Bet on the NBA Champion 2024/25: Updated Odds, Expert Picks & Early Analysis of the Contenders

Despite the fact that they held the lead for more than 70% of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, the L.A. Lakers lost in five games, going down, 108-106, on Monday night. LeBron James had a huge night, with 30 points, 11 assists, 9 boards and 4 steals in the finale of his 21st season. When asked after the game if he would be back for 2024-25, he was noncommittal. He faces a June 29 deadline for opting into the last year of his deal with the Lakers, which would bring him $51.4 million, or enter unrestricted free agency. Lakers coach Darvin Ham is on the hot seat after his second season, as this first-round departure came earlier than ownership likely expected. The Lakers have Anthony Davis under contracdt through the 2027-28 season. He had a stinger injury in his left shoulder that left his arm numb, hanging from the socket, and while he finished the game, he was clearly in pain. He had 18 points and 15 boards, going 8 of 11 from the floor, but he didn’t take any shots after that injury. Let’s look at the NBA Championship Odds of the teams still alive in the playoffs to win the title and discuss some of the remaining contenders.

Updated NBA Finals Odds: Celtics Remain on Top, But Challengers Emerge

• Boston Celtics +120
• Denver Nuggets +200
• Oklahoma City Thunder +900
• Minnesota Timberwolves +1100
• N.Y. Knicks +1200
• Dallas Mavericks +1600
• L.A. Clippers +3300
• Indiana Pacers +4000
• Philadelphia 76ers +6500
• Cleveland Cavaliers +6500
• Milwaukee Bucks +15000
• Orlando Magic +15000
• Miami Heat +100000

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Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder swept the New Orleans Pelicans out of the playoffs, surviving a close Game 1 and then winning the last three games emphatically. Their combined margin of victory for Games 2 and 3 was 51 points, and three different Thunder players scored at least 20 in those lopsided wins. The Pelicans were obviously hampered by the loss of Zion Williamson, but the Thunder defense smothered the Pelicans’ offense, holding them below 92 points in all four games.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves also swept their way through the first round, sending Phoenix home in 4-0 fashion. The Timberwolves have the top-ranked defense in the NBA, and they also scored 120 or more points in three of the four wins, setting up some fairly obscene margins of victory. They shot 48.2% from the floor as a team for the series, and guard Anthony Edwards was elite, putting up 31 points, 8.0 boards, and 6.3 assists per game in the series. He shot 51.2% overall from the floor, including 43.8% from downtown. In the Game 4 win to end the series, he put up 40 points, 9 boards and 6 assists to end a 20-year franchise drought for winning a playoff series.

N.Y. Knicks

The Knicks welcome the Philadelphia 76ers for Game 5 on Tuesday night, and Jalen Brunson has made franchise history already as he dropped 47 on the 76ers in Game 4. That set a playoff scoring record for a team that has had such prolific scorers as Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, and Bernard King. Brunson also dished out 10 assists. The Knicks need to give Brunson some scoring help for the Knicks to make a deep run, but for now, the team has given the 76ers another house of horrors in the postseason.

Indiana Pacers

Are the Pacers this much better than the Milwaukee Bucks? They enter Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead, but the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed the whole series and Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton have also missed games has made life a lot easier for the Pacers. Indiana is helping itself out, though – in Game 4, they made 22 three-balls. The Bucks do have a lot more playoff experience as a group, but the Pacers do have Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam as leaders. Can the Pacers end a streak of 10 seasons without winning a playoff series? The answer appears to be yes.

NBA Championship Odds: If the L.A. Lakers are going to have a chance to advance past the Denver Nuggets in their Western Conference quarterfinal series, Anthony Davis’ defense will be the reason why. He had to miss a game against the Golden State Warriors in the last week of the regular season, and the headaches and nausea Davis was suffering in the wake of a blow to the head from a game two nights before kept him on the shelf, and the Warriors ran all over the Lakers’ defense. They shot 63.4% from downtown and 58.8% overall. When Davis is in the game, he defends the rim, and he jumps out to change shooters’ minds at the perimeter as well. Can he do enough to help the Lakers’ defense slow down the second-seeded Nuggets? We will see. Meantime, read on to see each playoff team’s updated sports betting odds to win the NBA title and our thoughts on some of the other first-round matchups.

Shaking Up the Race: Updated NBA Championship Odds & Analysis

• Boston Celtics +120
• Denver Nuggets +280
• Oklahoma City Thunder +1100
• L.A. Clippers +1200
• Milwaukee Bucks +1400
• Minnesota Timberwolves +1800
• N.Y. Knicks +2000
• Dallas Mavericks +2000
• Phoenix Suns +2200
• Philadelphia 76ers +2200
• L.A. Lakers +2500
• Cleveland Cavaliers +5000
• Indiana Pacers +10000
• New Orleans Pelicans +12500
• Miami Heat +15000
• Orlando Magic +20000

Most sports bettors don’t see either Cleveland or Orlando as a title threat, but we do know that the Cavaliers can play some smothering defense. We saw this in their Game 1 matchup as the Cavs limited the Magic to just 32.6% shooting overall and 21.6% from behind the arc. Between the end of the first quarter and the start of the fourth, the Magic just scored 32 combined points. During the regular season, the Magic scored just 112.9 points per 100 possessions, the lowest offensive rating of any playoff team, and the Cavaliers took advantage. The irony is that the Magic were able to make it a close game despite getting just 4-of-22 shooting from starting guards Gary Harris and Jalen Suggs.

One of the more surprising first-round games featured Phoenix and Minnesota. The Timberwolves were favored to win the opener at home, but the 120-95 demolition was more of a beating than many expected. Rudy Gobert anchors the defense at the rim, but the perimeter defense that the Timberwolves rolled out was especially impressive. Phoenix star Devin Booker hoisted 16 shots but only managed 18 points and went just 1 of 7 overall when guarded by jaden McDaniels. Nickeil Alexander-Walker came off the bench to post four steals, and the perimeter defense also held Grayson Allen to just four points and played a role in him clanking all three of his three-point attempts. Bradley Beal only took 10 shots and was held to 15 points thanks to a physical presence by the Timberwolves’ defense.

Will the return of Joel Embiid help Philadelphia get by New York? If you saw that crazy dunk he threw down against the Knicks, where he fed himself an alley-oop off the backboard in the second quarter of Game 1, you know how high his ceiling can be. When you saw him fall down after the slam, clutching that fragile left knee, you know how quickly his promise can fade into the text of another injury report. He did return, but ti wasn’t enough. Embiid has to play for the 76ers to win; when he was on the floor, the 76ers had a +14 point differential. He was off the court for just 11 minutes, but the Knicks had a +21 point differential over that stretch – and won by seven. Even when Embiid was in the game, he wasn’t crashing the boards aggressively, perhaps because of worries about his knee, and the Knicks grabbed 23 offensive boards, which led to 10 extra shots. The Knicks look like the better team right now, but given.

The NBA postseason is upon us, which means that the play-in tournament, which will determine the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference, is on deck. This tournament was designed in part to help avoid the problem of tanking to get a lottery pick and to make the end of the regular season more interesting for teams that were stuck outside the top eight seeds. However, tanking is still a trendy topic as some are wondering if the L.A. Lakers, who have the eighth-best record in the West, should tank their play-in tournament game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The winner of that game would get the seventh seed and would face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. The loser would then host either Golden State or Sacramento in a game for the eighth seed. The eighth seed will open the playoffs with a series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers got swept by the Nuggets in the regular season but won three of four from Oklahoma City. Down the stretch, the Lakers won 11 of their last 14 to solidify their hold on the eighth slot. However, the Kings also swept the Lakers this season, so tanking could end with the Lakers on the outside of the playoff bracket. We’ll see which approach the Lakers take. In the meantime, take a look at the updated NBA Championship Odds for each of the 20 teams still alive for the title to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy as league champions as well as our thoughts on some of the contenders.

Tracking the Race for the Title: Update NBA Championship Odds to Win

• Boston Celtics +160
• Denver Nuggets +300
• Dallas Mavericks +1100
• L.A. Clippers +1200
• Milwaukee Bucks +1400
• Minnesota Timberwolves +1800
• Phoenix Suns +1800
• Philadelphia 76ers +2000
• L.A. Lakers +3000
• N.Y. Knicks +3300
• Miami Heat +4000
• Cleveland Cavaliers +4500
• New Orleans Pelicans +6000
• Indiana Pacers +6000
• Golden State Warriors +7000
• Orlando Magic +15000
• Sacramento Kings +20000
• Chicago Bulls +100000
• Atlanta Hawks +150000

Boston Celtics

Are the Celtics a smart pick? They don’t offer much value, but they have led the league standings for just about the entire season. Along with Oklahoma City, they are the only teams ranked in the top five for both defensive and offensive rating. Bringing in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis turned out well. However, the Celtics have been able to cruise along for two months now, and they have a reputation for folding in crunch time in the postseason. Jayson Tatum has gone 1 for 7 in shots to tie or go ahead in the last 10 seconds of games this season. This is one reason why the team brought in Porzingis, but when teams have switched and created isolation situations in the latter part of games, the Celtics have also struggled.

New York Knicks

The Knicks are back in the playoffs, and they bring a throwback approach: a physical defense, the top rebounding numbers in the NBA, and the icy veins of Jalen Brunson, who emerged from the shadow of Luka Doncic in Dallas to become a superstar in his own right. After the team added OG Anunoby, they went on a nine-game winning streak that showed that they can play with anyone in the East. Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson are back for the postseason after extended injury absences, so those fresh legs should help compensate for the absence of Julius Randle.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks may have finally put the right pieces around Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. At the trade deadline, they brought in center Daniel Gafford and power forward P.J. Washington. Since March 7, when Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr entered the starting lineup, the Mavericks have the best defensive rating in the league at 107.2 points permitted per 100 possessions. Their three-pointing isn’t that great, as Washington shoots 32.0% from downtown and Jones shoots 34.3%. However, Dante Exum, who also excels at perimeter defense, is shooting 49.1% from behind the arc. Their opening series against the Clippers might be the most entertaining of all the first-round matchups.

NBA Championship Odds: One of the most common sports betting truisms for the last few seasons has involved betting on the Utah Jazz at home. They have an 18-9 record against the spread in Salt Lake City, thanks to their raucous crowd and to the fact that they play at elevation. After the trade deadline, though, this is no longer a wise bet. Since the Jazz decided to give up on the present, the team are 0-3. Two of those losses came at home, to the Warriors and Lakers, by a combined 38 points. When the Jazz are on the road, though, keep betting against them, because they were just 12-16-1 against the spread away from Salt Lake City for the season, and after the talent drain, expect that trend to get worse in a hurry. Let’s take a look at the updated odds for each team to win the NBA title this year as well as some thoughts about contending teams.

Updated Championship Odds to Win the Title After the All-Star Break

• Boston Celtics +300
• Denver Nuggets +425
• Milwaukee Bucks +425
• L.A. Clippers +700
• Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers +1200
• Oklahoma City Thunder +1800
• Minnesota Timberwolves +2000
• N.Y. Knicks +3300
• Dallas Mavericks +3300
• New Orleans Pelicans +4000
• Miami Heat +4000
• Indiana Pacers +5000
• Golden State Warriors +5000
• Cleveland Cavaliers +6000
• Orlando Magic +15000
• Atlanta Hawks +20000
• Houston Rockets +30000
• Chicago Bulls +40000
• Utah Jazz +40000
• Brooklyn Nets +40000
• Toronto Raptors +40000
• Memphis Grizzlies +40000
• Portland Trail Blazers +100000
• Charlotte Hornets +100000
• Washington Wizards +150000
• San Antonio Spurs +150000
• Detroit Pistons +200000

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The Boston Celtics are still rolling along. They lead the East by six games, and even their bench is putting up huge numbers, ranking fourth in the NBA in three-point shooting (38.8%), third on the offensive glass (5.2 per game), second in fewest turnovers (4.1) and tops in plus-minus (+2.8). The team really just needs to keep Kristaps Porzingis healthy until the playoffs and hope his confidence remains sky-high.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are glad they inked Mike Conley to that two-year contract extension. Even though he’s 36, he’s shooting a career-best from downtown (44.2%), scoring 10.6 points per game and dishing out more than six assists for every turnover. The Timberwolves have won almost two-thirds of their games since they brought Conley in.

The L.A. Clippers are 32-9 since November 17, the best mark over that stretch in the league. Their offensive rating (121.6) is first during that time; their three-point percentage (40.2%) is second, and their plus-minus differential (+7.2) is third. Once everyone is off the shelf, the Clippers are suddenly an elite team.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the NBA’s top five in both offensive and defensive rating. Their three-point shooting (39.3%) is third, they lead the league from the free-throw line (83.0%) and are tied for second in overall field goal percentage (49.9%). Their strength of schedule is seventh-easiest, and they have two young, hungry players in Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 17-8 on the road – the best away record in the league. Their defensive rating is second in the league to Minnesota. They have Donovan Mitchell scoring at a career-high level (28.4 points per game, fourth overall). He also has career highs in his rebounding average (5.4), steals (1.91, second overall) and assists (6.3, 20th overall). Take the value on the Cavs while you can get it.

The Denver Nuggets saw Peyton Watson’s three-point shooting drop under 30% for the month of January, but then he bounced back to make half of his three-balls in the first half of February. Christian Braun’s shooting percentage is down almost six percent from 2022-23. These two players are key because benches become key contributors in the grind of the postseason.

The Phoenix Suns have the NBA’s leader in three-point percentage, and his name is…Grayson Allen. In four different games, he’s knocked down at least eight shots from downtown. Between January 22 and February 8, over 10 games, the Suns shot 56% as a team, the best 10-game stretch since 1988. Over their last 10 games, the Suns have figured out defense, ranking fourth in defensive rating.

Updated NBA Championship Odds to Win in the All-Star Week

The arrival of Victor Wembanyama in the NBA has changed the league – and in just four months, he has developed from a green rookie to a difference-maker in the paint. When Wembanyama and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs met Minnesota on November 10, he went 12 of 21, dropping 29 points while pulling down nine rebounds and posting four blocks. On January 4, against the Milwaukee Bucks, he was driving to the net but found himself too far from the rim to take off for a dunk, so he tossed the ball off the glass and gave himself an alley-oop, a play that almost never happens in live games. Later in that game, he went right around Damian Lillard with a behind-the-back dribble in transition and then dunked on Brook Lopez. On January 20, he delivered a no-look block on a shot by Washington’s Tyus Jones – and the highlights just continue. The Spurs aren’t title contenders now, but they have a building block on which to start constructing one. Let’s look at the latest NBA Championship Odds for each team to win a title – and then discuss some of the contenders.

The Boston Celtics are getting the best performances that Kristaps Porzingis has delivered in his career. In four of his last five games, Porzingis has scored 25 or more points. On Sunday, in a win over Miami, he helped the Celtics turn the tables on Bam Adebayo, who has tormented the Celtics inside in recent seasons. This time around, though, it was Porzingis who delivered a dominant offensive performance.

The Minnesota Timberwolves moved back to the top of the West after beating the Bucks in Milwaukee and thumping the Clippers by 21 points in Los Angeles. No team has won more road games than the Timberwolves have (18), and the team also has a dozen wins by 20 or more points.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are an intriguing value pick after their nine-game winning streak that finally ended on Monday against Philadelphia. That gave them 17 wins in 20 games to move them into second place in the East, and now the Cavs have a fairly soft schedule over the next several weeks.

The L.A. Clippers have climbed the standings steadily since December, but their loss to Minnesota showed the issues that the team has against teams with size and length. They have lost just five times since January 7: twice to Minnesota and one apiece to New Orleans, Cleveland and the Lakers, all teams that are long and/or big. They’ll need to figure this out to make a deep playoff run.

The Denver Nuggets can definitely use the All-Star break, with injuries to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (hamstring) and Jamal Murray (bilateral tibia inflammation). At 36-18, the Nuggets are still in a strong position in the West and could use some rest for their starters in order to finish the season healthy.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten 30 or more points out of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 39 games this season. The only players to have more 30-point nights before the All-Star break are Nate Archibald, James Harden, and Wilt Chamberlain (twice). When he hits that mark, the Thunder are 29-10. When he doesn’t (or when he’s not on the floor at all), the Thunder are 8-7.

NBA Championship Odds to Win the 2023-24 Title After Week 15

You’re going to see a lot of volatility in the sports betting odds for teams to win the NBA championship in the last hours before Thursday’s trade deadline. One big deal sent shooting guard Buddy Hield to Philadelphia from the Indiana Pacers, in exchange for Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz, and three second-round draft choices. The Pacers had brought Hield in two years ago in a deal with Sacramento that involved six players overall. Hield is in the last year of a deal paying him $19.2 million this season, so this is basically a rental by the 76ers in the hopes that Hield can help the offense during Joel Embiid’s rehab from knee surgery. Check out the latest NBA Championship Odds for each team – understanding that trades can cause seismic change, so check the latest trade updates before making any hard wagers.

Another significant trade saw Charlotte send Gordon Hayward to Oklahoma City in exchange for forward Davis Bertans and guard Tre Mann. Hayward is scoring 14.5 points per game for Charlotte, but he has been on the shelf since December 26 due to a left calf injury. Hayward has played no more than 52 games in any of the last five seasons, including just 25 in 2023-24. At 6’7” Hayward does bring versatility and size for a wing player and adds another passer and shooter on the perimeter as the Thunder push toward the postseason. Hayward is making $31.5 million in the last year of his contract and will enter free agency after the season.

The New York Knicks sent four guards and two second-round draft picks to Detroit in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. The Knicks have injuries keeping OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, and Julius Randle on the shelf, so bringing in these two veterans will help the Knicks stay near the top of the East. Bogdanovic scores 21 points per game and makes 43% of his three-pointers this year and will start at power forward until Randle returns. He can score and shoot from different distances, which will take some of the scoring burden off Jalen Brunson. Once the injured stars come back, Bogdanovic will make an intimidating reserve. Burks has scored 12.6 points per game for the Pistons in 43 games this year, shooting 40% from downtown.

The Toronto Raptors are bringing Ochai Agbaji and Kelly Olynyk in from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Kira Lewis Jr, Otto Porter Jr, and a 2024 first-round draft choice. Olynyk has put up 8.1 points, 5.1 boards and 4.4 assists per game this season, as the Jazz sit in tenth place in the West, right at .500. Olynyk now joins his sixth team in 11 NBA seasons and is in the last year of his deal. Agbaji was drafted by Cleveland in the first round of the 2022 draft out of Kansas before going to Utah in the Donovan Mitchell deal. In 51 games this season, he has scored 5.4 points per game. Porter helped Golden State win the 2022 NBA championship but has only appeared in 23 games over the last two campaigns due to injuries. This is the second year in a row that the Raptors have dealt away a first-round draft choice for a center after bringing in Jakob Poeltl from the Spurs last year. Toronto is four games out of the tenth spot in the East and tied for sixth in the lottery standings, so the hope is that this trade will bring them to a more favorable spot for postseason success.

NBA Championship Odds to Win the 2023-24 Title After Week 14

It’s been a long time since Kristaps Porzingis’ rookie season with the New York Knicks, when Kevin Durant called the big man who can also drain threes a “unicorn.” He had played in Dallas, only to see his chance to merge his talents with those of Luka Doncic went south. A similar lack of success followed him to Indiana and Washington. In 2022-23, though, Porzingis did shoot 39% from downtown, and when the Boston Celtics decided they needed a big man to space the floor, somewhat like the role that Pau Gasol played in Los Angeles, helping Kobe Bryant lead the Lakers to titles in 2009 and 2010. The Celtics ended up trading Marcus Smart to get Porzingis, in the hopes that he would expose the sort of switching defense that Miami used to oust Boston in the NBA playoffs last season. So far, the Celtics have the NBA’s top record at 37-11, and they are the NBA betting favorite to win the franchise’s 18th championship this season. Read on to find the latest NBA Championship Odds for each team and to find our thoughts about some of the contenders.

The Denver Nuggets have won seven of ten, and this is not a cupcake part of their schedule. Those seven wins include the first win for any road team at TD Garden against the Celtics, as well as wins over Philadelphia, Indiana (twice), and Milwaukee. Jamal Murray dropped 35 on the Bucks, giving him four 30-point performances in his last 11 contests.

The L.A. Clippers only lost three games in January, and they started a seven-game East Coast swing with wins at Toronto and Boston, where they won by 19 (becoming the second road team to win there this year) after leading by as many as 36. Paul George has a groin issue that he’s been playing through, so the team will need to keep an eye on that going forward. The road trip gets a little easier in Detroit, Miami, and Atlanta, so hopefully George can get some rest.

The Philadelphia 76ers lost to Denver and Portland with Joel Embiid (knee) on the shelf. He returned on Tuesday against Golden State, but the Warriors won at home anyway. Embiid has more points scored than minutes played through the season, an accomplishment that only Wilt Chamberlain has evern maintained for a complete season. However, if he can’t stay healthy, he won’t even appear on the MVP ballot this year as he can only miss five more games and stay eligible.

The Milwaukee Bucks have seen their defense improve after the team fired Adrian Griffin and brought in Doc Rivers. In those first four games under the new regime, the Bucks are ninth in points permitted per 100 possessions (110.9). Now the Bucks are in the middle of a five-game road trip out West, but they’ve dropped the first two, losing in Denver and in Portland. Is Doc going to crater well before the playoffs this time, instead of bowing out just a round or two early?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are living through rookie growing pains for Chet Holmgren. In losses to Detroit and Minnesota, he had a combined 13 points, going just 6 of 20 as the team fell out of first in the West. He’s still averaging 16.7 points per game, but the Thunder are just 2-5 when he does not hit double digits and 5-8 when he doesn’t shoot at least 50% from the floor.

NBA Championship Odds to Win the 2023-24 Title After Week 11

Significant changes may be coming to the Golden State Warriors after they took two ugly beatings at home this week, getting routed by Toronto and New Orleans, with the Pelicans delivering a 141-105 humiliation on Wednesday. That ended a 2-5 homestand that the Warriors had hoped would turn things around in what has been an unsteady season. The team is now 17-20, sitting in 12th place in the West. No team has played more games decided in clutch time than the 28 that the Warriors have, but the two routs show that the team’s self-confidence may be unraveling. In the New Orleans game, the Pelicans put up 46 points in the first quarter, and for the game, the Pelicans had 39 uncontested looks, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Eight different Pelicans scored in double figures. The last time the Warriors lost by more than 36 points at home was in March 2007, when the San Antonio Spurs beat them by 37. The Warriors’ sports betting odds to win the title this year continue to dwindle; let’s look at each team’s updated NBA Championship Odds and discuss some of the contenders.

The Clippers have only lost three times since the beginning of December, but that 106-103 setback against the Lakers was a rarity in that both James Harden and Kawhi Leonard struggled, going a combined 10 of 30 from the floor. The team bounced back with a demolition of the Phoenix Suns on Monday. Center Ivica Zubac has flourished thanks to Harden’s ball distribution; in his last six games, Zubac has had two huge nights: a 15-point, 20-board night against Memphis on December 29 and a 22-19 night in that loss to the Lakers.

Dallas has gotten a huge boost out of forward Derrick Jones Jr, who signed with the team on a veterans minimum deal but is now a starter, thanks to his willingness to take on the toughest defensive assignment. He is also averaging 10.3 points per game, a career high, as opponents are leaving him open to chase Luka Doncic – who has dished to Jones on 49 of his 134 made baskets.

Sacramento has seen that red-hot offense cool off since the calendar flipped to 2024, and now they rank just 14th in the league in scoring. Their defense, which has long been an issue, ranks just 20th. Since Christmas, they’ve been blown out by the Pelicans and lost to 10-25 Portland and 8-25 Charlotte. For a team that viewed itself as a dark-horse contender, things need to change.

Milwaukee has dropped four of five, with the only win in that stretch coming over lowly San Antonio. Since January 1, the Bucks have just the 25th-best defense, which led Giannis Antetokounmpo to rake his teammates over the coals for their lack of effort after they fell to Houston over the weekend. With games coming up against Boston, Golden State and Sacramento at home over the next four days, we will see if the rest of the Bucks were listening.

Oklahoma City has now gotten three 30-point nights out of Chet Holmgren this season, and in those games he has shot 60% or better from the floor. He is averaging 17.8 points on the season, shooting 55.1% overall and 40.9% from downtown. His effective field goal percentage sits at 62.4%, and he would be the first rookie in NBA history to finish with that high a scoring average and effective field goal percentage.

NBA Championship Odds to Win the 2023-24 Title After Week 10

The Indiana Pacers went to the finals of the first NBA in-season tournament but had been circling the drain since – although beating Milwaukee three times so far this season has helped raise their prospects. The Sacramento Kings have found their offense again after an inconsistent December. Kyrie Irving has returned from a heel contusion for Dallas and joined Luka Doncic to throttle the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. As the trade deadline starts to loom in February, it will be interesting to see what players start to move. Let’s check out the latest NBA Championship Odds for each team to win the NBA title and talk about some of the more notable teams.

Boston fell to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night despite 34 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks from Kristaps Porzingis. It was the fist time Boston lost with Pozingis in the lineup since November 22. The Thunder are a force to be reckoned with, but the Celtics’ 26-7 is still the envy of the rest of the league. If Porzingis can continue to play at this level and stay healthy, then the Celtics will be hard to stop in the postseason thanks to his versatility both inside and outside.

Milwaukee had a 15-game winning streak at Fiserv Forum broken when the Pacers beat them on Monday, despite a triple-double from Giannis Antetokounmpo. For the season, he is averaging 30.9 points and 11.3 boards per game. His shooting percentage (60.6%) would be a career best if he can maintain it; inside the arc, he is shooting 64.5%.

Minnesota still leads the West standings at 24-8 despite falling to the Knicks Monday night. Anthony Edwards has 31 or more points in three consecutive games as Minnesota beat the Lakers and Mavericks before falling to New York. The Timberwolves also still have the top defense in the NBA. Things are about to get tough for Minnesota as 10 of their 17 January games will come on the road.

Oklahoma City posted a 10-3 record in December, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams combined to score 68.1 points a game while shooting 54.5% from the floor. At home, the Thunder went 7-1 in December; January features three road trips of at least three games. Despite only playing 13 road games so far, Oklahoma City has the best road winning percentage at .692, going 9-4 in those contests.

Denver has won 10 of their last 12 games, and Aaron Gordon was back on Monday after missing two games due to an off-the-court incident in which a dog bite on Christmas forced him to get 21 stitches to his face and hand. Peyton Watson filled in nicely for him, scoring 34 points in those two games. Jamal Murray has hit 20 or more points seven times in his last eight games and, over that stretch, is averaging 22.3 points, 6.5 assists and 5.0 boards per game while shooting 51% (25 of 49) from downtown.

Philadelphia got Joel Embiid back on Tuesday after a four-game absence due to a sprained ankle, but he certainly looked 100% in his return, putting up 31 points, 15 boards and 10 assists in a victory over Chicago on Tuesday. He has 19 more points than he has minutes played this year; the last time a player scored more points than minutes played was way back in 1963-64, when Wilt Chamberlain pulled off the feat.

NBA Championship Odds to Win the 2023-24 Title After Week 9

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant missed the first 25 games of the regular season with a suspension, but any worries about him showing some rust on his return were unfounded. After playing just three games, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week. In those games, he put up 84 points, 17 rebounds, and 27 assists, shooting 50.8% from the field. In his season debut, he knocked down a buzzer-beater to beat the New Orleans Pelicans. The three games that Memphis has won with Morant in the lineup are more than the Detroit Pistons have won all year. All of a sudden, a dreadful 6-19 start to the Grizzlies’ season doesn’t look so bad, as they are now only five games out of the 10-seed in the West, with plenty of time to make up ground. Let’s look at the latest NBA Championship Odds to win the title this year to consider in your NBA betting options.

Boston started their California swing with a thud, losing to Golden State in overtime, but then they beat Sacramento and both L.A. teams by a combined 73 points, including a 37-point undressing over the Clippers on Saturday. They finish 2023 with the Pistons, Raptors and Spurs, a fairly reasonable path to a 13-2 December and a 23-6 start to the season.

Denver Nuggets

Denver looked a little lost a couple weeks ago, dropping four of seven, but they have a five-game winning streak going after beating Golden State on Monday. Jamal Murray is back and showing that he feels more comfortable, shooting 53% from behind the arc. They next host Memphis, with the rejuvenated Morant, Oklahoma City, and Charlotte in what could be three exciting games.

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee has a nice 23-8 record, but they have played 18 games at home against just 13 on the road, where their record is an unimpressive 7-6. Their offense in December has ranked second in the league, thanks to 32.4 points per game from Giannis Antetokounmpo and 27.2 points per game from Damian Lillard. We’ll see if this uptick in scoring will hold on the road. It did in a 144-122 beating of the Nets in Brooklyn, but the Bucks still have four of five coming on the road.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota still leads the league in defense after limiting the Kings to 98 points this past weekend. The Timberwolves have now held opponents under 100 points nine times this year, the best mark in the league. Anthony Edwards has five straight games putting up at least 25-5-5 numbers; against Sacramento, he had 34 points and dealt out 10 assists.

Oklahoma City Thunder

When Oklahoma City lost to the Lakers on Saturday, it was the first time Jalen Williams put up at least 20 points for the Thunder but the team failed to win in eight opportunities. Williams and Chet Holmgren are solid counterparts to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, scoring 17.4 and 17.2 points per game, respectively, and the Thunder continue to hang in the top 10 in both defense and offense.

LA Clippers

The Clippers are waiting for Kawhi Leonard to return from a three-game absence after suffering a hip contusion in a win over Dallas last week. They next play against Memphis on Friday as they have a soft stretch in their schedule, hosting just two games this week after a stretch of eight games in 13 days that included two back-to-backs. This should give Leonard some time to refresh, and he will need to get his energy back as the Clips play eight times between January 1 and 14.

NBA Championship Odds to Win the 2023-24 Title After Week 8

The Detroit Pistons are now within one game of NBA infamy after their 119-111 loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. Their 25-game losing streak is one behind the league record of 26 losses in a single season, shared by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers also hold the record for total consecutive regular-season losses at 28, a streak that extended between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. Head coach Monty Williams, in his first season, bemoaned the fact that the Jazz got 50 points from Detroit turnovers and offensive rebounds. The loss was made worse by the fact that Utah rested four of its top seven scorers on the second night of a back-to-back. It’s safe to say that the Pistons will be at the bottom of this week’s list of NBA odds to win the title this season.

Read on to get the latest numbers and our thoughts on some of the contenders.

The Lakers are just 15-14, and if you take out that 7-0 run that propelled them through an easy group stage and saw them win the in-season tournament, that’s a dreadful 8-14 start. They are currently riding a four-game skid after losing on Thursday to Minnesota without LeBron James (left ankle) and Gabe Vincent (left knee). Turnovers have been a real problem; they coughed the ball up 18 times in a loss to Chicago earlier this week. Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell combined for eight of those miscues. At this point, they are just four games back of third place in the West but only four games ahead of 12th.

Memphis got off to an unsightly 6-19 record to start the season, thanks in large part to Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension, but other injuries have also played a part. He came back to drop 34 on the Pelicans in a big road win, including the first buzzer-beater to win a game in his career. He followed that up with 20 points and eight assists in a 116-103 home win over Indiana on Thursday night. If Morant can stay consistent and the rest of the team can stay healthy, expect the Grizzlies to climb the standings – and see their title odds shrink.

Philadelphia has gotten incredible numbers out of Joel Embiid this month. In December, he is averaging 40 points, 13 boards, 4.6 assists, and 2 blocks per game, shooting 60% overall, 39% from downtown and 92% from the free-throw line. They ran over Minnesota on Wednesday night in 127-113 fashion, and they will see Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat on Christmas Day.

Oklahoma City is getting terrific rim play out of Chet Holmgren. The Thunder have the sixth-best total defense in the league, thanks in large part to Holmgren averaging 2.8 blocks per game. In all seven of the December games that the Thunder have played, he has multiple blocks – including 15 blocks combined in their last two games. The last NBA rookie to block at least seven shots in consecutive games was Tim Duncan, all the way back in 1997-98.

Sacramento has seen huge growth out of Keegan Murray in his second season. He set a franchise record on Saturday when he made a dozen three-pointers against Utah. with Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox still producing, the Kings could get back to where they were last season offensively when they led the NBA.

NBA Championship Odds to Win the 2023-24 Title After Week 7

The L.A. Lakers won the first NBA In-Season Tournament and plan to hoist a banner to celebrate the victory during their next home game, which comes on December 18 against the New York Knicks. The Lakers held off the Indiana Pacers, 123-109, in the tournament final on Saturday, behind 41 points and 20 rebounds from Anthony Davis, his fifth career 40-20 game. LeBron James won the MVP award for the tournament with 26.4 points, 8.0 boards and 7.6 assists per game. He put up 30 points and eight assists in just 23 minutes in the semifinal rout of the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers didn’t carry that momentum back into their regular-season schedule, though, losing in Dallas by two on Tuesday night. Let’s check out the updated NBA Championship Odds for each team to win the NBA title along with some insights about top contenders.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs are off to a promising 15-8 start, but they are in danger of wearing down star Luka Doncic. Over the last five games, he has put up 35.2 points, 9.2 boards and 12.4 assists per contest. Including a 36-15-18 night against Oklahoma City on December 2, a game when the Mavericks went on a 30-0 run in the fourth quarter but still lost. Kyrie Irving is in a walking boot and on crutches due to a right heel contusion, so the Mavericks have needed heavy contributions from Tim Hardaway Jr and role players like Dante Exum in recent wins.

Denver Nuggets

They dropped three games in a row last week as Nikola Jokic played uncharacteristically human basketball. He went 9 of 32 and 9 of 26 in losses to the Clippers and Houston, respectively, even missing putbacks and floaters in the lane. He went 9 of 13 in Atlanta on Monday but then got sent to the lockers early for arguing a non-call the next night in Chicago. Next up is a nice three-game home stand, and the Nuggets are 9-1 at Ball Arena.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Continue to be an interesting value pick to win the title, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has put up three straight games with 30+ points and at least three steals since 2020, when James Harden did it, and for the first time in franchise history. He is tied for fifth in scoring (30.4 points per game) and tops in steals (2.8). He’s in rare territory – the only players that have averaged that many steals and points in a season are all in the Hall of Fame: Rick Barry, Michael Jordan, and Allen Iverson.

Milwaukee Bucks

They were bounced from the in-season tournament in the semifinals by the surprising Indiana Pacers, so they came home to rest ahead of a six-game homestand; at Fiserv Forum, they are 11-2 this season, which has them tied with Orlando for the most home victories so far in the NBA. They see the Pacers on Wednesday, and then the Pistons, Rockets, and Spurs – three opponents who should give the Bucks the chance to pick up some momentum in the standings.

Boston Celtics

Are 3-1 to start the month of December, which includes an 11-game stretch with 10 games against teams with winning records. The 11th is a game at Golden State, which will also be a challenge. The Celtics are tied with the Timberwolves at 17-5 to lead the league, and the Boston starting five outscores the opposition for 27.5 points per 100 possessions after over 200 minutes on the floor together.

NBA Championship Odds to Win the 2023-24 Title After Week 6

The NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament is down to its last two teams as the L.A. Lakers routed the New Orleans Pelicans by 44 points in one semifinal and the Indiana Pacers knocked off the Milwaukee Bucks in the other. The Pacers-Bucks game was much closer, with the Bucks’ fate not sealed until the last minute, thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s three-pointer. Haliburton followed up the dagger by trolling Milwaukee star Damian Lillard, looking at his left wrist, much like Lillard will do when it’s “Dame Time” and he nails a game-winner. Haliburton ended the night with 27 points, seven boards, and 15 assists without a turnover in the Pacers’ 128-119 win. Looking down the road, let’s review each team’s updated NBA Championship Odds to win this season’s NBA title and some insights about the contenders.

Boston

Was also the favorite to win the in-season tournament, but Tyrese Haliburton also shut that down, torching the Celtics in the second half to knock them out. That happened Monday night, giving the Celtics three days of rest before welcoming the Knicks on Friday night. The Celtics now don’t have to go on the road for a couple of weeks, when they hit a West Coast swing.

Minnesota

Still has the best record in the league and have won four in a row even without Anthony Edwards, on the shelf with a hip injury. The Timberwolves lead the NBA in defense and are fourth in net rating. Can they sustain this? They might be the smartest value pick right now.

Denver

Had to play five games in seven nights and now have some bumps and bruises to work out. Jamal Murray missed 11 games with a hamstring injury, only to roll his ankle against the Rockets and miss two more. Nikola Jokic is carrying the load, averaging 29 points, 12.8 boards and 9.8 assists per game.

Oklahoma City

Ranks fifth in the NBA in offense and defense – the only squad in the top five in both metrics. Their net rating is +8.4, second only to Boston (+8.5). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a plus-minus of +163, the second-best in the league, and he is emerging as a potential MVP candidate.

Milwaukee

Is already reaping the benefits of adding Damian Lillard. The Bucks have already won nine clutch games (which means a game that has the score within five points in the last five minutes of the fourth period or overtime). That number leads the league, and Lillard is +41 in 49 minutes of clutch time, the league leader in clutch plus-minus.

Philadelphia

Didn’t make it out of group play in the in-season tournament, so they got some rest and a couple of easy games, a trip to Washington and a home date with the Hawks. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were both ill last week, and Kelly Oubre Jr has worked his way back after suffering a hit-and-run accident.

Orlando

Had a nine-game winning streak thanks to sixth man Cole Anthony, who hit double figures in eight of those wins and 20 or more in three of the last four. Even though Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr have only made it into five games due to injury, Anthony and backup center Mo Wagner, who has 13.0 points per contest, have filled the gap. The Orlando reserves average 47.3 points per game, tops in the league.

Previous Betting News

NBA Championship Odds to Win the 2023-24 Title After Week 5

The inaugural NBA in-season tournament has altered the dynamics of the sport in the early going, as point differential in group play is a tiebreaker for teams looking to advance to the quarterfinals. What this means is that teams are running up the score on the opposition in early regular-season games to get into the knockout rounds of a tournament that has nothing to do with the season title. This led to the New York Knicks running up the score in a 24-point win over Charlotte and the Cleveland Cavaliers leaving their starters in for the whole fourth quarter even after the Atlanta Hawks pulled their starters with 3:50 left, down 20 points. The NBA has an unwritten rule about respecting the opposition, so it will be interesting to see how much friction this causes between teams when they meet again. Meanwhile, check out each team’s updated NBA Championship odds to win this season’s NBA title and some of our thoughts about teams on the list.

NBA Championship Odds Boston Celtics

Remain strong favorites as they have run out to a 14-4 record, even though they’re not even playing their best ball yet. They take 43.3 three-point shots per game, which leads the NBA, but they only make 36% (15th), and they are eighth in offensive rating. Last year, their season average from behind the arc was 38%, and it wouldn’t be hard for them to get back up to that level.

NBA Championship Odds Philadelphia 76ers

Have seen Tyrese Maxey go off after the team shipped James Harden out of town. Joel Embiid has also amplified his game, jumping up to 6.6 assists per game, easily the best average in his career. He ranks 10th in the NBA in assist percentage at 33.5%. The 76ers’ offense ranks second in the NBA, and that’s not because Embiid is also leading the NBA in scoring. It’s because he’s doing more to get the rest of the team involved.

NBA Championship Odds Denver Nuggets

Just finished a rough 2-5 road trip, but they bounced back with two straight wins at home. On Monday, they beat the Clippers without Aaron Gordon (heel), Jamal Murray (hamstring), and Nikola Jokic (lower back) – on the second night of a back-to-back. Reggie Jackson showed up with 35 points in the win. Even without Murray, though, the Nuggets rank in the top ten in defense and offense.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Remain an intriguing value pick here. Their 13-4 mark is the best after 17 games in franchise history, thanks to a defense that leads the NBA in field goal percentage permitted (43%), is second in defensive rating (106.8) and has kept opponents below 100 points in six different games this season, which ties them for the league lead. Their offense is fifth in the NBA in points per 100 possessions over their last five contests.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Got crazy shooting out of backup guard Isaiah Joe during their six-game winning streak, as he made at least half of his three-balls in each win. Against Golden State, he was a perfect 7 of 7; over those six games, he shot 75.9% from downtown (22 of 29). However, that run came to an end on Saturday, as did the team’s winning streak, in a loss to Philadelphia. Going into Tuesday night, Oklahoma City had outscored the opposition by 114 points when Joe was on the floor, far and away the best number for a reserve player.