NBA Championship Odds 2023: Celtics, Suns among the favourites to win NBA Finals after trade deadline
The NBA’s trade deadline this season was one to remember as several notable trades went down across the league, including two blockbuster deals involving Kyrie Irving and Kevin that sent shockwaves through the NBA landscape and sports betting. Oddsmakers were quick to react to the news that Durant was moved west as the Suns now have the second-best odds (+450) behind the Celtics (+350) of winning the NBA title this season.
Below we have BetMGM’s latest odds for the favorites to win the NBA title and a few sleepers/values to keep an eye on as we approach NBA All-Star Weekend.
NBA Championship Odds 2023
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
| team | opportunities |
| Celts | $4.00 |
| to sunbathe | $5.50 |
| dollar | $5.50 |
| nuggets | $9.00 |
| clippers | $13.00 |
| sixes | $15.00 |
| warrior | $15.00 |
| outsider | $17.00 |
| grizzlies | $21.00 |
| Cavaliers | $26.00 |
| lakers | $34.00 |
| pelicans | $51.00 |
| heat | $51.00 |
| kings | $67.00 |
| nets | $101.00 |
| hawks | $126.00 |
| curtsy | $151.00 |
| birds of prey | $151.00 |
| cops | $251.00 |
| wood wolves | $251.00 |
| Trailblazer | $401.00 |
| pacemaker | $501.00 |
| magic | $501.00 |
| thunder | $501.00 |
| jazz | $501.00 |
| wizard | $501.00 |
| hornets | $1001.00 |
| Pistons | $1001.00 |
| rockets | $1001.00 |
| spores | $1001.00 |
2023 NBA Championship Odds: Favorites
Celtics ($4.00). Unsurprisingly, last year’s runner-up is the favorite to win this season’s NBA Finals. Boston hasn’t missed a beat under first-year head coach Joe Mazzulla, who replaced Ime Udoka in the offseason. Mazzulla, 34, has the Celtics playing excellent basketball at both ends of the court, averaging 117.4 points per game (fifth-highest in the NBA) and allowing just 111.4 points per game (fifth-lowest) this season.
Additionally, All-Star forward and MVP contender Jayson Tatum ($13) has played a critical role in Boston’s success this season and is one of the reasons the Celtics can return to the Finals. This season, Tatum is averaging a team-high 30.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.5 rebounds per game. If the Celtics core of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford and Robert Williams can stay healthy, they will be tough to beat in the postseason.
Suns ($5.50). The Suns took a huge leap up after taking on superstar Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Nets. Before the Durant trade, Phoenix was +1800 odds to win the NBA title, but oddsmakers and bettors are confident the Suns can pull off another deep postseason run. This week, the Suns received the highest ticket percentage in NBA championship bets (34.5) and the highest handle percentage (43.9).
The Suns (30-27) currently own the sixth seed in the west. However, Phoenix is just 2.5 games behind the third-place Kings. If Durant is fully healthy, the Suns could be a force to be reckoned with as teams have to take care of him, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton down the middle.
NBA Championship Odds 2023: Sleepers & Value Bets
Outsiders ($17.00). The Mavericks are another team that NBA fans and bettors believe could be on a good run and potentially make the NBA Finals this summer. The Mavs saw their NBA title chances improve after acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Nets. Irving and Luka Doncic make Dallas a formidable team out west as both players can have 40 points each at any given time.
Irving should help the Mavericks with their offensive woes as they average just 112 points per game (22nd in the league) and rank 29th in pace (95). The all-star point guard will look to pick up the pace with Doncic and try to bring this Dallas team back to the Western Conference Finals. At $17 odds, it’s not a bad futures bet because if this duo plays well after the All-Star break, the Mavs’ odds will only improve.
Cavaliers ($26.00). The Cavaliers fly a little under the radar in the East because the Bucks, Celtics and Sixers have been so good this season. Cleveland isn’t too far behind these teams, however, as they have the fourth-best record in the East (35-22) and are just one game behind the Sixers for third place.
Head Coach JB Bickerstaff has a well-rounded team that includes Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Caris LeVert, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. The addition of Mitchell in the offseason has taken this team to new heights and has them playing great basketball every night. The Cavaliers also have the best defense in the NBA, allowing just 106.2 points per game. Allen and Mobley play important roles in anchoring the Cavs’ defense and could make the difference in the playoffs. At $26 odds, this is probably my favorite value bet as the east is wide open after the nets were dismantled this week. The Cavs can compete with the top three teams in the East at either end of the stage.
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