Every Team's NBA Championship Odds Ahead of Play-In Tournament (Thunder, Celtics Favored)

Breaking down the odds for every team to win the NBA Finals in the 2024-25 season.

The Thunder are favored to win the title this season. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Are you ready for some playoffs?

The NBA regular season has come to an end, and the play-in tournament field is set for this week as the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in each conference are still up for grabs. 

Western Conference

• No. 7 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies
• No. 9 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 10 Dallas Mavericks

Eastern Conference

• No. 7 Orlando Magic vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks
• No. 9 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 10 Miami Heat

Even though Golden State is in the play-in tournament after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, oddsmakers still have Steph Curry and company as No. 5 in the odds to win the title this season.

There are two clear favorites in the odds – Oklahoma City and Boston – but there is also an interesting trend that I think is worth knowing for bettors who want to build a portfolio of Finals bets ahead of the playoffs kicking off next weekend.

First, let’s look at every team’s odds to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2025.   

NBA Championship Odds for 2024-25 Season

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Oklahoma City Thunder: +165
• Boston Celtics: +190
• Cleveland Cavaliers: +700
• Los Angeles Lakers: +1400
• Golden State Warriors: +1700
• Denver Nuggets: +2500
• New York Knicks: +2500
• Los Angeles Clippers: +4000
• Minnesota Timberwolves: +6500
• Indiana Pacers: +8000
• Houston Rockets: +8000
• Milwaukee Bucks: +11000
• Memphis Grizzlies: +30000
• Detroit Pistons: +50000
• Orlando Magic: +100000
• Sacramento Kings: +200000
• Atlanta Hawks: +200000
• Miami Heat: +200000
• Chicago Bulls: +200000
• Dallas Mavericks +200000

Based on these odds, it’s pretty clear that oddsmakers are expecting the Thunder and Celtics to represent their respective conferences in the NBA Finals.

However, there are still five Western Conference teams with +4000 odds or shorter, and it’s possible that four of them could all advance to the second round based on how the series are set up in each conference. 

Western Conference 

• No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Play-In Winner
• No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Play-In Winner
• No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
• No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers

In the East, it seems like Boston and Cleveland are on a collision course for the Eastern Conference Finals, as both teams dominated the No. 3-seeded New York Knicks in the regular season. On top of that, both squads were in the top three in the NBA in net rating during the regular season. 

NBA Finals Trend to Know Ahead of 2025 Playoffs

Since the 1996-97 season, one NBA trend has held up for every single champion.

Over this nearly three-decade period, every squad that has gone on to win the NBA Finals has finished in the top eight in the NBA in net rating during the regular season. So, who made the cut this season? 

Since the 1996-97 season, every team that won the NBA Finals finished top 8 in net rating in the regular season.

This season's top 8 in net rating:

1. Thunder
2. Celtics
3. Cavs
4. Timberwolves
5. Clippers
6. Grizzlies
7. Rockets
8. Knicks

— Peter Dewey (@peterdewey2) April 14, 2025

• 1. Thunder 
• 2. Celtics 
• 3. Cavs 
• 4. Timberwolves 
• 5. Clippers 
• 6. Grizzlies 
• 7. Rockets 
• 8. Knicks

The most interesting team on this list may be the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they turned things on in the second half of the season and made the Western Conference Finals in the 2023-24 campaign. At +6500, Minnesota could be worth a small bet to win the title since its odds are so far out from some of the other top contenders.

Ultimately, this net rating trend seems to signal to me that OKC and Boston truly are the class of the league this season. Both squads should be favored in every series they appear in during the playoffs, so there’s a chance that bettors won’t be able to get them at a better price than the one they are at now in the futures market.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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