NBA Championship Odds: Who Stands Out in 2021?
In June, when the books began putting up odds to win the 2015 championship, the Cavaliers were listed as high as 60-1. Soon after, rumors of James' interest in returning to Cleveland surfaced,. As we head into NBA All-Star Weekend, last year's Eastern Conference winners, the Miami Heat, made a huge move on the NBA Championship Odds' board, an Eastern Conference favorite became a title odds underlay, and a team in the West emerged as the conference's top overlay.
The NBA season kicks off approximately one week, and FanDuel Sportsbook has posted odds on every team to win the championship in 2021:
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The Lakers are, unsurprisingly, the betting favorites at +270. They won the title last year behind their dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and both players will be back in LA this season. They didn't lose many valuable rotation players from that squad and have added some potential impact veterans in Dennis Schroder, Marc Gasol, and Montrezl Harrell.
The Bucks have the best odds out of any team in the Eastern Conference at +550, and they'll be looking to get over the hump following two disappointing playoff exits over the past two seasons. They've been the best regular-season team in basketball over that time frame, led by back-to-back reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks have the potential to be even better in 2021 after shipping Eric Bledsoe to the Pelicans in exchange for Jrue Holiday.
The Nets will be an interesting team to watch in the Futures market this season. They currently have the third-shortest title odds, but those could change drastically depending on how well Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving play together in the first season. This team also remains one of the leading contenders to acquire James Harden should he successfully force his way out of Houston. There are plenty of questions with this squad, but there's also plenty of upside.
The Clippers round out the group of contenders at +650. They were the title favorites at the start of last year's playoffs, and they jumped out to a 3-1 series lead vs. the Nuggets. That said, they were unable to finish the job and ultimately lost to the Nuggets in seven games. They have some chemistry concerns at the moment, but this team is arguably the most talented in the league. The three-man combination of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Marcus Morris outscored teams by roughly 13 points per 100 possessions when on the court last season.
As far as long shots go, the Mavericks stand out at +2200. They were the best offensive team in the league last season, thanks mostly to the play of wunderkind Luka Doncic. He averaged a ridiculous 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game despite being one of the youngest players in the league. He's the current favorite to win the MVP award on FanDuel Sportsbook at +410, and this team could join the upper echelon if he takes another step forward in 2021.
The Phoenix Suns should be another popular target at +5500. They ended the year on a strong note last season, going a perfect 8-0 in the bubble, and they added Chris Paul to their roster during the offseason. Paul remains one of the most impactful players in the league on a per-minute basis, and the Thunder increased their Net Rating by +13.8 points per 100 possessions with Paul on the court last season. He has the potential to be a difference-maker for the Suns this season.
The Golden State Warriors will win the 2018 NBA championship.
Seriously, why even play this season?
That's what the oddsmakers appear to believe anyway, as the defending champion Warriors are an overwhelming favourite to win it all in the NBA, which began its 2017-18 season on Tuesday.
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With odds to win a championship that you don't see every day, Golden State currently pays out at just 1.66 on PlayNow.com. That means a $100 bet on them to be better than all 29 other NBA teams would earn you a profit of only $66.
To put that in perspective, you can get longer odds for every remaining MLB team to win the World Series. And there's only four of them left.
It's not hard to see why Stephen Curry and the Warriors are in a class of their own.
Golden State has been to three straight NBA Finals, winning twice. Armed with Kevin Durant, they were the class of the league last season, finishing with the best record during the regular season before winning 16 of 17 games in the playoffs.
They are the super team of super teams.
The Cleveland Cavaliers (5.50), could have something to say about that though. Cleveland has been to three-straight Finals as well, and are always a force with LeBron James, even at age 32. Though they were forced to trade Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas, they've added former NBA MVP Derrick Rose and LeBron's old buddy in Miami, Dwayne Wade.
The Houston Rockets, who upset Golden State on opening night, have decent odds to win it all (10-1). The last team not from the Bay Area or Cleveland to be crowned NBA champions are the San Antonio Spurs, who are listed at 15-1.
The Boston Celtics' chances at a championship took a hit with Gordon Hayward's gruesome injury, as they've moved to 15-1. Last year's NBA MVP Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder have 16-1 odds.
It's not hard to see why Stephen Curry and the Warriors are in a class of their own.
Golden State has been to three straight NBA Finals, winning twice. Armed with Kevin Durant, they were the class of the league last season, finishing with the best record during the regular season before winning 16 of 17 games in the playoffs.
They are the super team of super teams.
The Cleveland Cavaliers (5.50), could have something to say about that though. Cleveland has been to three-straight Finals as well, and are always a force with LeBron James, even at age 32. Though they were forced to trade Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas, they've added former NBA MVP Derrick Rose and LeBron's old buddy in Miami, Dwayne Wade.
The Houston Rockets, who upset Golden State on opening night, have decent odds to win it all (10-1). The last team not from the Bay Area or Cleveland to be crowned NBA champions are the San Antonio Spurs, who are listed at 15-1.
The Boston Celtics' chances at a championship took a hit with Gordon Hayward's gruesome injury, as they've moved to 15-1. Last year's NBA MVP Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder have 16-1 odds.
Cleveland Odds To Win Nba Championship
Everyone else is 30-1 or more.
The Toronto Raptors, who begin their season on Thursday, are 40-1 long shots despite the fact they're expected to be a playoff team again this year.
Cleveland Odds To Win Nba Championship 2019
Six teams – the Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks – have just a 500-1 shot at winning it all.
To put that in perspective, no NHL team has longer odds than 100-1 to win the Stanley Cup.
A $100 bet on one of the 500-1 teams would pay out $50,000.
Here are the full odds:
See also
