2025 NBA Finals Odds, Betting Trends: Everything You Need To Know

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

6 minute read

NBA Finals odds for 2025 couldn't hit the board fast enough. In fact, they were up even before the Boston Celtics finished off the Dallas Mavericks to claim the 2024 championship.

No surprise, the Celtics are atop odds to win the NBA Finals again. But with big trades and free agency, there's been a lot of early movement in the heat of summer. Turning up the temperature the most: the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.

Here's everything you need to know about 2024-25 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

Movers and Shakers

On June 25, eight days after Boston put an exclamation point on the 2023-24 season, the Eastern Conference rival New York Knicks made a big statement for next season. New York acquired forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.

In return, the Knicks gave up a host of draft choices, included four unprotected first-round picks over the next few years. But it showed New York means business in going for a championship in 2024-24. And the NBA Finals odds market responded in kind.

"We opened the Knicks at +1600, with a lot of uncertainty about OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein. Then the Bridges trade happened and changed everything," BetMGM trader Hal Egeland said. "You’re not going to find many people higher on Mikal Bridges than the NBA traders at BetMGM. Once that happened, we immediately dropped the Knicks down to +900.

"After things settled a bit and still with uncertainty around OG and Hartenstein, we pushed them back out a bit to +1000."

Then came news that Anunoby would sign a five-year, $212.5 million deal.

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"When OG signed and with rumors of Hartenstein potentially staying as well, we dropped the Knicks even more aggressively to +725," Egeland said. "Since Hartenstein moved to Oklahoma City, we’ve moved New York around a bit, but have settled in at +950."

New York was the co-sixth choice with the Philadelphia 76ers in BetMGM's opening odds. When the Knicks were at +725, they trailed only the Celtics. At +950, the Knicks are the fifth choice.

"They’re a winner for us currently, since we moved pretty aggressively when Bridges was traded. But if they start off hot, I expect them to turn into a decent liability pretty quickly," Egeland said.

And circling back to the 76ers, they made a big move, as well. Philadelphia landed free agent Paul George. And in the wake of that deal, the Sixers signed Tyrese Maxey to a five-year extension. So George will team with Maxey and Joel Embiid.

BetMGM's traders were impressed by those moves, shifting Philly from +1400 to the +800 third choice in NBA championship odds.

Thunder Rumbling

As Egeland mentioned above, Hartenstein is now with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who reached the Western Conference semifinals last season. Before that deal was made, OKC acquired guard Alex Caruso – one of the NBA's best defenders – from the Chicago Bulls, in exchange for Josh Giddey.

Those additions bolster an already solid Thunder roster, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

"I actually just moved the Thunder ahead of the Nuggets. I think they’re the best team in the West," Egeland said. "They were already one of the most talented teams, but they needed a big man. They got the best one on the market and also got one of the best, if not the best, on-ball defenders in the league."

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The Thunder opened as the +950 co-third choice with Dallas in odds to win the 2025 NBA Finals. By July 1, OKC was into +800, though still the co-third choice, this time joined by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Now, the Thunder are +750, behind only +310 chalk Boston.

"Lugentz Dort and Caruso together are going to be a menace. Not to mention, if the Thunder feel like they need to add another piece, they’re loaded with picks to get it done," Egeland said. "As high as I am on the Thunder, it pains me to say they’re our biggest liability. It’s a long way away, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we shorten them up even more before the season starts."

Reigning Champs

The Boston Celtics dispatched the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the best-of-7 NBA Finals, claiming their record 18th championship. Even before that, though, BetMGM opened the Celtics +310 to win the 2024-25 crown. Boston then nudged into +300 in late June.

The Celtics are now back at +310. As noted above, Oklahoma City is No. 2 in NBA Finals odds at +700, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers (+800), Denver Nuggets (+850) and the aforementioned Knicks (+950).

Even at that short offseason price, the Celtics are a popular early play.

"The Celtics are the most-bet team to win the title and are second in money," Egeland said. "They’re still a favorable result for us, but bettors are definitely still believers. I think it’ll be a tougher path for them next season with an improved Eastern Conference, but they’re still positioned nicely to top the East."

Wolves on the Prowl

The Minnesota Timberwolves made a big playoff run to the Western Conference finals, knocking off defending champion Denver in the process. But Anthony Edwards & Co. couldn't get past Dallas, losing that series 4-1.

Still, a successful season made an impact on bookmakers. BetMGM opened Minnesota as the +1000 fifth choice in 2024-25 NBA championship odds. By July 1, the T-Wolves were into +900, and they're now back at +1000, which rates sixth, thanks to all the shuffling of the past couple weeks.

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"The T-Wolves are small losers for us currently, but a couple bets elsewhere could change that," Egeland said. "We shouldn’t rack up any sort of big liability this year with where we’ve priced them, but there’s definitely still interest in them.

"Edwards may come back this year even better and play himself into MVP consideration. They aren’t going away, but BetMGM traders will be able to enjoy their success much more this season, that’s for sure."

Indeed, last season, the Timberwolves were a huge liability to win the championship, with tickets out there at odds of +7000 or more.

Flying Under the Radar

Are you looking for a little better payout in the 2025 NBA Finals odds market? If so, then Egeland has a couple of suggestions.

"Although they already made a jump last year, the Orlando Magic are worth looking at," he said, while noting the recent addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who left the Nuggets. "KCP fits in very well with that team, and another jump for Paolo Banchero may be coming.

"If Banchero plays like a top 10-15 player in the league this year, with their defense, the Magic are a very good comp to last season's T-Wolves."

BetMGM opened the Magic at +5000, slid out to +8000 and is now at +6600. Orlando made the playoffs last season, losing a first-round series to Cleveland 4-3.

"The other team that I believe is flying under the radar is the Memphis Grizzlies," Egeland said. "They had about as bad a year as you could envision last season, for a multitude of reasons. But we can’t forget how good they were the previous year."

In 2022-23, Memphis went 51-31 in the regular season, but lost a first-round series to the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2. Last season, the Grizzlies went a dismal 27-55.

"Obviously, they’ll go as far as Ja Morant can take them. But they found a potential difference maker in GG Jackson," Egeland said. "And there is a lot of optimism out there that Zach Edey is going to be a great fit. I personally don’t see it, but the action on his Rookie of the Year odds has forced us to move him in quite a bit."

Memphis drafted Edey, college basketball's two-time Player of the Year, with the No. 9 pick in the NBA Draft.

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