Jimmy Boyd in 
Are you thinking about placing a wager on the odds to win the NBA Finals this year? If so then you have come to the right place.
Before the season and approximately once per week I take a detailed look at the future NBA championship odds for every team in the league. If you have a pretty good feel for the teams, how they are playing, how the seeds will work out, and how each team matches up with their expected foes then you might want to make a wager.
The implied probabilities should help you make predictions on who you think will win the title. If you couple that with our daily free NBA picks then no matter how you like to bet on the NBA we have you covered.
You can also check out our NBA handicapping page for even more information on how to pick more winners of your own.
Understanding How to Read NBA Finals Odds
The odds format on this page are similar to money lines in the American odds format which makes them pretty easy to understand.
If the number is positive you have to wager $100 to profit that amount. If the number is negative you have to bet that amount in order to profit $100.
For example, if it was -300 then you have to bet $300 to cash $100. If it was +200 then a $100 bet would win you $200.
The other common format for futures like this are fractional odds. It’s pretty easy to convert between the two formats.
If you want to convert the money line into fractions. Simply take the line and divide it by 100. For example, if a team is +300, their fractional odd would be 3/1 (300/100).
If you have fractional odds that you need to convert to American you simply take the number and multiply by 100. So 5/1 becomes +500.
The lower the positive number with the NBA title odds means that team is favored to win, the higher the number the less of a chance the books think the team has to win the NBA Finals.
2023-24 Championship Futures Odds to Win the NBA Finals
| Team | Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | -210 | 67.74% |
| Dallas | +175 | 36.36% |
Favorites to Win 2024 NBA Championship & Betting Predictions
Using all of the information about each team, oddsmakers set their NBA championship odds and then adjust to the market (e.g. how much money gets bet on each team).
The trick is finding where the market is off of reality or where you suspect a big change is happening that will give a team a chance to win the NBA championship.
Maybe there is a team you think is going to make a big move before the season starts or there is a team that looks poised to make a big splash in the NBA draft. These are the kinds of teams you should be targeting in addition to any team you think has a better probability than what the books have set.
The favorites are favorites for a reason, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have any value. If you look at the NBA championship odds history below you’ll find that by the All-Star Break, most teams that are contenders have shown themselves as legit threats.
When the playoffs start, you shouldn’t be looking deep down the list for who is going to win. Not many teams come out on top if they start the postseason with less than a 10% chance of winning it all.
Recent NBA Championship Winners & Vegas Odds to Win Title
| Year | Team | Preseason | Dec. 1 | All-Star Break | Playoffs (Start) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | Denver Nuggets | +1800 | +1400 | +700 | +1000 |
| 2021-22 | Golden State Warriors | +900 | +600 | +425 | +1000 |
| 2020-21 | Milwaukee Bucks | +550 | +750 | +850 | |
| 2019-20 | Los Angeles Lakers | +450 | +295 | +265 | +280 |
| 2018-19 | Toronto Raptors | +1400 | +1000 | +750 | +950 |
| 2017-18 | Golden State Warriors | -175 | -175 | -160 | +135 |
| 2016-17 | Golden State Warriors | +200 | -130 | -125 | -160 |
| 2015-16 | Cleveland Cavaliers | +300 | +280 | +340 | +475 |
| 2014-15 | Golden State Warriors | +2800 | +800 | +425 | +175 |
| 2013-14 | San Antonio Spurs | +1200 | +750 | +900 | +330 |
| 2012-13 | Miami Heat | +225 | +185 | +185 | -125 |
| 2011-12 | Miami Heat | +225 | +175 | +150 | +200 |
| 2010-11 | Dallas Mavericks | +2000 | +2200 | +1600 | +1800 |
| 2009-10 | Los Angeles Lakers | +225 | +225 | +225 | +225 |
| 2008-09 | Los Angeles Lakers | +300 | |||
| 2007-08 | Boston Celtics | +450 | |||
| 2006-07 | San Antonio Spurs | +550 | |||
| 2005-06 | Miami Heat | +280 |
NBA Franchises That Have Never Won a Championship
There are ten teams that have never won the NBA Finals. Some of the teams seem hard to believe, but others you’ll be shaking your head in agreement.
The teams still waiting on their chance are:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets (Bobcats)
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Orlando Magic
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
It’s hard to believe that John Stockton and Karl Malone never came through for the Utah Jazz, but they lost back-to-back Finals in 96-97 and 97-98 to the Chicago Bulls. They haven’t been a real threat since those glory days though.
The Phoenix Suns might be even more difficult to understand how they have come up short. Charles Barkley was also a victim of the Jordan era Bulls, but Steve Nash’s teams never made the Finals. Chris Paul was able to guide the team there in 20-21 before losing to the Bucks.
Orlando has had a couple of chances due to their impressive big men. Shaquille O’Neal kick started the franchises success in the early 90s, but they were dispatched in the final series by the Houston Rockets in four games. Dwight Howard took the Magic to the Finals in 08-09, but Kobe and the Lakers beat them 4-1.
The New Orleans Pelicans aren’t really a surprise. They are essentially a new franchise team that’s history dates back to 2002-03. They have only made it past the first round of the playoffs one time so have never really sniffed a title.
Minnesota is another team that hasn’t really came close. Sure they made the conference finals back in 03-04 with Kevin Garnett, but no other time in the team’s history have they advanced passed the first round.
The Clippers are the Clippers. They had some success in the early 2010’s with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan but even that team never made the conference finals. In fact, they’ve only done that one time and it was in 20-21.
The Indiana Pacers haven’t won an NBA Championship, even though they have three ABA titles. Their success in the NBA has been pretty impressive, but they’ve lost in the conference finals seven times while only making the championship series once!
The Charlotte Hornets haven’t ever caught lightning in a bottle either. This team has made the conference semifinals four times but has never gotten any further.
The Brooklyn Nets are another team that won a couple of ABA Championships but that success hasn’t translated to the NBA. This team went to back-to-back Finals in 01-02 and 02-03 but were swept by the Lakers before going down 2-4 to the San Antonio Spurs.
Teams with the Most NBA Titles in History
| Team | Titles | Last Win |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 17 | 2020 |
| Boston Celtics | 17 | 2008 |
| Golden State Warriors | 7 | 2022 |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 | 1998 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 5 | 2014 |
| Miami Heat | 3 | 2013 |
| Detroit Pistons | 3 | 2004 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 3 | 1983 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 2 | 2021 |
| Houston Rockets | 2 | 1995 |
| New York Knicks | 2 | 1973 |
It’s really a two man race for best NBA franchise of all-time, but I’d probably give the edge to the Lakers since they not only have won the most titles in history, they have the most appearances with 32. The Celtics have only made 22 Finals.
The Warriors run of winning four titles in a seven year stretch vaulted them up to the three spot, just past the six titles that the Bulls won in the 1990’s when they had Michael Jordan.
The Spurs had a nice run in the early 2000s when they won all five of their championships, but there really has been only a few dynasties in the league.
Other Futures Odds:
- NFL Super Bowl Futures
- College Football Playoff Odds
- Current NCAA Tournament Favorites
- Who is Favored to Win the MLB World Series
- Las Vegas NHL Stanley Cup