The Playoffs are in full swing, and the most popular NBA Finals predictions are once again looking promising.
After falling in an at-the-time-disastrous 0-2 hole against the Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets have returned to their season-long status as Western Conference favorites. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are still NBA odds favorites for the title, feasting on an East that seems increasingly thin on quality contenders.
Throughout the playoffs, stay tuned here as we bring you updated betting analysis, the latest props markets, and other postseason news as the NBA championship odds heat up.
Expert NBA Finals Predictions
Our experts went mostly chalk, with the betting markets at the time moving further towards a Celtics-Nuggets matchup in the NBA Finals.
With the Nuggets bouncing back to ta Games 3 and 4 in Minnesota, our predictions are once again looking not-so-shabby:
| Writer | Pick (odds) |
|---|---|
| Rory Breasail |  Nuggets over Celtics |
| Andrew Caley |  Thunder over Celtics |
| Douglas Farmer | Nuggets over Celtics |
| Jon Metler |  Celtics over Mavericks |
| Ryan Murphy | Nuggets over Celtics |
| Rohit Ponnaiya | Celtics over Nuggets |
| AJ Salah | Nuggets over Celtics |
Picks made prior to start of playoffs.
NBA Finals favorites
Eastern Conference - Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics spent the last month of the regular season in cruise control, long since wrapping up homecourt throughout the playoffs.
Early depth concerns after gutting their rotation to acquire Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were mitigated by just how dominant Boston's Top 6 has been, while the likes of Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, and even Payton Pritchard rose to the occasion all season.
The Celtics easily dispatched the Heat in the first round, likewise throttling the Cavaliers 120-95 in Game 1 of the second round.
Jayson Tatum remains a comfortable NBA Finals MVP odds favorite, still seen as the alpha on a team rich with star talent.
Western Conference - Denver Nuggets
When the Minnesota Timberwolves jumped out to a 2-0 series lead with back-to-back road wins against the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic & Co. looked dead in the water.
But those seem like faint memories after Denver took both games in Minnesota and made it look easy. The Nuggets have been getting strong team efforts to complement the brilliant Nikola Jokic and resurgent Jamal Murray, while shutting down the Wolves' supporting cast and making Anthony Edwards look like a one-man band.
With action shifting back to the Mile High City, radpily shifting momentum suddenly favors the Nuggets as the initial Western Conference favorites are again atop the mountain. Game 5 goes Tuesday night. Who will gain the upper hand in this utter war of a series?
Knick of time
Time has been of particular importance to the New York Knicks of late.
Time — because the Knicks haven't been a proud franchise like this in decades.
Time — because the Knicks have, in true Tom Thibodeau fashion, been logging what seems like an inhumane amount of minutes every night.
Time — because, at this rate, it's only a matter of it before this entire team falls apart:
The Knicks just won a playoff game without
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) May 9, 2024
• Julius Randle
• Mitchell Robinson
• Bojan Bogdanovic
• Jalen Brunson for 1.5 quarters
• OG Anunoby for 1.5 quarters pic.twitter.com/9pS5hAZ7oo
Demonstrating truly stoic resolve, New York continued to battle through an endless sea of ailments to take Game 2 against the Pacers, putting the Knicks within striking distance of their first Eastern Conference Finals this century.
Jalen Brunson first left the game in the first half (which, itself, looked like it could be curtains for NY), only to have OG Anunoby go Super Saiyan on the Pacers to keep the Knicks afloat. Brunson would bravely march back out — on Willis Reed Day, no less — to lead a swift second-half rally, but, of course, Anunoby then went down with a sore hamstring and remains sidelined.
The Knicks struggled in Game 4, getting blown out by a deeper, fresher Indiana squad that made a name for itself running and gunning all season. It seems unlikely it takes its foot off the gas, with the Knicks now, finally, facing mortality this season.
Say what you want about the sustainability of Thibs' "ride it 'til the wheels fall off" approach, but the Garden is bumping, and this team, regardless of what happens from here, can be damn proud of itself, from the front office down to the very depths of the bench.
Clipped too short
In 2019, the Los Angeles Clippers pulled off what many in the NBA called a coup when they snagged then-reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Paul George within days of each other, joining two of the NBA's truly elite two-way swingmen.
It was a move that was supposed to make them instant title contenders, but five years, several playoff collapses, and approximately 183 nebulous Leonard injuries later, we've yet to see this Clippers unit play truly dominant basketball for more than 20 games or so at a time.
MAVS ELIMINATE THE CLIPPERS AND ADVANCE TO THE SEMIFINALS 😤 pic.twitter.com/dO8LA4SzBo
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 4, 2024
Leonard inevitably went down against the Mavericks — playing just two games in the series, and clearly not himself — further handcuffing a team that had already done the exact opposite of "peak at the right time".
This latest postseason setback puts the Clippers at a critical crossroads this offseason, facing difficult questions about everything from Leonard's health, to the roster's age, and what — if any — flexibility remains to retool this unit without completely detonating it.
While the Leonard signing was a no-brainer, and the George trade a must-make gamble, the price LAC paid was massive (a zillion draft picks and some dude named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), and the potential downside of that summer is being realized in full.
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2024 NBA Finals props odds
DraftKings sportsbook is already offering an array of NBA playoff odds props for the eventual 2024 NBA title winner (odds as of 5-14-24).
Conference to win the NBA Finals
We were looking at a dead heat between the East for this year's title for most of the first round, but after the Nuggets' stumble against Minny, those odds have shifted slightly, to East -150 and West +120.
Division to win the NBA Finals
The Atlantic (-140) and Northwest (+150) — home to the Celtics and Nuggets — are the favorites here. The Atlantic also houses the East's No. 2 seed, the New York Knicks, while the Northwest actually houses the West's entire Top 3, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Wolves joining the Nuggets.
Seed to win the NBA Finals
1-seeds are understandable favorites (-195); they are the top seed after all. The Celtics also double as the overall favorites to win the title, giving this combo between them and OKC the odds-on lead. The 3-seed comes in at +320 for the No. 2 choice, with the Wolves' recent dismantling of the Nuggets.
2024 NBA Finals Schedule
| Game | Date/Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | June 6 @ TBA | TBA |
| Game 2 | June 9 @ TBA | TBA |
| Game 3 | June 12 @ TBA | TBA |
| Game 4 | June 14 @ TBA | TBA |
| Game 5 (if necessary) | June 17 @ TBA | TBA |
| Game 6 (if necessary) | June 20 @ TBA | TBA |
| Game 7 (if necessary) | June 23 @ TBA | TBA |
2023 NBA Finals
The Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals in five games over the Miami Heat.
The NBA championship trophy is named after Larry O'Brien, the third commissioner of the NBA, who served from 1975 to 1984. The trophy was previously known as the Walter A. Brown Trophy and was renamed in honor of Larry O'Brien in 1984.
Jerry West is the all-time leader in career points in NBA Finals history with 1,679 points. LeBron James ranks second with 1,562 career points. Other active players in the top 50 include Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving.
Bill Russell has won the most NBA championships with 11 titles during his 13-year playing career. He also holds the record for the most career wins in the NBA Finals, with 45 wins. The Top 5 players with the most appearances in NBA Finals are Bill Russell, Sam Jones, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson.
