NBA championship odds: Latest 2023-24 NBA Finals betting

With the 2023 NBA Finals in the rear-view, the attention of basketball bettors shifts to the regular season, with BetMGM Sportsbook having the Boston Celtics as the NBA Championship odds-on favorites at +210.

NBA Championship odds are courtesy of BetMGM. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

Boston made significant changes in the offseason, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Those moves saw Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Malcolm Brogdon move to other teams but it hasn’t caused any trouble for the Celtics.

As we begin April, they hold the best record in the NBA at 59-16.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to operate as one of the best tandems in the NBA. Porzingis is having a strong first season in Boston, and Derrick White is a legit All-Star caliber player.

There’s no reason to believe the Celtics will slow down. They should remain atop the Eastern Conference and battle for another NBA Finals appearance.

The Denver Nuggets dealt with inconsistent play to start the season, but they fought through to remain in contention for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They’re currently in a tight battle with division foes in Minnesota and Oklahoma City.

Joel Embiid’s injuries have opened the door for Nikola Jokic to claim his third MVP. Jokic has averaged 26.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and nine assists per game this season.

There’s a lot to like about the Nuggets’ chances of repeating as NBA Champs. Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon combine with Jokic to form one of the most dangerous lineups in the league.

Denver has room for improvement, yet they’re still one of the league’s best teams. They should be dangerous come playoff time.

The Los Angeles Clippers’ star duo of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have been together for quite some time now, but they’ve never been able to get over the hump, let alone make the NBA Finals.

They changed their roster this year by bringing in James Harden to create a dynamic foursome between those three and Russell Westbrook, who has thrived in a role change as the sixth man.

Health has always been the big reason this team doesn’t live up to expectations, but they’ve had good luck in that department. Because of their good health, they sit fourth in the conference entering April with a lot of support from bettors.

Arguably the biggest move of the offseason was the Milwaukee Bucks acquiring Damian Lillard. Lillard gave them a superstar guard along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the trade cost them their best defensive guard in Jrue Holiday.

Lillard has given the Bucks one of the league’s best offenses, but the defense is among the worst. That prompted the Bucks to make a coaching change, replacing Adrian Griffin with Doc Rivers. He aims to keep the Bucks in contention for the top spot in the East.

The motivation remains alive after losing in the first round of the playoffs last season. As long as the Bucks don’t run into the Heat in the first round, they should contend for another Championship.

Many expected the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a step forward after a promising 2022-23 season, but they’ve made a full leap to NBA Finals contender. Four months into the season and OKC has the third-best record in the league.

Everyone knows the Thunder’s success revolves around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA is having an MVP season, averaging 30.3 points, 6.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals. His MVP odds only trail Jokic.

Chet Holmgren is having a big impact in his rookie season. He’s averaging 16.6 points while anchoring the defense with 2.4 blocks per game.

It’ll be interesting to see if the young Thunder can keep it up and make a potential playoff push. Right now, there’s no denying they’re one of the best underdog picks.

The Phoenix Suns were another team with a big offseason acquisition, trading for Bradley Beal. That gave the Suns a Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Beal. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen many games with all three on the court.

All three players have missed time with injury with Beal missing over 20 games. As we approach the All-Star break, all three players are healthy and ready to push Phoenix into playoff contention.

The odds may not tell it, but the Suns are seventh in the Western Conference with a 44-31 record. There’s still time to move into the top three or four, but it’d be a massive disappointment if they fell into the play-in tournament.

As the Suns get healthy and the stars gel together, they should move up the standings and compete with the league’s elite teams.

Many expected the Philadelphia 76ers to take a step back after trading James Harden. However, the move seems to have improved the team, as they’re neck-and-neck with the Celtics and Bucks for the best record in the East.

Joel Embiid has been nothing short of amazing this season, leading the NBA with 35.3 points per game. Unfortunately, a knee injury will keep him out for some time. It also eliminates him from winning MVP.

The Harden trade left a void at guard, but Tyrese Maxey is proving to be an All-Star player. He’s on pace to win Most Improved Player by averaging 25.6 points and 6.2 assists.

Philly has had great regular seasons, but they struggle in the postseason. Is this the year they finally advance to the Eastern Conference Finals?

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