NBA Futures: Championship Odds
The NBA season is less than one week away! Get yourself prepared with a deeper look into which teams you’ll want to place your futures bets on to win the NBA Finals.
Here’s a look at the top five teams built to make a run at winning it all in the upcoming season:
Los Angeles Clippers
_Odds to Conference: +325Record and Result last season: (48-34, #8 seed in the Wes_t)
The Clippers turned heads last season sneaking into the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference, and took the Golden State Warriors six games before finally being eliminated.
Los Angeles made the biggest splash of all teams this offseason by not only signing one All-NBA player, but two. The Clippers signed two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawahi Leonard in free agency and partnered him up with Paul George.
Along with those two superstars, George and Leonard join a team with Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, a young talent in Montrezl Harrell, and one of the best defensive point guards in the game Patrick Beverly.
Although unproven, the Clippers are deservingly the front runners to win it all with this roster and will be a safe bet to win the Western Conference at (+220).
Los Angeles Lakers
Odds to Conference: +420Record and Result last season: (37-45, Missed Playoffs)
The Lakers had a lackluster 2018 season as the franchise missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
Lebron James fell below his usual expectation in his first season with Los Angeles, failing to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in the last six seasons.
James struggled with injuries and played in a career-low 55 games last season. He averaged (27.4 ppg), (8.5 rpg), and (8.3 apg).
Desperate for an improvement, Los Angeles shipped away a majority of their roster, including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks all to New Orleans and returned superstar stretch forward Anthony Davis to pair up with James.
With Davis and James paired up, the Lakers sit behind the Clippers with the second best odds to win at (+420).
Milwaukee Bucks
Odds to Conference: +650Record and Result last season: (60-22 OVR, #1 seed in the East)
The Milwaukee Bucks fell just short of a season long wire-to-wire of dominance. Milwaukee watched a 2-0 lead slip away in the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the eventual NBA Champion Toronto Raptors in six games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed the NBA MVP after posting unbelievable numbers on both ends of the court totaling (27.7 ppg), (12.5 rpg), (5.0 apg), (1.3 stlpg) and (1.5 blkpg).
The Bucks also return three other starters including All-Star Khris Middleton, guard Eric Bledsoe and center Brook Lopez.
Milwaukee has the best player in the NBA with the Greek Freak, and are locks to be the number one seed in the East and win the conference.
Houston Rockets
Odds to Conference: +800Record last season: (53-29, #4 seed in the West)
As if the Western Conference wasn’t tough enough, the Houston Rockets head into this season stronger than ever.
Houston formed a super team of their own by rejoining MVP teammates James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
Last season, Harden led the NBA in scoring averaging (36.1 ppg). Meanwhile, Westbrook led the NBA in assists (10.7 apg), and averaged a triple-double for the third consecutive season with (22.9 ppg) and (11.1 rpg).
Sharing the ball should be no issue for the former MVP teammates, and my expectation is the Rockets finish within the top four seeds of the West and make a serious run at reaching the finals for the first time since 1995.
Brooklyn Nets
Odds to Conference: +2500Record last season: (42-40, #6 seed in the East)
The Brooklyn Nets have the third best odds amongst Eastern Conference teams to win the NBA Championship and are a strong long shot play at (+2500).
Brooklyn turned the corner as a franchise last season, reaching the playoffs for the first time in three years, and the team only got better in the offseason. The Nets formed a Big 3 in free agency with the additions of MVP Kevin Durant, and All-Stars Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. However, Durant is expected to miss the season as he recovers from an Achilles injury.
Joining those superstars is a deep Nets roster that has serious depth. Forward Caris LaVert is a rising star, guard Spencer Dinwiddie is one of the best sixth men and two-way guards in the league, and Joe Harris has one of the best three-point shots in the game.
The Eastern Conference is weak with competition, and the Nets should have no issue finishing within the top four seeds. Brooklyn is worth the gamble at these odds even if Durant misses this season.