Here comes the Thunder! The Boston Celtics are receiving a wake-up call as Oklahoma City takes over as the new favorite to win the 2024-25 NBA Championship. As the OKC Thunder roar across the league with taking over with the best record, the Cleveland Cavaliers keep themselves steady in the conversation to continue hang with the best of them.
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets delivered shockwaves after letting go their head coach and general manager which has prompted a change to their NBA odds with the Los Angeles Lakers taking full advantage by moving up the Western Conference standings.. Let's take a look at where the rest of the league stands.
NBA Championship odds
Odds as of 4-9.
2025 NBA title odds favorites
Oklahoma City Thunder: Locked Down the Wild, Wild West
The best record in the league is owned by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The rest of the league's worst fear is this team getting stronger, and that's exactly what they are doing with the long awaited return of center Chet Holmgren. Even in the absence of their versatile big man, OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been untouchable in solidifying his case for MVP and emerging star Jalen Williams is his right-hand man to get the Thunder to not only stay atop the Western Conference, but the league standings.
Granted, OKC has the youngest roster in the league, but Mark Daigneault's squad should not be slept on due to their lack of experience. With the landscape of the NBA changing, the Thunder are setting themselves up to have a prosperous postseason.
Boston Celtics: Time to reclaim what's theirs
After a few questionable games throughout the first half of the season, the C's remain in the No. 3 spot in the NBA league standings (and No. 2 in the Eastern Conference) and haven't lost any ground.
With their depth and their ability to have contributions to come from numerous players on any given night, the defending champions are showing that they aren't going anywhere.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Eastern Conference clinched
It's official. The Cleveland Cavaliers have clinched the Eastern Conference. The Cavs have shown time and again that they're the real deal.
Cleveland has been getting an All-NBA type performance from Donovan Mitchell, who is currently nursing an ankle sprain, but the big story this season has been the undeniable maturation of Evan Mobley. The USC product is averaging a career-high 18.8 points per game through increased usage and a nifty new arsenal of moves. Mobley is creating more offense off the dribble than at any other point in his career, and it's consistently leading to high percentage baskets for the Cavs early in the season.
The Cavaliers hope to have a somewhat healthy Mitchell as they gear up their loaded roster for further exclamation points to be made into the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets: Front office shakeup
The Nuggets shook up the league after firing head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with just less than a handful of games left in the regular season. A move that left many wondering why and especially right before the NBA playoffs.
The Nuggets spent most of the first half of the season outside the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but they've done a complete 180 in the second half. Much of this is due to the power of Nikola Jokic, who is averaging a career-highs 31.5 points per game. Now his future is in question with the shakeup in Denver's front office of whether he remains with the Nuggets or will his career take a turn with another team?
That question will answer itself with time but as of now, the three-time MVP has already posted 31 triple-doubles and has the Nuggets looking the like the contenders that we are used to seeing from prior season despite offseason defections and nagging injuries to Aaron Gordon that have cost him significant time.
With injuries and rest coming into play for the end of the regular season, the Nuggets have found themselves falling to No. 5 in the Western Conference and now they have to compartmentalize the coaching change that has transpired to focus on the bigger picture at hand with the playoffs right around the corner.
Los Angeles Lakers: Moving on up
The Lakers have undoubtedly been better with Luka in the lineup, as the All-NBA guard has been the perfect compliment to 40-year LeBron James, who hit the 50,000-point mark earlier this season. The Lakers have finally gotten James back after returning from a groin injury, but the road has been rocky with a uncharacteristic losses handed to them by the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic. It could be late-season fatigue hitting the Lakers, but the energy has to be shifted if they want to head into the playoffs on high, energetic note.
With that said, the middle of the Western Conference standings is quite a sight that remains tight between the Clippers, Nuggets, Lakers, and Warriors. L.A. has made their way up to the No. 3 spot and they'll look to maintain that as they close out the regular season.
Popular NBA futures odds
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2024 NBA Finals odds over time
Here's a visual representation of how the NBA championship odds have evolved over the course of this season. Stay tuned — we'll be updating this graphic regularly as the chase for the Larry O continues to develop!
Sportsbook betting splits and insights
- The Lakers (16.2%), Celtics (13.6%), and Cavaliers (12.0%) have the highest NBA Championship ticket percentage.
- The Cavaliers (17.3%), Lakers (14.8%), and Celtics (14.7%) have the highest NBA Championship ticket handle percentage.
- The sportsbook considers the Warriors, Lakers, and Pistons its biggest liabilities.
All data courtesy of BetMGM.
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NBA Championship Odds FAQs
The Boston Celtics are the favorites for the 2025 NBA title.
The Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA title, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the NBA Finals.
NBA Championship odds above are in American format, meaning a $100 bet at odds of +250 would profit $250 if it wins.
Oddsmakers at sportsbooks create odds to win the NBA Championship based on the team's implied probability to win the title. The team with the lowest odds has the best chance to win the NBA Championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers are available at around +1400 to win the 2025 NBA title.
