2024 NBA Finals Odds, Betting Trends: Everything You Need To Know

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

NBA Finals odds are coming more into focus, with the playoffs well into Round 2. The looming question: Will anyone stand in the way of the clear-cut best team?

The Boston Celtics remain atop odds to win the NBA Finals. But there's plenty of shuffling going on below the Celtics.

Here's everything you need to know about 2023-24 NBA Finals odds: action, movement and betting trends. Check back regularly for updates, and use our BetMGM bonus code to get more when you wager.

NBA Finals Odds

Hungry Like The Wolves

Minnesota's regular-season success continued through the first round and into the second round. The Timberwolves had a shot at the West's No. 1 seed entering the last game of the regular season. But they had to settle for the No. 3 seed, behind Oklahoma City and Denver.

However, Minnesota was the first team through to the second round, sweeping Phoenix 4-0. Then Anthony Edwards & Co. went on the road and beat Denver in Games 1 and 2. In fact, Game 2 was a wipeout, with the Timberwolves winning 106-80.

BetMGM accordingly moved Minnesota into the +500 second choice in NBA Finals odds. And the T-Wolves kept going, getting as short as +300. However, Denver paid Minnesota back with a 117-90 Game 3 rout and won Game 4, as well.

So the T-Wolves fell back to the +800 third choice. Still, a continued Minnesota run is a growing concern behind the counter.

"There was a lot of T-wolves money early in the year, for both the Western Conference and the NBA Finals. They’re one of our worst results. So we’ll be pulling for the Nuggets," Egeland said. "We’d really like to avoid a T-Wolves vs. Thunder Western Conference finals. We’d just about guarantee ourselves a losing book on the Western Conference should they match up."

Last June, Minnesota opened +6600 to win the championship. Entering the first round, the Timberwolves were +2000, and they halved those odds after beating Phoenix.

Celtics Up, Nuggets Rebounding

With the Milwaukee Bucks injury-riddled – and now eliminated – the Boston Celtics' path to a championship perhaps got a little easier. The Celtics are now -130 favorites in BetMGM's odds to win the NBA Finals.

The Denver Nuggets, aiming for a second straight title, have a tougher road to travel through the West. And as noted above, they're in a good second-round duel with the Timberwolves.

Prior to Round 2 of the playoffs, Denver was the +260 second choice to win the championship. But the Nuggets lost Games 1 and 2 at home to the Timberwolves. After Game 1, Denver was still the No. 2 choice at +450. After Game 2, the Nuggets drifted out to the +1600 co-fifth choice among the eight remaining teams.

Now, tied with Minnesota 2-2, Denver has rebounded to second once again at +350.

Boston has been plenty popular with bettors, but BetMGM would be fine with a Celtics crown.

"The Celtics would be a pretty decent result for us, should they win the championship," BetMGM trader Hal Egeland said. "The Nuggets would be a relatively small loser for now. I anticipate that to grow a bit should they keep advancing, but they won’t be a terrible result for us either way.

"Each team has had a decent amount of action. But liability isn’t piling up on either team."

Boston leads No. 4 seed Cleveland 3-1 in Round 2.

Knicks of Time

Like Minnesota, New York is a notable mover in BetMGM's NBA championship odds market. Last summer, the Knicks opened +4000. Coincidentally, the Knicks were +4000 at the beginning of the postseason.

Jalen Brunson and Co. took out Philadelphia 4-2 in Round 1, then took a 2-0 lead against Indiana in Round 2. That led BetMGM to move New York to +900, its shortest price of the season.

But the Knicks are banged up at the moment, too. After losing Games 3 and 4 at Indiana, New York slid to the +3000 sixth choice among the eight remaining teams.

"There’s certainly been a big increase in interest, particularly on our digital platform," Egeland said of betting via mobile/online. "In New York, we're live on digital only, so that makes sense."

BetMGM actually wants a prolonged Knicks playoff run.

"A Celtics-Knicks Eastern Conference finals would do wonders in terms of handle," Egeland said. "I think it would probably walk us into a spot where we lose on the Eastern Conference, regardless of outcome. But the handle on the individual games would far outweigh the potential liabilities in our futures book."

Ticket Takers and Money Makers

When factoring in both retail and digital betting, Egeland said BetMGM has a couple of preferences in the NBA Finals odds market.

"Of the teams who I consider legitimate contenders, the Mavericks will likely be our key rooting interest in the West," Egeland said. "We’d love a team like the Cavaliers or the Pacers to make it to the Finals. But being realistic, the Mavericks and Celtics are the two teams we’ll be cheering for."

Dallas beat the Los Angeles Clippers 4-2 in a first-round series and are tied 2-2 vs. the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round. BetMGM has the Mavs as the +1400 fifth choice in NBA Finals futures odds.

Indiana is tied with New York 2-2 in a second-round series and at +5000 is the second-longest shot to win the title. Cleveland trails Boston 3-1 in a second-round series, and the Cavs are a distant +75000 (750/1) in NBA championship odds.

Interestingly, the key championship liabilities for BetMGM all hail from the same division.

"We’ll be cheering against all of the remaining teams from the Northwest Division," Egeland said. "The Nuggets, Timberwolves and Thunder would all be losers for us. Unfortunately, I’d be somewhat surprised if one of them didn’t win the West."

The Thunder are the +850 fourth choice to win it all.

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Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson