The 2023-24 NBA regular season has ended and the playoffs are finally here. The Boston Celtics were the best team in the NBA this season and won 64 games. According to BetMGM, the Celtics are the betting favorite to win the 2024 NBA Championship at +180 odds. The defending champion Denver Nuggets are the second favorite on the board at +300 odds.
Celtics: Title Favorites (Almost) All Season
Aside for one week in December, the Celtics were at the top of the NBA futures board for most of the season. During the preseason, the Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks were co-favorites to win the 2024 NBA Championship at +400 odds. Both teams had made major roster moves in the offseason, which reflected a boost in their championship odds.
The Celtics were the runner up two seasons ago when they lost in the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Heading into last season, the Celtics were a popular pick to win back-to-back Eastern Conference crowns and were expected to return to the NBA Finals. However, the Miami Heat made an epic run as the #8 seed and knocked out the Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
General manager Brad Stevens decided to shake up the roster and rebuild the Celtics around All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics traded Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III, arguably their top two defenders, to make room for center Kristaps “Unicorn” Porzingis. The Celtics also acquired defensive stopper Jrue Holiday to play point guard.
The revamped Celtics are on a mission to win the championship. They steamrolled opponents during the regular season with a 64-18 record. They locked up the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and were 14 games ahead of their closest competitor.
The Celtics are -175 odds as the betting favorite to win the Eastern Conference title for the second time in three years. You can back the Celtics to win the NBA championship at +180 odds.
Nuggets: Can the Joker Win Back-to-Back Titles?
The Nuggets look to run it back this postseason and become the first repeat champion since the Golden State Warriors who won consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018.
Center Nikola Jokic is a huge favorite to win another NBA MVP award, which would be his third MVP in the last four seasons. Jokic proved he was nearly unstoppable in the 2023 playoffs when the Nuggets ran the table last year to win their franchise’s first championship.
The Oklahoma City Thunder edged out the Nuggets in the final weekend of the season to secure the #1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Even though the Nuggets were awarded the #2 seed, they are still the betting favorite to win consecutive Western Conference titles at +140 odds. You can back the Nuggets to win back-to-back championships at +300 odds.
BetMGM also offers a prop bet to predict the outcome of the 2024 NBA Finals. As expected, the Celtics and Nuggets meeting each other are a popular pick. The Nuggets defeating the Celtics in the NBA Finals pays out +450 odds. The Celtics defeating the Nuggets in the NBA Finals also pays out +450 odds.
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East: Knicks Late Surge, Banged-Up Freak
The New York Knicks ended the 2023 calendar year with a three-game losing streak and headed into the new year with a 17-15 record. They caught fire in January thanks to an MVP-like performance from point guard Jalen Brunson. The Knicks went 15-2 to start 2024 and rocketed near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Even without forward Julius Randle, who sustained a season-ending shoulder injury, the Knicks won their last five games in the regular season and secured the #2 seed. With a 50-32 record, the Knicks reached the 50-win mark for the first time since 2013, and only the second time this century.
Bettors do not have much faith in the Knicks to win their first championship in over 50 years. Without Randle, the Knicks are +3500 odds to win the title according to a recent update by BetMGM.
The Bucks fired head coach Mike Budenholzer in the offseason after a disappointing playoff exit in 2023. The move was shocking and abrupt considering Budenholzer led the Bucks to a championship in 2021. The Bucks hired rookie head coach Adrian Griffin to replace Budenholzer. Despite the coaching change, fans were excited when the Bucks surprised everyone by adding All-Star guard Damian Lillard in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Even though Griffin guided the Bucks to a 30-13 record, the team fired him midway through the season and veteran head coach Doc Rivers replaced Griffin. The Bucks were slow to adjust to the midseason coaching change, and they struggled with a 17-19 record under Rivers.
The Bucks went 3-8 in their last 11 games to end the season at 49-33. They lost the #2 seed to the Knicks, and the Bucks settled on the #3 seed.
The Bucks are a hot mess entering the playoffs. To complicate matters, two-time MVP Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo sustained a lower leg injury in the final week of the season. His status for their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers is unknown, which is why the Bucks are only +1400 odds to win the 2024 championship.
West: Young Thunder Snatch #1 Seed
The #1 seed in the Western Conference was a three-team race that came down to the final weekend of the regular season. Only one game separated the top three teams. The Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25) were awarded the #1 seed because they held a tiebreaker over the Nuggets (57-25). The Minnesota Timberwolves (56-26) ended up with the #3 seed.
The Thunder are led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished the season as the NBA’s third-highest scorer by averaging 30.1 points per game. The Thunder have not won a championship since the franchise relocated from Seattle in 2008. They’re +1600 odds to win the championship this season.
Big man Karl-Anthony Towns missed 18 games for the Timberwolves while he recovered from surgery after a knee injury in March. He returned to action in the last two games of the regular season, and he’s expected to play a major role in the postseason alongside leading scorer Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves are +2000 odds to win the championship.
The Western Conference is stacked heading into the postseason. The #4 Los Angeles Clippers (51-31), #5 Dallas Mavericks (50-32), and #6 Phoenix Suns (49-33) could all make a legit run at the conference crown and secure a trip to the NBA Finals.
The Clippers and Mavericks square off in the playoffs, which will be one of the most exciting matchups in the first round. After dealing with injuries to stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George the last few postseasons, the Clippers are healthy heading into this year’s postseason, the Clippers are +1300 odds to win the NBA Championship, and the third highest team on BetMGM‘s futures board.
Luka Doncic and the Mavs are +1800 odds to win a title if they can knock out the Clippers in the opening round.
