NBA Championship Odds Update
Heading into Christmas there’s a pretty tight race atop the NBA championship futures, where the Boston Celtics hold a slight edge as the favorite.
On the NBA championship futures at the Bovada Sportsbook the Celtics are +375 favorites followed closely by the Milwaukee Bucks at +425 and the Denver Nuggets at +450.
Boston has been at or near the top of the NBA futures all season and currently owns the best record in the league at 21-6. Offseason acquisition Kristaps Porzingas has fit in well in Boston, adding a strong third option behind offensive leaders Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics are undefeated at home this season so holding the No. 1 seed in the East could end up being important.
The Bucks have placed ahead of Boston on the futures at times this season after snagging Damian Lillard in the offseason. Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo appear to be gelling heading into the holidays as the Bucks have won five straight and they’re 8-1 in December.
A Bucks and Celtics playoff matchup in the East looks inevitable. In their lone matchup this season Boston won 119-116 as 6-point home favorites. If they do meet up in the playoffs bettors should know the Celtics are 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 versus Milwaukee.
The reigning NBA champion Nuggets currently sit third in the Western Conference. This continues to be Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray’s team. Is that still enough for them to repeat after the offseason splashes made by Milwaukee and the Phoenix Suns?
Suns lead second tier on NBA championship odds
Speaking of the Suns, they slot in behind the Nuggets on the NBA futures at +800 and are the last remaining team getting triple-digit odds. Phoenix made a statement in the offseason by acquiring Bradley Beal to play alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Too bad that trio has barely seen the floor together so far. Beal has played in only six games and he’s currently sidelined by an ankle injury. If Beal can get healthy and the Suns’ trio can become the dominant force they’re expected to be, getting the Suns at +800 might be great value.
The biggest risers on the NBA futures since the season began are the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Timberwolves lead the Western Conference and have improved their NBA futures from +5500 to +2000. Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony-Towns have been a force to be reckoned with, which has led to wins over Boston and Denver this season.
Oklahoma City sits behind Minnesota in the Northwest Division thanks to what has developed into a balanced roster led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder’s odds on the NBA futures have improved from +8000 to +3500, which still looks like tremendous value right now.
The current odds on a few other notable teams include the Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers both at +1200, the Los Angeles Lakers at +1600, and the Golden State Warriors at +3300.