Ladd McConkey – NFL Draft Sleeper Alert
Jay Felicio
The Denver Nuggets are again one of the betting favorites for next year’s NBA Championship. After securing their first-ever championship, the Nuggets find themselves tied with the Boston Celtics as the best odds to hang a banner in 2024.
The Nuggets and Celtics have +475 odds (17.4% implied probability) at DraftKings to win the 2024 NBA Finals. Boston made their third trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in four years, falling short to the momentum of the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. Both the Nuggets and Celtics are considered to be the most likely champion in a league filled with legitimate title contenders.
Immediately following the Nuggets and Celtics are the Phoenix Suns with +700 odds, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks at +750. The Suns added three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, while the Bucks are looking for a follow-up title for their 2021 championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers (+1200) and Philadelphia 76ers (+1300) rank fifth and sixth in championship odds, both hoping to improve on solid playoff runs this past season. The Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals as the No. 7 seed, while the 76ers lost a tough seven-game series to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
It might not be long before Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors (+1300) see a rapid increase in their odds, especially after their recent acquisition of point guard Chris Paul. If Draymond Green decides to return to Golden State, look for the Warriors to rise to third or better.
The Los Angeles Clippers (+1800) and Dallas Mavericks (+2000) round out the top 10, with uncertainty coupled with championship upside. The Clippers backed out of a potential trade for Malcolm Brogdon, and need to answer questions about Kawhi Leonard (health) and Paul George (trade rumors). The Mavericks are focused on making a strong title run centered around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Dallas was also very active on draft night, acquiring Richaun Holmes and dynamic rookies Dereck Lively and Olivier-Maxence Prosper. The two teams have elite talent and are dangerous as any team when healthy.
Let’s take a look at why oddsmakers have the Nuggets and Celtics as the NBA championship favorites heading into the season and if there’s a longshot team worth consideration to win the title.
Who Will Win The NBA Championship?
Odds from DraftKings
- Boston Celtics +475
- Denver Nuggets +475
- Phoenix Suns +700
- Milwaukee Bucks +750
- Los Angeles Lakers +1200
- Philadelphia 76ers +1300
- Golden State Warriors +1600
- Miami Heat +1400
- Los Angeles Clippers +1800
- Dallas Mavericks +2000
- Memphis Grizzlies +2500
- Cleveland Cavaliers +2800
- New Orleans Pelicans +4000
- New York Knicks +5000
- Sacramento Kings +5500
- Atlanta Hawks +6000
- Minnesota Timberwolves +7500
- Toronto Raptors +9000
- Brooklyn Nets +9000
- Oklahoma City Thunder +10000
- Portland Trail Blazers +12000
- Chicago Bulls +15000
- San Antonio Spurs +20000
- Orlando Magic +30000
- Utah Jazz +30000
- Houston Rockets +35000
- Indiana Pacers +50000
- Washington Wizards +60000
- Charlotte Hornets +60000
- Detroit Pistons +60000
Why are the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics Favored For NBA Championship Odds?
Things are going to look a little different in the TD Garden next season. Longtime Celtic Marcus Smart was dealt to Memphis Wednesday night, and in return the C’s added Kristaps Porzingis to their frontcourt. We’ll see what other moves Boston makes in free agency, especially with a guy like Malcolm Brogdon, who was reportedly on his way to the Clippers in the Porzingis deal before LA said thanks but no thanks to his medicals. Is he going to just brush off the fact this team was ready to move on from him? How Brad Stevens rounds out this roster is something to watch in July, plus he’s got the looming decision of whether to pay Jaylen Brown $295 million over five years.
So, with all these question marks surrounding the roster makeup, why are they still co-favorites? Firstly, I have a hard time seeing them not giving Brown his extension. Unless a trade materializes that would bring them a player with a similar floor/ceiling combo, they’re not just going to let him walk for nothing. Those truly in the know have said as much. Early this week we saw Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe report that “the Celtics do not intend to trade Jaylen Brown and all signs continue to point toward Brown signing a five-year, $295 million super-max extension with Boston.” While there’s certainly a chance that spending over $100 million in cap space per year on Brown and Jayson Tatum ends up hamstringing the Celtics too much down the road, locking in those two All-NBA caliber players for the long term keeps this current Boston championship window open. Should they be co-favorites? Maybe not. But I’m not looking at anyone sideways who thinks they should be. Keep in mind, they were likely a Jayson Tatum first possession of Game 7 ankle turn away from being back in the NBA Finals for the second straight year.
I’m interested to see what Porzingis brings to the table alongside these two. While the oft-injured big man hasn’t done much in the way of winning throughout his NBA tenure, he’s coming off a career year with Washington where he averaged 23/8/2 on 50/39/85 shooting in 65 appearances. If he was able to be that efficient on that Wizards roster, he could prove to be a deadly addition for the Celtics and potentially the difference maker between being ousted short of the ultimate goal and lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy this time next year.
Can the Nuggets Repeat as NBA Champions?
Absolutely they can. Retaining Bruce Brown should be first on the short to-do list for Denver this offseason. The versatility he brings to this lineup as not just a switchable defender who can knock down open threes in a bench role, but as a capable backup point guard, is something that won’t easily be replaced on the open market. If they can resign Brown, their title chances will come down to the same factor that has made or broken their hopes the last three seasons, health. If this team is healthy, there’s not a roster build in the association with a better shot than Denver.
The Nuggets also made some sly draft moves by trading for picks 29, 32 and 37. Those selections ended up being Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson. Adding these low-risk young assets to the talent pool (Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Collin Gillespie etc.) that Denver has cultivated was about as good as Nuggets fans could have asked for. If even one of those names (outside of Braun who was already the eighth man during their title run) hits as a usable rotation piece it will be a huge win for a team that’s already set up to have multiple more years as real title contenders.
Longshot Bet To Consider For Odds To Win NBA Championship
Los Angeles Clippers (+1800)
I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but the Clippers at +1800 are again the team that immediately stands out. We saw Kawhi Leonard be the best player in the first week of the playoffs back in April before getting injured (again) and sitting out the rest of the series against Phoenix. The Clippers had a real shot to win against the Suns before that injury and that was without Paul George. Assuming health for LA is a fool’s errand, but there’s a non-zero chance that they could hold it together for two months next spring and if they have Leonard and George active, they can compete with any team in the league.
New Orleans Pelicans (+4000)
Another shout is New Orleans at +4000, who are led by another oft-injured star in Zion Williamson. I’m old enough to remember that when he got injured this past January the Pelicans were just a half-game out of the first seed behind Denver. Like the Clippers, I’m not going to sit here and tell you to expect a guy who has played just 114 of a possible 328 games through the first four seasons of his career to be able to be on the court when it counts next spring. But if he does, the Pelicans should strike fear in the heart of other contenders. They’ve also got plenty of future draft capital and young players on rookie contracts. Don’t be surprised to see them take a big swing before the trade deadline if the winds of the first few months of the season are blowing in their direction.
Understanding 2024 NBA Championship odds
The time has come for you to bet on the 2024 NBA Championship odds but you don’t know where to start or what the numbers beside the teams mean. No problem because FTNBets will explain it below. The first thing a new bettor needs to do is set up a sportsbook account that is available in your state and then deposit money to bet with. Once that’s complete, you’re ready to bet on odds to win the NBA Championship.
When you go to your sportsbook of choice, you’ll notice the odds for each team are listed like this:
- Boston Celtics +475
- Denver Nuggets +475
- Phoenix Suns +700
- Milwaukee Bucks +750
- Los Angeles Lakers +1200
The numbers beside each team represent American odds, which means it’s what your potential payout would be if you were to bet $100 on that option. The team with the lowest number beside them is considered the betting favorite for this market. In this case, that’s the Celtics and Nuggets at +475.
If you think the Denver Nuggets will repeat as the 2023-2024 NBA Championship and you bet $100 on them, you’d win $575 from your sportsbook — your $100 is returned and you’re rewarded with $475 in profit. On the flip side, let’s say you think the Los Angeles Lakers will return to championship glory and you bet on them for NBA title odds, you’d win $1100 in profit for a $100 bet from your sportsbook.
Check out the FTNBets Parlay Calculator to see how much you’d win based on the odds and amount wagered.
What are NBA Futures?
NBA Futures bets are on events in an upcoming season that have yet to take place. These include markets like NBA MVP, NBA Rookie of the Year, Conference winners and much more. Part of the reason why futures bets such as NBA Championship odds have such high value compared to betting on individual games is you have to make a bet like this far in advance. This, in turn, ties up potential bankroll.
To make an NBA Futures bet on NBA title odds, you would first read the FTNBets article above and compile enough statistics and information to handicap your potential bet. Once you’ve made your decision on which team you think has what it takes to win it all, you’re ready to go.
For more info on how to bet on NBA games, be sure to check out the latest NBA Odds.
