What type of bets can I make on NBA games? Betting the point spread, straight up winner, and over/under point total are the three popular NBA bets. Sportsbooks also first half lines, live betting, and other betting angles. Who's the favorite to win the NBA Championship? According to the best basketball betting sites, the Lakers sit at +220 to win their second title in a row after being the last team standing in the NBA bubble. They opened as the +400 favorites to repeat but teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers may have something to say about the Lakers going back to back. After the drafting of Lew Alcindor, later known as NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in 1969 and acquiring Oscar Robertson in a trade, the Milwaukee Bucks found their way to an NBA Championship by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA Finals. More NBA Futures Predictions & Odds. Pacific Division Winner Odds & Predictions. The NBA, or National Basketball Association, is the world’s most recognisable basketball league. The League was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946. Initially known as the Basketball Association of America, it was a merger with its rival, the National Basketball League, which led to the change in name to the NBA. Make the Super Bowl 55 experience a bit more interesting with prop bets. One of the most exciting times of the year is here for NFL football fans, as Super Bowl 55 takes place on Feb.

Understanding NBA Championship odds is important for any basketball fan looking to bet on the NBA Finals.

Betting on the NBA Championship requires making a futures bet on a chosen team. An NBA Championship futures bet can be made at virtually any point during the regular season or playoffs. Wagering during the offseason is even possible, as sportsbooks set NBA odds for the following season’s champion soon after the current season ends.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented situation for the 2019-2020 NBA season. After a nearly five-month pause, 22 teams remain in the hunt to hoist the NBA Finals trophy.

Current NBA Finals Odds 2021

Odds To Win The NBA Finals – Whose Odds Are Increasing?

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers go into the NBA restart as one of three favorites topping the futures odds list. The legendary franchise added perennial all-star forward Anthony Davis before the 2019-2020 season. Davis joined a roster that already featured LeBron James, one of the NBA’s all-time greats.

Milwaukee Bucks

Nba Championship Bets

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Lakers have switched back and forth as the sportsbook favorite to win the NBA Finals Championship several times throughout the season. Anchored by all-star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks stand as virtually dead even with the Lakers as the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship.

Los Angeles Clippers

Sitting just behind the Lakers and Bucks, the Los Angeles Clippers stayed near the top of the list of NBA Championship favorites throughout the season. With a loaded lineup featuring all-NBA players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers should attract plenty of interest from futures bettors as the season resumes.

Odds To Win The NBA Finals – Who’s In Trouble?

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz battled the Denver Nuggets for first place in the NBA Northwest Division for much of the 2019-2020 season. Turmoil hit the Jazz just before the season paused, with Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell becoming the first NBA players to test positive for COVID-19.

Houston Rockets

Graphing the NBA Finals Championship odds on the Houston Rockets throughout the season reveals an up-and-down rollercoaster. Different sportsbooks hold various views on the chance of the Rockets winning the championship, with lines varying from +1200 to +1700 going into the season restart. With explosive players like James Harden and Russell Westbrook on the roster, however, don’t count out the Rockets.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers were just seconds away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018-2019. After entering the season among the top five contenders at many sportsbooks, Philadelphia now sits as a longshot to claim the NBA title, with odds hovering around +2300 according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

What’s Different In The 2020 NBA Season

The NBA shut down the 2019-2020 regular season on March 11, as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic began to take effect around the world. Weeks of uncertainty about the remainder of the season followed.

Most of the NBA’s 30 teams played about 65 of the 82 games on the regular-season schedule before the pause. After a nearly five-month hiatus, the season finally resumes July 30.

The remainder of the season commences from the NBA “bubble” in Orlando, Florida. All games will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.

Only 22 of the NBA’s 30 teams return for the remainder of the season. Each team will play a total of eight “seeding games” before the playoffs begin.

NBA Playoffs Format For 2019-2020

Nba Title Bets

The regular NBA format sees the top 16 teams (eight from Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference) advance to the playoffs. The 2019-2020 postseason also uses that format, but with an extra addition.

The top seven teams from each conference automatically advance to the postseason. The eighth seed also automatically advances if it’s four games of more ahead of the ninth-place team after the seeding games are played.

If the eighth-place team is fewer than four games ahead of the No. 9 team at season’s end, the eighth and ninth seeds play each other for the final playoff spot.

The two teams play each other in a maximum of two games, and if the No. 8 seed wins either it advances to playoffs. If the No. 9 seed wins both games, it goes to the postseason.

When the eight playoff teams from each conference are set, the playoffs proceed in the traditional format. Teams play each other in best-of-seven series until the champion is determined.

The unprecedented setting and changes to the playoff format could mean that NBA Championship favorites face a tougher road to the NBA Finals trophy. While the Lakers, Bucks, and Clippers still stand as the favorites, bets on teams with longer odds could prove profitable.

Where Can I Bet On The NBA Finals Online?

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook stands as one of the top destinations for legal online sports betting in the US. New players can sign up for an account and enjoy a risk-free bet up to $500 on their first wager.

The FanDuel Sportsbook platform operates in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, and West Virginia.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook takes a spot as one of the most popular online sportsbooks in the US. Bettors in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia enjoy access to the platform.

Bonuses for new players at DraftKings Sportsbook include a risk-free bet up to $500, a 20% deposit match bonus up to $500, and a $25 no-deposit bonus.

BetRivers

BetRivers recently launched as the first online sportsbook to go live in Illinois. The platform also operates in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Indiana.

BetRivers offers one of the most generous deposit match bonuses in the sports betting industry. New players can get a $100% deposit match, up to $250, with just a 1x playthrough requirement.

FOX Bet

FOX Bet operates through a partnership of FOX Sports and The Stars Group. This online sportsbook brand is available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

New player bonuses include a 50% deposit match bonus up to $500 and a risk-free bet up to $500.

PointsBet

The PointsBet brand offers “PointsBetting”, a unique way of betting that awards bigger payouts based on a selected team’s margin of victory.

PointsBet operates in New Jersey, Indiana, and Iowa. Players in those states can take advantage of a risk-free bet bonus, up to $200.

Online Sportsbook Odds On The NBA Finals

Where Can I Bet On The NBA Finals In Vegas?

Taking a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, puts you right in the center of one of the best places to watch sports in the world. Finding a place to bet on the NBA Championship is as easy as venturing to one of the city’s legendary retail sportsbooks.

The Westgate SuperBook, Caesars Palace, Wynn, South Point, Venetian, and many other Las Vegas casinos host sportsbooks. All of these venues offer numerous ways to bet on the NBA.

Nevada hosts legal online sports betting as well. William Hill, Westgate SuperBook, Station Casinos, Golden Nugget, and Circa Sports represent just a few of the many options for mobile sports betting in Nevada.

How NBA Championship Odds Are Calculated

The following table shows the NBA Championship futures odds at FanDuel Sportsbook before the 2019-2020 season restart:

This table displays the lines on the NBA Champion as moneyline odds. All “+” moneyline odds display the amount of profit made off a $100 bet.

A $100 bet on the Milwaukee Bucks, for example, yields $240 profit if it wins. This means if you bet $100 and the Bucks win, the sportsbooks returns $340 to you ($240 profit plus the original $100 bet).

To calculate “+” odds for any moneyline bet, divide the odds by 100, and multiply that figure by the amount of the bet. So for instance, a +240 line means you must divide 240 by 100, which yields 2.4. You then multiply your bet amount by 2.4 to calculate the amount of profit.

A $50 bet results in $120 profit ($50 x 2.4), a $75 bet yields $180 in profit ($75 x 2.4), and so on.

If the Bucks were set at -240 odds, that number means you have to bet $240 to earn $100 in profit. You can calculate a -240 line by dividing 100 by 240, which yields 0.416.

Multiplying the amount of your bet by 0.416 gives you the amount of profit realized on a -240 moneyline bet. A $50 bet yields $20.80 in profit ($50 x 0.416), a $75 bet results in a $31.20 profit (75 x 0.416), etc.

What Might Affect The NBA Finals Odds?

As the NBA regular season plays on, the championship picture becomes clearer. A team that appeared as a strong championship contender in the preseason might be completely out of the running come playoff time.

Injuries, trades, coaching changes, and other factors can greatly affect futures odds. For example, the Golden State Warriors began the 2019-2020 season as one of the top five favorites to win the NBA Finals Championship.

All-star guard Stephen Curry broke his hand in the second game of the season, however, and the injury kept him out of the lineup virtually the entire season. As a result, the Warriors posted the NBA’s worst record, and aren’t among the 22 teams returning to Orlando for the season restart.

Betting Odds For The NBA Finals Breakdown

Milwaukee Bucks (+240)

Following up on a strong 2018-2019 campaign, the Bucks come into the season restart with the NBA’s best record. All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is second in the league in both points (29.6 PPG) and rebounds (13.7 RPG). Milwaukee goes to Orlando as the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship.

• 53-12 record (1^st in the Eastern Conference, best overall record in the NBA)
• +240 odds to win the NBA Championship (according to DraftKings Sportsbook)
• Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.6 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 54.7 FG%) and Khris Middleton (21.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG 41.8 3FG%)

Los Angeles Lakers (+260)

The Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks lead the pack among NBA Championship contenders as the season restarts. The addition of All-Star forward Anthony Davis to a lineup that already included LeBron James made the Lakers instant preseason favorites. That trend continued throughout the season.

• 49-14 record (1^st in the Western Conference)
• +260 NBA Finals odds
• Top players include LeBron James (25.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 10.6 APG); Anthony Davis (26.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.44 BPG).

Los Angeles Clippers (+320)

The addition of All-Star players Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the offseason placed the Clippers high on the list of preseason favorites. The new roster lived up to expectations before the regular season pause, and the Clippers remain a strong contender to the title.

• 44-20 record (2^nd in the Western Conference)
• +320 odds to win the NBA Finals Championship
• Key players include Kawhi Leonard (26.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.8 SPG), and Paul George (21.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.33 SPG).

Houston Rockets (+1700)

All-purpose threat Russell Westbrook reunited with former teammate James Harden in Houston before the season. With Westbrook and Harden on the same team, NBA oddsmakers set the Rockets as one of the top picks to win the NBA championship before the season. Those odds went up and down throughout the season, but Houston’s explosive offense makes the Rockets a factor in the Orlando bubble.

• 40-24 record (tied for 5^th in the Western Conference)
• +1700 odds to win the NBA Championship (according to DraftKings Sportsbook; odds on the Rockets vary significantly across different sportsbooks).
• Led by James Harden (34.4 PPG, 271 3FGM, 7.4 APG) and Russell Westbrook (27.5 PPG, 7.0 APG, 1.66 SPG).

Toronto Raptors (+2000)

The defending NBA champions saw star player Kawhi Leonard leave in the offseason to play on the Los Angeles Clippers. While Leonard’s departure stands as a significant loss, the Raptors still battled the Bucks for Eastern Conference supremacy throughout the season.

• 46-18 record (2^nd in the Eastern Conference)
• +2000 odds to win the NBA Finals
• Top players include Pascal Siakam (23.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.00 SPG), and Kyle Lowry (19.7 PPG, 7.7 APG, 1.35 SPG).

Learn more in our Guide To Placing A Sports Bet Online.

NBA Finals Odds And Betting

What Is An NBA Futures Bet?

A futures bet in any sport represents a wager on an event that spans longer than a single game or playoff series. Futures bets generally refer to season-long events.

NBA futures bets include opportunities to wager on what team will win the NBA Championship, what player will win the Eastern Conference, what team will lead the league in wins, and so on.

Other futures bets include totals (over/under) wagers on how many games a chosen team will win in the NBA regular season.

Futures bets can be made at any time up until the wagered-on event happens.

What Is An NBA Finals Prop Bet?

Wagering on an in-game or in-series event not related to what team wins or loses means making a prop bet.

Prop bets on the NBA Championship could include what player will win the NBA Finals MVP, or whether a certain player will average over 30 PPG. Exotic prop bets on the NBA Finals could include wagers on whether the combined point total in the final game of the series ends up as odd or even.

Nba Final Bets

The 2018-2019 NBA Finals (Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors) featured numerous prop bets. Some of these wagers included whether the series would end in a 4-0 sweep either way, what player would lead the series in scoring, and what player would win the NBA Finals MVP.

NBA Prop Bets

Most regular-season NBA prop bets function as futures bets on different statistics and player awards. These wagers can include betting on what player will lead the league in scoring, what player will win the NBA Rookie of the Year award, and so on.

Going into the 2019-2020 restart, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo stands as the overwhelming favorite to win the league MVP.

DraftKings Sportsbook sets the odds on Antetokounmpo winning the MVP at -5000. LeBron James comes in a +1000, with Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, and James Harden all set at +10000.

The NBA will award the MVP and other 2019-2020 accolades based on games played before the season paused on March 11.

See our full Guide To Sports Betting Odds.

Odds For The NBA Finals Championship FAQ

Yes, in states with legalized sports betting. Going into the NBA season restart, 19 US states allow legal sports betting, with 13 of those states offering legal online sports betting.

Some of the states that offer both land-based and online sportsbooks include Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana, and Illinois.

Office pools and other betting on the NBA Championship outside of legal sportsbooks are technically against the law.

21 in most US states. The minimum age for betting on the NBA Championship, and sports betting of any kind, is 21 in most states. Exceptions to this rule are Rhode Island and Montana, each of which offers legal online sports betting to players 18 and over.

Legal online sportsbooks offer the most convenient way to bet on the NBA Finals. Top choices for online sports betting include DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, FOX Bet, BetRivers, and PointsBet.

Many other legal online sportsbooks operate in the US, but this list represents some of the most popular and reliable platforms where you can find NBA Championship betting.

These different platforms operate in different US states, so be sure to check out each brand’s website to find out where each is available.

Yes. As long as you’re betting at a state-regulated, legal online platform, placing a bet on the NBA Championship at an online sportsbook is perfectly safe.

Legal online sportsbooks function as extensions of land-based casinos in the states in which they operate. As such, placing a bet at a legal online sportsbook is just as safe as placing that same bet at a legal retail casino.

Yes. Like all other NBA regular season and playoff games, the NBA Finals presents numerous ways to bet in-game at legal online sportsbooks.

All of the different in-game and in-play bets that could be made in a regular-season game can also be made during any game of the NBA Finals.

The Milwaukee Bucks, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bucks sit at +240 odds to win the championship, with the Lakers (+260) and the Clippers (+320) also sit as strong contenders.

The Bucks and Lakers have traded places throughout the season as the favorite to win the title, and odds on these teams, as well as the Clippers, vary across different sportsbooks. The odds can also change based on what happens in the rest of the NBA regular season.

Yes. The NBA Finals will begin September 30 and play through October 13 at the latest. All games will be played from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

• Where to Bet:

How to read NBA Las Vegas Odds

The point-spread was developed to provide a balance for both teams involved in a contest to attract bettors to potentially back the weaker team and receive points. The two squads in a game are listed with a title, either a favorite or an underdog. The favorite is usually the perceived better team in the game, as backing them means giving up several points.

The favorite is always listed with a minus (-) sign before the point-spread while the underdog is labeled with a plus (+) label.

Ex. Favorite -10, Underdog +10

On the VegasInsider.com odds page, there is another number associated with the favorite and its listed as -10. This number is simply defined as “vig” or what many in the sports betting industry call vigorish. Another common term is called “juice” and it’s technically the price the bettor has to pay on a straight wager.

Ex. Bet $110 to win $100 (10% juice)
Ex. Bet $100 to win $91.91 (10% juice)

It's not uncommon to see other values posted other than -10. Examples seen on the NBA Vegas Odds pages could include -08, -12, -15 and -20. The -10 price is the most common value in the industry while many books offer reduced 'juice odds' and that would fall into the -08 category.

The lower-juice sportsbooks are normally found outside of the state of Nevada. If you are in a state where sports betting is legal, please check out our online sportsbook directory to find the best and most secure places to make NBA bets.

Another number that’s posted on the NBA Las Vegas is the total or ‘over/under’ for the specific matchup. If the favorite is designated as the home team, then the total will be listed above and vice versa if the visitors are favorites.

All of the above numbers are listed next to the teams, and before each matchup is a Rotation number. The NBA Las Vegas Odds are listed in order of rotation and those numbers are generated and produced by the sportsbooks. Above each matchup and rotation is the Time of the game, which is subject to change. All game times are Eastern Standard Time.

NBA Open Line

One of the best features on the NBA Vegas Odds is the Open Line. This numbers consists of the first betting line received from one of our Las Vegas or Global Sportsbooks. The opening line varies depending on the sportsbook but it provides a clear-cut rating that the oddsmakers use. If you’re betting on the NBA or any other sport, it’s a great idea to view the open line first.

VI Consensus NBA Line

The VegasInsider.com Consensus NBA Line is just as important as the Open Line and also a key resource on odds platform. The Consensus column could be called a “Median Line” since it shows the most consistent number provided by the sportsbooks on VegasInsider.com. The consensus line will be the same as the open line but once the wagers start coming in, this number is often different than the openers.

Betting on NBA Games

Where can I bet on NBA games?

There are several legal sportsbook options in the United States. Visit our sportsbook directory to find online sportsbooks where you can bet on the NBA.

Who are the experts picking to win?

Our experts offer picks on all the big NBA games. Check out our 2020 NBA Playoff Predictions or our NBA game picks to see what our handicappers are saying.

What type of bets can I make on NBA games?

Betting the point spread, straight up winner, and over/under point total are the three popular NBA bets. Sportsbooks also first half lines, live betting, and other betting angles.

Who's the favorite to win the NBA Championship?

For odds on where teams will finish in the NBA Playoffs, check out our NBA Futures page.

Can you place parlay bets on NBA games?

Most sportsbooks will allow you to parlay your baskteball bets, meaning you can bet on multiple odds and win a bigger payout if they all win. Check out our parlay calculator to see what your payout will be.