Updated: April 14th, 2024
The Boston Celtics remain the odds-on favorite to win the 2024 NBA title. In some ways, they have been a little bit below the radar lately. So many other games, not involving Boston, have had major implications for seeding and/or avoiding the play-in tournament. But Boston's outlook has been steady for quite some time now and that made some of their games down the stretch of the regular season a little less meaningful.
Bet365 sportsbook recently updated their futures odds for the market. The Celtics, who were at +200 earlier this month, apparently keep taking in the bets. They are now at +160 with bet365 in the futures market ti win the 2024 NBA title. At a former look at this market almost a month ago, Boston was at +225. Here's a look at all of the odds for the top eight favorites in the NBA.
2024 NBA Title Betting Odds
If you are looking at the odds below, the numbers that are crossed out represent the odds from last week's article or even the weak prior. The number that is not crossed out is the current update. If no number is crossed out, then there has been no change with that particular team.
- Boston Celtics
+200+180+160 - Denver Nuggets +300
- LA Clippers
+550+700+1000 - Milwaukee Bucks
+700+1200 - OKC Thunder
+2000+1800+1200 - Dallas Mavericks
+2200+1400 - Phoenix Suns
+2200+1800 - Minnesota Timberwolves
+3000+1800
The LA Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers are the next favorites. They are at +3300 and +2000 respectively.
LA Clippers Drifting for 2024 NBA Title
The Clippers are a team that has lost some favor in recent weeks. They were +450 in the market on March 11th, 2024. The team has not kept pace with the top teams in the Western Conference recently. The Clippers finished in fourth spot in the Western Conference and they look overrated as the third favorite at this point, not just for their conference but for the NBA title. They could have a difficult first-round series against Dallas soon.
Another team that has lost some favor lately is Milwaukee. The Bucks went just 3-7 in their last ten games during the regular season. They dropped down to 6th place and don't feel like they have that much momentum. They did go 31-11 from home this season and they have a home series coming up in the first round against Indiana. But you have to think the odds on the Pacers might be pretty tight in the series outrights.
The Knicks have gone up and down over the last month. First, they drifted from +2500 to +3500 (bet365). However, the Knicks grabbed the No. 2 seed in the East Conference. They are now at +3300 to win the NBA title with a draw through a the play-in team that finishes seventh and then a second-round matchup against either Milwaukee or Indiana.
Boston Celtics: Status as Favorite Understandable
You can definitely see what bettors and oddsmakers like about Boston. They have been the favorite since the market opened and they went 64-18 over the regular season, the best record in the NBA this season.
Meanwhile, you can't really pick a clear favorite in the West. The betting odds point to Denver but the Nuggets would have taken a lot of bets in during the preseason or early season after winning the title last season. As the season has gone on, Denver's path to the NBA Finals has looked more and more complicated than Boston's. OKC, Minnesota, LAC, Dallas, and Phoenix all seem like dangerous teams. The bottom line they will start eliminating one another. Also, Golden State and the LA Lakers could be dangerous in the west if they survive the play-in tournament.
Betting Recommendation: Dallas at 14 to 1
Betting recommendations have to be mathematical. While it is understandable that Boston should be considered the favorite, I don't see how +160 is a good bet (bet365) on them. This is a team that went out to an eighth seed last season, the Miami Heat. Also, Boston appeared poised to win the title two seasons ago but couldn't get it done. +160 on the C's to win four series, the last two of which should be very hard, is a tough bet to take. You might have somewhat comparable odds on Boston in a month, if they are still alive heading into the conference finals.
At this point, I think you could with the Dallas Mavericks at 14 to 1. They have two bonified stars in Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. They have won a ton of games lately and their starting lineup looks reasonable for injuries right now. I previously tipped them at 22 to 1 a short time ago. I think there is still some value with them.
