The NBA race to the Finals is really starting to tighten up, especially in the Eastern Conference. Each team is jostling for position, with the Brooklyn Nets currently holding the No.1 spot.
As we near the NBA All-Star break, it’ll be good to get a look at the latest NBA Championship odds. They’ve changed over the last few weeks, but you’ve still got a great chance to get in your bets.
We also have a few picks for teams to stay away from when making your selections. Some of these teams have pretty good odds, but they aren’t fit for a playoff run. We’ll take the time to go over each conference’s best picks and detail some dark-horse candidates.
Let’s get you up to speed on everything there is to know about the NBA Championship, including the new odds.
Week 15: Updated NBA Championship Odds
Brooklyn still holds the No.1 spot in the NBA Championship odds
The Eastern Conference has been taken back by the Brooklyn Nets. Although they don’t have the best record in the NBA, they have the best odds to win the Championship. We find this slightly strange, especially with Kevin Durant hurt.
However, the Nets are still +246 and well ahead of the rest of the Eastern Conference teams. The next closes are the Bucks at +630.
If we had to choose between the Bucks and the Nets, we’d go with the Bucks. The rest of the Eastern Conference is well behind in the odds. The Miami Heat have +1225, the Philadelphia 76ers are +1650, and the Chicago Bulls have fallen to +2100.
None of these teams are viable options for the NBA Championship, in our opinion. Now let’s look at the Western Conference.
The Phoenix Suns begin to creep up in the current odds
Although the Golden State Warriors still lead the current MyBookie odds at +430, the Suns are moving in fast. The Phoenix Suns are +590 right now and lead the Western Conference. This is a huge jump from their previous odds of +630.
Choosing between the Warriors and the Suns is going to be tough, considering how great both teams are. So, who should you stay away from?
A team that we’d avoid taking in a futures bet for the NBA Championship is the Los Angeles Lakers. Currently, the Lakers have +1300 odds to win the NBA Finals; however, they’re a terrible choice.
Injuries have plagued them the entire year, and Russell Westbrook hasn’t pulled his weight lately. The LA Clippers are another team we’d stay away from when betting.
Darkhorse candidates for the NBA Championship
Although the top teams we mentioned above are the most likely to win, we have a few other choices too. In the Eastern Conference, as we stated above, we’d go with the Milwaukee Bucks. Technically they’re an underdog candidate compared to the Brooklyn Nets.
However, the Bucks are the reigning NBA Champions and have an incredible team when fully healthy.
In the Western Conference, we really think the Utah Jazz have a chance to win it all. They’re No.4 in the Western Conference and have +930 odds to win it all.
The combination of Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and Rudy Gobert is a great setup. If any team can take down the Warriors and Suns in the NBA Western Conference Finals, it’s the Utah Jazz.