teams can have key players ruled out, look red-hot or ice-cold in recent matchups, or a group of other variables could be in play. The primary reason why a line will move is that a significant amount of money has been placed on one side of the betting line.
In such a situation, should that side of the bet win, the house loses. So, to protect themselves, sportsbooks will adjust the odds to encourage betting on the other side of the line. Unexpected line movements can happen when a lot of money is placed on one side of a bet by a small number of big bettors (sharps).
What Impacts NBA Championship Futures?
Many different events can impact NBA futures odds. What those things are will depend on the specific market, of course. Let’s take a look at the various things that can shift a team’s NBA championship odds:
- Significant injuries: If the Nuggets had lost Nikola Jokic for the playoffs in the first round, Denver’s NBA championship odds would have quickly gotten longer.
- Trades: The Brooklyn Nets are a perfect example of how futures odds can be impacted by trades. Before they traded Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant away, their NBA Finals odds were near the top of betting boards. After moving them, their odds plummeted to the bottom of the oddsboards. At the same time, the Suns became frontrunners in the Western Conference after acquiring Durant.
- Upsets: The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the top contenders when the 2023 playoffs got underway. But after losing a couple of games to the Miami Heat in the first round, their odds began to get longer.
- The betting public: If the public gets heavily behind one team in a market, sportsbooks will shift their odds to make them less appealing to bettors. Books may also shorten a team’s odds to encourage betting.
- Sharp bettors getting heavily behind a team will also impact the odds.
- Rumors: Sportsbooks will often take futures odds down for betting markets, or particular teams, while rumors are swirling. If the media begins reporting that a superstar is expected to be traded, the destination team will begin receiving more of the total futures handle. Sportsbooks adjust odds or remove them until there is more clarity surrounding the player’s future.
Where Can I Bet On NBA Championship Odds Online?
Every mobile sports betting app that operates in the US will carry NBA championship odds.
How To Bet On NBA Championship Odds
If you’re looking to bet on the NBA championship this year, it’s a perfect time to take advantage of amazing sports betting promos available today. Add more than one sports betting app to your playbook so you can line shop for the most competitive NBA championship odds.
Choose Your Online Sportsbook
Most US states with legal online sports betting put multiple mobile sports betting apps at your fingertips. The welcome bonuses, as well as the lines on the NBA championship, differ from sportsbook to sportsbook.
Check out Gaming Today for comprehensive coverage of which online sportsbooks operate in your state. Once you’ve chosen a sportsbook, you’ll need to provide proof of age and identity to register for a new account. Don’t forget to enter the promo code, if necessary.
Make Your First Deposit
Once your account details are verified by the sportsbook, you’re ready to deposit funds and start wagering on games or NBA futures like NBA championship odds.
Navigating to the cashier at your chosen sportsbook displays all of the different deposit options. Some of the most reliable deposit methods include PayPal, Play+, debit/credit cards, and ACH/eCheck.
Make Your First Bet
The NBA championship’s most popular bets are almost for sure going to be featured prominently on any sportsbook’s main lobby. However, legal online sportsbooks offer myriad ways to bet on the NBA postseason. If you are looking for a more specific wager, you may have to search a bit.
Remember, a lot of the welcome bonuses at sportsbooks are only for the first wager, so choose wisely.
Cash Out
If your NBA championship bet cashes in, congratulations! Obviously, you can reinvest your winnings into other bets, but if you are ready to cash out, all sportsbooks will offer you several different options.
PayPal, ACH/eCheck, and Play+ represent some of the fastest ways to cash out when your NBA Championship wagers win.
More NBA Futures Bets
NBA championship odds aren’t the only option for long-term basketball betting markets.
There are many other great options available at sportsbooks all year long.
NBA Player Awards Odds
You can bet on player awards odds throughout the season and offseason.
NBA MVP odds are available and you can also find NBA Rookie of the Year odds for the 2023-24 season, among other options.
- Victor Wenbanyama is a heavy favorite () to win NBA Rookie of the Year.
NBA Conference Winner Odds
- Eastern Conference: Milwaukee Bucks (), Boston Celtics ().
- Western Conference: Denver Nuggets (), Phoenix Suns ().
NBA Division Winner Odds
Like the conference winner odds listed above, you can also bet on whichever team you think will win each division.
NBA Draft Odds
Many sportsbooks have odds posted for who the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft will be. Odds can be found for picks 2-4 as well.
How To Read NBA Championship Odds
Bettors can find futures odds on the NBA Finals throughout the year at the online sportsbooks available in their state. Odds will often fluctuate throughout the year based on injuries, how a team is playing, roster additions and subtractions, etc.
As for how to read those odds, let’s take a look at example odds for the Boston Celtics (+290).
In this example, the Celtics are +290 (American odds at DraftKings). That means if you bet $100 on Boston to win the NBA championship, and they do, you’ll enjoy a $390 payday — your stake plus $290 in winnings.
NBA Championship Betting Strategies
Everyone has their own betting strategy. Some will have more detailed, intricate plans than others, and some may have no real plan at all — and that is okay. But the basis of every strategy should involve a few basic things:
- Set limits and stick to them.
- Stay calm and do not overreact to anything.
- Listen to your friends and the ‘experts’ all you want, but always do your own homework (which is also a must).
- If you are going to be drinking, place your bets first. That way, you can make decisions with a clear head/mind.
- Do not bet money you do not have or cannot afford to lose.
As for the NBA Finals, there are different avenues you can take, but they all involve one thing — you must do your homework. If you are going to bet on alternate lines, you will need to have as much knowledge as possible to decide how many points you can give or take.
Fading the public can be another strategy. When the public starts to bet heavily on one team, sportsbooks will adjust the odds to discourage further bets on that team and encourage betting on the other side. It is how they protect themselves from heavy losses.
But it can also be how you hit a bigger payday.
Then there is the safe route — betting on the favorite. In four of the last five years, the winner of the NBA Finals was at or near the top of betting boards in the preseason. The only outlier was in 2019 when the Toronto Raptors won it all (preseason odds of +1850).
Bet Tracking
The practice of tabulating your betting history. Advanced bet Tracking is essential because numbers are king. Properly monitoring and tracking your bets makes you gambling royalty. Sports gamblers, novices, and veterans alike are guaranteed to improve their game with this simple hack.
NBA Championship Odds History
Teams at, or near, the top of betting boards in the preseason have done well over the last 20 years. However, as you can see, there is the occasional outlier that sneaks in. What can bettors take from this information? Respect the favorites, but don’t overlook anyone.
| Season | NBA Championship Winner | Preseason Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | Denver Nuggets | +1800 |
| 2021-22 | Golden State Warriors | +900 |
| 2020-21 | Milwaukee Bucks | +500 |
| 2019-20 | Los Angeles Lakers | +450 |
| 2018-19 | Toronto Raptors | +1850 |
| 2017-18 | Golden State Warriors | -187 |
| 2016-17 | Golden State Warriors | -128 |
| 2015-16 | Cleveland Cavaliers | +280 |
| 2014-15 | Golden State Warriors | +2800 |
| 2013-14 | San Antonio Spurs | +1200 |
| 2012-13 | Miami Heat | +225 |
| 2011-12 | Miami Heat | +225 |
| 2010-11 | Dallas Mavericks | +2000 |
| 2009-10 | Los Angeles Lakers | +225 |
| 2008-09 | Los Angeles Lakers | +350 |
| 2007-08 | Boston Celtics | +1000 |
| 2006-07 | San Antonio Spurs | +450 |
| 2005-06 | Miami Heat | +350 |
| 2004-05 | San Antonio Spurs | +400 |
| 2003-04 | Detroit Pistons | +1500 |
| 2002-03 | San Antonio Spurs | +1100 |
NBA Finals Appearances and Record
| Team | Appearances | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 32 | 17 | 15 |
| Boston Celtics | 22 | 17 | 5 |
| Golden State Warriors | 12 | 7 | 5 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| New York Knicks | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| Detroit Pistons | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Miami Heat | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Houston Rockets | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Washington Wizards | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Phoenix Suns | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Orlando Magic | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Utah Jazz | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Denver Nuggets | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Sacramento Kings | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Toronto Raptors | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Indiana Pacers | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Baltimore Bullets | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Chicago Stags | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Washington Capitols | 1 | 0 | 1 |
- The Baltimore Bullets are the only former champion that has folded (1954).
- The Chicago Stags and Washington Capitals folded in 1951.
Teams That Have Never Appeared in the NBA Finals
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Charlotte Hornets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans
NBA Championship Odds FAQ
Betting on the NBA Finals is legal in the US, but only at regulated sportsbooks in states with legal sports betting.
You can bet on odds to win the NBA Finals at the legal NBA betting sites that are licensed to operate within the state where you are physically located.
The legal betting age varies from state to state. But the legal age to bet on the NBA Finals in most states is 21. It is, however, 18 in a couple of states and at some retail sportsbooks located on tribal land.
Yes, sportsbooks do offer live betting odds during the NBA Finals.
Much like prop bets in other sports, NBA Finals prop bets are mostly related to in-game outcomes, including player production (i.e. Over/Under points, rebounds, and assists). They also pertain to how the series will play out (i.e. series score after three, five, seven games, etc.).
No. While prop bets related to off-field things are typical for the Super Bowl (such as the length of the National Anthem or the coin flip result), they are not common for the NBA Finals.
The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are the betting favorites to become NBA champions in 2024.
Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals is expected to tip off on May 30, 2024.
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