2024 NBA Championship Odds: Then There Were Four

The second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs is in the books and the last two matchups are set to determine who will play for the Larry O'Brien trophy.

The Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves each withstood seven-game series to punch their tickets, but the Boston Celtics remain the overall betting favorites after dispatching the Cavs and Heat in short order. However, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are also lurking.

Let's check out the latest NBA odds to win the title in 2024.

NBA Championship odds (live display)

2024 NBA title odds favorites

Boston Celtics (-167 to -149)

The Boston Celtics have been, for the most part, as advertised this postseason, cruising to an 8-2 record through an impressive 12.8 net rating. 

As Kristaps Porzingis recovers from a strained calf, the Celtics opened their second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 120-95 victory at the TD Garden. However, the Cavs stole Game 2, dusting Boston 118-94 to even the series. 

Boston took Game 3 to regain the upper hand and while they nearly lost it again in Game 4, they pulled out the win and then slammed the door on the series with a Game 5 win, advancing to the East Finals. 

The market continues to sell the Celtics as clear favorites for the title.

Minnesota Timberwolves (+240 to +270)

The Minnesota Timberwolves jumped out to a 2-0 series lead with road wins over the Denver Nuggets. That stranglehold loosened as the defending champs fought back, winning three straight and making those first two games look like quaint blips.

The Wolves answered back with a blowout 115-70 victory in Game 6. Things looked dire, though, as the Nuggets held a 53-38 halftime lead in Game 7. Nevertheless, Minnesota buckled down and stormed out of the gates in the second half, outscoring Denver 28-14 in the third and pulling all the way away in the fourth to return to the West Finals for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

They're favored over the Dallas Mavericks, but that is not an easy task. Game 1 is set for Wednesday, May 22.

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NBA Finals odds over time

Here's a look at how NBA championship odds stack up league-wide this season. We'll be updating throughout the playoffs to show how the odds race evolves.    

NBA Finalists 2023-24 odds

Want more NBA playoffs odds? Check out these props for which teams will face off in the NBA Finals. 

Matchup
Boston Celtics vs. Minnesota Timberwolves	-145
Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks	+155
Indiana Pacers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves	+1,100
Indiana Pacers vs. Dallas Mavericks	+1,600

Odds as of 5-21-2024.

NBA Finals exact result odds

Bettors can even get more specific and pick the NBA Finals' exact result. Series props for "Team X in Y Games" (ie, Celtics in 6, Nuggets in 7) will become available when the Finals matchup is set.

Matchup
Boston Celtics to beat Minnesota Timberwolves	+170
Boston Celtics to beat Dallas Mavericks	+270
Minnesota Timberwolves to beat Boston Celtics	+340
Dallas Mavericks to beat Boston Celtics	+650
Minnesota Timberwolves to beat Indiana Pacers	+1,500
Dallas Mavericks to beat Indiana Pacers	+2,300

Odds as of 5-21-2024.

Understanding NBA Finals futures, point spreads and lines

Sportsbooks will post NBA Finals futures as soon as the previous season concludes, and some even sooner. These betting boards are constantly adjusted throughout the summer and ensuing season as players get hurt or are traded. Once the regular season begins, NBA Finals odds will change daily as teams win and lose games, and as more players are injured or traded. Sportsbooks will also adjust the NBA title odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.

NBA Championship odds will usually look like this:

• Milwaukee Bucks +240

This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to win $240 if the Bucks win the NBA title. If it's close to the end of the season or the NBA has a very dominant team, you could see a minus sign (-) ahead of a team's odds. 

• Golden State Warriors -150

This means that if you bet on the Golden State Warriors during the 2018-2019 NBA season you would have needed to bet $150 to profit $100 if the Warriors won the championship.

Above we have posted the American odds for the NBA championship. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool.

Reading the NBA Finals moneyline odds

Betting the moneyline (ML) in the NBA means simply picking which team wins the game outright. Moneyline favorites have a negative value (-110), while moneyline underdogs have a positive value (+110). It's a two-way market, which means there are only two options to place a wager. 

Team	Moneyline odds
Boston Celtics	-130
Minnesota Timberwolves	+110

American odds are very straightforward. If a sportsbook has the Boston Celtics listed as -130 favorites, you would have to bet $130 to win $100. If you wagered $100 on the opposing underdog Minnesota Timberwolves at +110, you would get a $210 return, including your original stake.

Past NBA Finals winners

The Denver Nuggets hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2023, toppling the eighth-seeded Miami Heat by a 4-1 tally.

Here are the last 10 NBA Finals winners, along with their opening odds.

Season	NBA Finals Winner	Opening odds	Runner up
2022-23	Denver Nuggets	+1,800	Miami Heat
2021-22	Golden State Warriors	+1,200	Boston Celtics
2020-21	Milwaukee Bucks	+500	Phoenix Suns
2019-20	Los Angeles Lakers	+1,800	Miami Heat
2018-19	Toronto Raptors	+6,600	Golden State Warriors
2017-18	Golden State Warriors	-168	Cleveland Cavaliers
2016-17	Golden State Warriors	+215	Cleveland Cavaliers
2015-16	Cleveland Cavaliers	+300	Golden State Warriors
2014-15	Golden State Warriors	+2,500	Cleveland Cavaliers
2013-14	San Antonio Spurs	+1,000	Miami Heat

Teams with the most NBA Championships

No team has ever enjoyed a longer stretch of dominance than the Celtics, who won eight straight championships from 1959 to 1966. The franchise's stunning superiority was due in large part to the spectacular play of Bill Russell, who won 11 titles in his 13 years in the league.

Team	NBA championships
Los Angeles Lakers	17
Boston Celtics	17
Golden State Warriors	7
Chicago Bulls	6
San Antonio Spurs	5
Philadelphia 76ers	3
Detroit Pistons	3
Miami Heat	3
Milwaukee Bucks	2
New York Knicks	2
Houston Rockets	2
Toronto Raptors	1
Dallas Mavericks	1
Cleveland Cavaliers	1
Portland Trail Blazers	1
Denver Nuggets	1

Best NBA Finals betting sites

If you're in a state that allows mobile, or online betting, make sure you know which sites are the best basketball betting sites. The best betting sites offer sharp odds, quick payouts and are safe and secure when it comes to depositing and withdrawing your money. 

NBA Championship odds trends

• The Western Conference has won 14 of the last 21 NBA Championships.
  
  
• A No. 1 seed has won the championship in 11 of the last 21 seasons.
  
  
• The last time a non-Top-3 seed won the championship was 1995 (Houston, No. 6).
  
  
• The Golden State Warriors have won four of the past eight NBA titles, and been Western Conference champions in two of those four seasons they didn't lift the Larry O. 

How to bet NBA Finals odds

There are many strategies to consider when making an NBA futures bet on which team will win the championship. Obviously, you're looking to bet on who you think can navigate through the NBA playoffs and come out on top. So, just because a team is in first place at the NBA All-Star break, it doesn't mean that's the best roster to win in the postseason. 

One thing to consider is the conference the teams play in because a team needs to win its conference before it can win the NBA title. The West has long been considered the better of the two conferences, but the East's depth of elite teams has recently become as impressive, if not more. 

Also, consider how an injury may affect a futures bet. Let's say the Milwaukee Bucks are a heavy favorite to win the Eastern Conference and a short favorite to win the NBA title. But what happens if Giannis Antetokounmpo gets hurt? In that case, a ticket on a rival team to win becomes extremely valuable.

Other things to consider are strength of schedule, and even load management. Maybe a team is undervalued in the futures market because it has played the more difficult portion of its schedule early on. Or perhaps a team has more losses than it should because it has been sitting its best player on the second half of back-to-back games all season. 

Check out more insight into how to bet on basketball.

NBA Championship Odds FAQs

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