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, Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to stay afloat with LeBron James out of the lineup due to a groin injury which has prompted a change to their NBA odds with the Denver Nuggets hopping in front of them. Let's take a look at where the rest of the league stands.
NBA Championship odds
Odds as of 3-20.
2025 NBA title odds favorites
Oklahoma City Thunder: A Storm is Brewing
The best record in the league is now 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 (especially after a career-high 54-point performance against the Utah Jazz in January) and emerging star Jalen Williams is his right-hand man to keep the Thunder at the top of the Western Conference.
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: Getting back on track
The Cavs have shown time and again that they're the real deal, but with the good comes the bad. After a lengthy win streak, the Cavaliers are hitting slight rough patch. But that just comes with late-season fatigue which Cleveland can manage to weather the storm.
Cleveland has been getting an All-NBA type performance from Donovan Mitchell, as expected, 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.
Denver Nuggets: Looking more like themselves
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 lately. Much of this is due to the power of Nikola Jokic, who is averaging a career-highs 31.5 points per game.
The three-time MVP has already posted 26 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.
Los Angeles Lakers: Hanging on without The King
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 just hit the 50,000-point mark, might we add. But it's up to Dončić to keep the Lakers afloat as James recovers from a groin injury.
After putting up his first 30-point game as a Laker (32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a crucial win over the Nuggets) since being traded, Luka owed it all to 'feeling like myself' again. If that's any indication for what's to come for the NBA sensation, then it could carry the Lakers deep into the playoffs.
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.
