As the calendar hits the final third of July, the NBA Finals are finally finished, and as such, so is the battle for supremacy in NBA championship odds.
The Milwaukee Bucks are the new champs, but it's the Brooklyn Nets who are atop the 2021-22 NBA Finals odds at multiple sportsbooks. In fact, the Bucks are looking up at two and in some cases three teams in the NBA championship futures market.
Let's check on odds to win the NBA Finals.
2021-22 NBA Championship odds
The Brooklyn Nets are the favorites in odds to win the NBA championship for the 2021-22 season.
Odds above are up-to-date and reflect the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare NBA futures odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
NBA Championship futures action report
As the cliche goes, time waits for no one. In the case of NBA championship odds, some sportsbooks didn't even wait until the 2021 NBA Finals ended before posting the 2021-22 NBA futures market.
The SuperBook opened next season's NBA Finals odds in late June. And even though the Milwaukee Bucks have since won an NBA championship, they aren't the favorite in odds to win the NBA title next season. Nor are they second or third.
Rather, as of July 21, Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets are atop the NBA championship odds board at +300, despite bowing out in the second round of this season's playoffs. The Nets are followed closely by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at +400, then the Golden State Warriors at +800.
"The feeling is the Nets and Lakers are the two best teams when everyone is healthy. But there are no takers on Brooklyn yet at that price," SuperBook executive director John Murray told Covers.
The Bucks are the +1,000 fourth choice at The SuperBook, followed by the NBA Finals runner-up Phoenix Suns, who are actually the co-fifth choice with the Utah Jazz at +1,600.
"There's not a ton of action yet. The Suns are the early ticket-count leader, and the Lakers have the most money bet so far," Murray said.
Understanding NBA Championship odds
Sportsbooks will post NBA finals futures as early as the summer before the season starts. These NBA futures are constantly adjusted throughout the offseason as players get hurt, suspended or are traded. Once the regular season begins, NBA finals odds will change daily as teams win and lose games and as more players get hurt, suspended 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 regular season or even during the playoffs and the NBA has a very dominant team, you might see that a team is has a minus sign (-) ahead of its 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.
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 hasn't been this great in decades.
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 futures bet on another East contender has tremendous value.
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.
Where can I bet on NBA Championship odds?
You can bet on NBA Championship odds at every online and casino sportsbook. Find ratings and reviews for the best basketball betting sites for betting on NBA futures your area.
NBA Championship odds FAQs
Who will win the NBA Championship this year?
The LA Lakers, LA Clippers, and Milwaukee Bucks were among the preseason favorites to win the NBA Championship. Above, the team with the best odds has the best chance to win the NBA Championship.
How to read NBA Championship odds?
NBA Championship odds above are in American format, meaning a $100 bet at odds of +250 would profit $250 if it wins.
How do NBA Championship odds work?
Oddsmakers at sportsbooks create odds to win the NBA Championship based on the team's implied probability to win the title. The team with the lowest odds has the best chance to win the NBA Championship.
