NBA Championship Futures Odds Update
The NBA season has tipped off and the oddsmakers are giving the Milwaukee Bucks top marks as the NBA championship favorites.
At the Bovada Sportsbook the Bucks are +380 favorites on the NBA championship odds. The Bucks posted the best record in the NBA during the regular season last year, but an early playoff exit led to some offseason changes. Milwaukee shocked everyone by trading for Damian Lillard and he’ll form a fearsome duo alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. The cost to acquire Lillard was Jrue Holiday, but he wasn’t the only departure for the Bucks in the offseason as head coach Mike Budenholzer was let go and replaced with Adrian Griffin.
Following the Bucks on the NBA futures are then the Boston Celtics at +400 and the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets at +550.
Boston also made some notable changes in the offseason after getting bounced in the Eastern Conference Finals. Joining the Celtics were Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Departing to make room for the new acquisitions were Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon. The Celtics' brass hopes that Porzingis and Holiday will gel with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford to bring a title back to Boston for the first time since 2008.
Denver is hoping to run it back to another NBA title behind the same big two that brought them their first title, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The Nuggets' big guns will be supported by Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. One notable loss for the Nuggets from their championship squad was Bruce Brown, who signed with the Indiana Pacers in the offseason.
Phoenix Suns next on odds to win NBA championship
The only other team currently getting triple-digit odds on the NBA futures are the Phoenix Suns at +600. Change was also abundant in Phoenix in the offseason as Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton were both shipped out, while Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic, and Eric Gordon were brought in to the team. The biggest name from the acquisitions was obviously Beal and he’ll make up a strong Big Three alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
The odds on a few other notable teams include the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers both at +1200, and the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers all at +2500.
The Warriors added Chris Paul in the offseason, and he’ll look to finally win an NBA title alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson.
The Lakers will once again be all about LeBron James and Anthony Davis if they can stay healthy - which for Davis especially is always a big if each season.
The Heat made it to the NBA Finals last season before falling to the Nuggets. Miami was supposed to be the offseason destination for Lillard, but that didn’t pan out. It will be up to Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro to help Miami take the next step if they can once again get out of what looks to be an even tougher Eastern Conference.