Updated NBA Championship Odds – December 20th

We’re getting near the halfway mark of the 2017-18 regular season in the National Basketball Association, which means that it’s time to talk about NBA Championship futures odds for the team that will walk away with the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the postseason. Houston and Boston lead the Western and Eastern Conferences respectively — but can they last through the crucible of the rest of the year, not to mention the grind of the playoffs?

Updated NBA Championship Odds – December 20th

Houston stays atop this week’s Power Rankings after picking up its 14th straight win. pic.twitter.com/99xFtAQGB3

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 19, 2017

Houston (4/1)

The Rockets are 14-0 when Chris Paul plays, and they are riding a 14-game winning streak right now. Some observers (including me) thought that bringing in Paul would create friction with James Harden, but the team has simply exploded.

Golden State (4/1)

Missing Stephen Curry (ankle) hasn’t slowed the Warriors down. Kevin Durant has stepped right up, tallying 33.8 points, 10.3 boards and 7.3 assists per contest with Curry out.

Cleveland (4/1)

LeBron James has posted four triple-doubles in his last five outings, moving past Larry Bird to take over sixth in the all-time list. But can LeBron carry this team to a championship by himself?

Boston (4/1)

Kyrie Irving has represented a major upgrade at the point over Isaiah Thomas, thanks to Irving’s scoring ability.

San Antonio (11/2)

Kawhi Leonard has finally returned to the lineup — and the Spurs haven’t won in either of his appearances yet, losing to Dallas and Houston.

Toronto (7/1)

The Raptors have shifted their offensive focus to get more points from downtown. It’s working so far — but will their defense get stops in crunch time?

Minnesota (8/1)

Terrific young team, led by Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns, who tallied the fourth game with at least 30 points, 10 boards, 5 blocks and 5 assists of the season so far.

Portland (9/1)

A team that struggled to defend last year has the best defensive efficiency (99.0) on the road in the Association. They permit the fewest three-balls on the road in the league too (8.4).

Washington (11/1)

The starting lineup of John Wall, Kelly Oubre Jr., Otto Porter Jr., Bradley Beal and Marcin Gortat beats opposing lineups by 21.8 points for every 100 possessions, the second best performance for any five-man group in the league.

Denver (14/1)

Watch out for Gary Harris, who has broken the 20-point barrier in nine of his last 15 contests. Can he do this against tough opposition, though?

Milwaukee (15/1)

The Bucks are worst in the league from downtown, shooting 32 percent — and they only make 28 percent of their three-balls when the shooter is uncontested. They’re waiting for Tony Snell (patellar tendinitis) to return to the lineup.

Oklahoma City (15/1)

Yes, that was an impressive triple-overtime win in Philadelphia on Friday night. But they didn’t sign Paul George and Carmelo to struggle with the Sixers.

Indiana (15/1)

As Oladipo goes, so will the Pacers this season. Can he respond to elite pressure?

Detroit (18/1)

Tobias Harris leads the Pistons in points but has shot 34 percent over the last six games (and 33 percent from downtown).

New York (20/1)

Are the Knicks glad they traded Carmelo? When the Thunder came to town, Anthony didn’t score in the second half, and the Knicks won by 15.

New Orleans (20/1)

This team is a chemistry experiment to be sure, with DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo in the same locker room. How long will Anthony Davis put up with this?

Miami (22/1)

Did you know that the Heat have won the second-most games since the start of the 2008-09 season, behind just the Spurs?

Utah (25/1)

Rudy Gobert sprained his PCL and will miss at least three weeks. However, with Gobert out, their offensive efficiency jumps from 96.5 to 110.9. How much will they really miss him?

Philadelphia (30/1)

Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons continue to grow. However, without more contributions from Robert Covington (he of the long-term extension), the team will struggle in big games.

L.A. Clippers (30/1)

Sending Chris Paul to Houston meant that the Clippers would need a new point guard, and the passing efficiency has been poor ever since.

L.A. Lakers (35/1)

The arrival of Lonzo Ball has excited Laker fans, and the team is improving. However, contention is a few more pieces away. Will LeBron and Paul George come to Hollywood?

Orlando (35/1)

Mario Hezonja appears to be coming into his own, as he drained eight three-balls and put up 28 points on Sunday.

Charlotte (40/1)

In each of the Hornets’ last 13 losses, the margin has been no more than three points. So they could turn things around…or they could fall off the table.

Brooklyn (40/1)

The Nets have won 11 games. It took them well into March to win that many games last year.

Phoenix (50/1)

Devin Booker remains out…and the Suns are 2-9 without him.

Chicago (50/1)

The Bulls won five in a row after ending a double-digit losing streak. No NBA team had ever accomplished that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The key? The return of Nikola Mirotic.

Sacramento (60/1)

Zack Randolph has four double-doubles this season…all in December.

Dallas (75/1)

Dirk Nowitzki continues to play out his strong in the Mavericks’ rebuild. They need Dennis Smith Jr. back on the point.

Memphis (75/1)

Did you know the Grizzlies have beaten Golden State three times over the last two years? That’s tops in the NBA for the regular season.

Atlanta (100/1)

We’re still waiting for the Dennis Schroeder era to bring the Hawks back into contention.