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The 2020-21 NBA season is well underway after tipping off the campaign on Dec. 22. There are a little over two months remaining in the regular season, with the playoffs starting in May and the Finals wrapping up in July. Here we look at live NBA Finals odds with the Lakers the favorites to win it all again.

The Brooklyn Nets were neck-and-neck with the Milwaukee Bucks to win the East at most books early in the season and were around +600 to win the title. Immediately following the trade for James Harden, however, the Nets championship odds improved to +270 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Brooklyn is now +300 to win it all, with the second lowest odds – behind the favorite LA Lakers at +280.

2021 NBA title odds

2021 NBA Futures Report (March 9)

NBA 2021 Championship Favorites

Los Angeles Lakers: The defending champs have looked vulnerable throughout the regular season and have struggled lately with Anthony Davis (Achilles) on the shelf. Still, the LeBron James-led Lakers are 13-5 on the road and 17-8 against WCF teams with the potential to hit another gear once Davis is healthy.

Brooklyn Nets: James Harden was the MVP of the league over the last three weeks before the All-Star Break. With Harden playing the best ball of his career, the Nets were able to win 10 of their last 11 while Kevin Durant (hamstring) watched in street clothes. This team will be tough to beat if they can continue to improve defensively.

Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers are 14-3 against losing teams, but 10-11 against winning teams and 7-11 with a league-worst -26.4 net rating in the final five minutes of games within 5 points. They’re completely dependent on Kawhi Leonard to create crunch-time offense.

Milwaukee Bucks: After posting the best regular season numbers in history prior to the shutdown last March, the Bucks have struggled to regain momentum. They’re 8-9 on the road and 7-9 against teams with winning records this year, but could find some cohesion on the other side of the break now that Jrue Holiday is back with the team.

Utah Jazz: With a league-best +8.8 point differential, along with the best 3-point percentage, and best rebounding rate in the NBA, the Jazz are similar to the 2019-2020 Bucks in terms of their regular season dominance. Will that carry over into the playoffs?

Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid is the primary challenger to Harden in our latest MVP rankings and the Sixers are the biggest threat to the Nets in the East. Brooklyn will have no answers for Embiid now that Jarrett Allen has been shipped out of town, but Ben Simmons (+225) – a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year – should be able to slow down Harden or Durant.

The Contenders

Boston Celtics: The Celtics got hot before the break with Kemba Walker (knee) showing signs of life and they should get Marcus Smart (calf) back in the lineup soon. It may take some time for those guards to gel with young superstars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, but this team is just a savvy trade away from becoming a legit title contender.

Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets also caught fire before the break with the top offensive rating in the NBA during a four-game win streak. Nikola Jokic leads the league in PER and is the favorite to win MVP according to stats and projections compiled by Basketball-Reference.com.

Phoenix Suns: There is no reason not to back this Suns team now that Chris Paul has taken over and exerted his competitive control over a talented young roster. They won 11 of 13 with a league-best 14.2 net rating before the break and posted a 25.9 net rating in clutch time with wins over the Bucks, 76ers, and Lakers in that span.

Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler is back and so is Miami’s more subtle leader, Goran Dragic (foot). Bam Adebayo continues to showcase his exponential growth on both ends of the floor, but the real star of the Heat might be head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks came out of a 10-day layoff due to a climate disaster with renewed focus on the defensive end and won five of their last six games heading into the break, including the only victory over Brooklyn since Feb. 9.

Toronto Raptors: Before a COVID outbreak cost them a few games by forcing three starters and four coaches to quarantine, the Raptors were heating up with an elite defensive rating and convincing wins over the Bucks and Sixers.

Portland Trail Blazers: Even without Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins, and C.J. McCollum, the Blazers are 5-2 with an absurd 138.7 offensive rating over their last seven close games. Damian Lillard leads the NBA in fourth quarter scoring and can carry his team until those other key players return.

How the 2021 NBA Playoffs will work

The 2020-21 NBA regular season will last 72 games with the top six teams in each conference earning an automatic playoff berth. Teams that finish in the 7-10 spots in each conference will be eligible for a play-in tournament (May 18-21) as long as they’re within four games in the final standings.

The 9th seed in each conference will have a chance to play their way into the playoffs by beating the 8th seed twice in a row. The 8th seed would have to win one of those games to advance. The scenario is the same for the 10th seed and 7th seed in each conference if the 10th seed qualifies.

The NBA still plans to run best-of-seven series formats for the quarterfinal, semifinal and finals in both the Eastern and Western Conference. Those rounds will take place from May 22 to July 6, with the NBA Finals scheduled from July 8 to 22, just one day before the 2021 Summer Olympics are scheduled to open in Japan.

NBA Finals odds: Futures betting 101

NBA futures bets function like futures bets in other sports. They’re typically based on an end-of-season outcome. Futures bets are usually made available on both the team and player level.

Prior to the start of a season, team-level futures could include a wager on the minimum number of wins a team will capture in that season or whether a team will win its division or conference.

Player-level futures include whether a player will win the MVP, Rookie of the Year or Sixth Man of the Year awards, for example. Other player-level futures are based on whether a player will reach certain benchmarks in common statistical categories such as points, 3-point shots, rebounds or assists for the season.

Where do I find futures bets in an online sportsbook?

In an online sportsbook, available futures wagers are typically found under their own tab as a subcategory of wagers available for a particular sport. Like the odds for other bet types, futures bets are typically labeled with a number that has a “plus” or “minus” sign next to it.

In the case of futures bets, a “minus” sign would be placed next to a team or player that has a higher probability of reaching the statistical goal. Teams or players with a “plus” sign are considered by oddsmakers to have a lesser chance of reaching that goal. The higher the number next to the plus sign signifies the lower the probability the team or player achieves it.

For example, the LA Lakers enter the 2020-21 season as the favorites to win it all as they have +270 odds. That signifies that a bettor would have to wager $100 to win $270 if the Lakers do indeed take it again.

It’s also important to note that futures odds for both players and teams can certainly fluctuate throughout the course of a season.

Best NBA betting sites

Common questions regarding wagering on the NBA Finals

Where can I bet on the NBA Finals in the US?

Bettors can currently bet on the NBA Finals in the US at a regulated sportsbook in one of the following states:

Who is the favorite to win the NBA Championship in 2021?

The Lakers were initially installed as favorites to repeat, with odds of +360 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Those odds lowered to +270 just prior to the start of the season due to LA’s strong off-season. LA is now +280 to win it all at FD.

When does the 2021 NBA season start?

The 2020-21 NBA season started on Dec. 22, 2020.

When do the NBA Finals start?

The 2021 NBA playoffs will start on May 22, 2021 and the NBA Finals are expected to begin in mid-July. Prior to the pandemic, the NBA had traditionally held its championship round in early June.

Where can I get NBA betting tips?

Start with our own 6-part NBA betting series right here:

PlayPicks.com is also a valuable resource for bettors of all levels. Throughout the NBA season, PlayPicks.com will feature articles with a sports betting breakdown of select games, including a suggested lean or pick on the game’s point spread, moneyline and/or the projected total. Additionally, new bettors can find rewarding offers and bonuses exclusive to PlayPicks.com readers that are also first-time depositors.

Understanding NBA Championship odds is important for any basketball fan looking to bet on the NBA Finals.

Betting on the NBA Championship requires making a futures bet on a chosen team. An NBA Championship futures bet can be made at virtually any point during the regular season or playoffs. Wagering during the offseason is even possible, as sportsbooks set NBA odds for the following season’s champion soon after the current season ends.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented situation for the 2019-2020 NBA season. After a nearly five-month pause, 22 teams remain in the hunt to hoist the NBA Finals trophy.

Current NBA Finals Odds 2021

Odds To Win The NBA Finals – Whose Odds Are Increasing?

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers go into the NBA restart as one of three favorites topping the futures odds list. The legendary franchise added perennial all-star forward Anthony Davis before the 2019-2020 season. Davis joined a roster that already featured LeBron James, one of the NBA’s all-time greats.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Lakers have switched back and forth as the sportsbook favorite to win the NBA Finals Championship several times throughout the season. Anchored by all-star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks stand as virtually dead even with the Lakers as the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship.

Los Angeles Clippers

Sitting just behind the Lakers and Bucks, the Los Angeles Clippers stayed near the top of the list of NBA Championship favorites throughout the season. With a loaded lineup featuring all-NBA players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers should attract plenty of interest from futures bettors as the season resumes.

Odds To Win The NBA Finals – Who’s In Trouble?

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz battled the Denver Nuggets for first place in the NBA Northwest Division for much of the 2019-2020 season. Turmoil hit the Jazz just before the season paused, with Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell becoming the first NBA players to test positive for COVID-19.

Houston Rockets

Graphing the NBA Finals Championship odds on the Houston Rockets throughout the season reveals an up-and-down rollercoaster. Different sportsbooks hold various views on the chance of the Rockets winning the championship, with lines varying from +1200 to +1700 going into the season restart. With explosive players like James Harden and Russell Westbrook on the roster, however, don’t count out the Rockets.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers were just seconds away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018-2019. After entering the season among the top five contenders at many sportsbooks, Philadelphia now sits as a longshot to claim the NBA title, with odds hovering around +2300 according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

What’s Different In The 2020 NBA Season

The NBA shut down the 2019-2020 regular season on March 11, as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic began to take effect around the world. Weeks of uncertainty about the remainder of the season followed.

Most of the NBA’s 30 teams played about 65 of the 82 games on the regular-season schedule before the pause. After a nearly five-month hiatus, the season finally resumes July 30.

The remainder of the season commences from the NBA “bubble” in Orlando, Florida. All games will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.

Only 22 of the NBA’s 30 teams return for the remainder of the season. Each team will play a total of eight “seeding games” before the playoffs begin.

NBA Playoffs Format For 2019-2020

The regular NBA format sees the top 16 teams (eight from Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference) advance to the playoffs. The 2019-2020 postseason also uses that format, but with an extra addition.

The top seven teams from each conference automatically advance to the postseason. The eighth seed also automatically advances if it’s four games of more ahead of the ninth-place team after the seeding games are played.

If the eighth-place team is fewer than four games ahead of the No. 9 team at season’s end, the eighth and ninth seeds play each other for the final playoff spot.

The two teams play each other in a maximum of two games, and if the No. 8 seed wins either it advances to playoffs. If the No. 9 seed wins both games, it goes to the postseason.

When the eight playoff teams from each conference are set, the playoffs proceed in the traditional format. Teams play each other in best-of-seven series until the champion is determined.

The unprecedented setting and changes to the playoff format could mean that NBA Championship favorites face a tougher road to the NBA Finals trophy. While the Lakers, Bucks, and Clippers still stand as the favorites, bets on teams with longer odds could prove profitable.

Where Can I Bet On The NBA Finals Online?

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook stands as one of the top destinations for legal online sports betting in the US. New players can sign up for an account and enjoy a risk-free bet up to $500 on their first wager.

The FanDuel Sportsbook platform operates in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, and West Virginia.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook takes a spot as one of the most popular online sportsbooks in the US. Bettors in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia enjoy access to the platform.

Bonuses for new players at DraftKings Sportsbook include a risk-free bet up to $500, a 20% deposit match bonus up to $500, and a $25 no-deposit bonus.

BetRivers

BetRivers recently launched as the first online sportsbook to go live in Illinois. The platform also operates in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Indiana.

BetRivers offers one of the most generous deposit match bonuses in the sports betting industry. New players can get a $100% deposit match, up to $250, with just a 1x playthrough requirement.

FOX Bet

FOX Bet operates through a partnership of FOX Sports and The Stars Group. This online sportsbook brand is available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

New player bonuses include a 50% deposit match bonus up to $500 and a risk-free bet up to $500.

PointsBet

The PointsBet brand offers “PointsBetting”, a unique way of betting that awards bigger payouts based on a selected team’s margin of victory.

PointsBet operates in New Jersey, Indiana, and Iowa. Players in those states can take advantage of a risk-free bet bonus, up to $200.

Online Sportsbook Odds On The NBA Finals

Where Can I Bet On The NBA Finals In Vegas?

Taking a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, puts you right in the center of one of the best places to watch sports in the world. Finding a place to bet on the NBA Championship is as easy as venturing to one of the city’s legendary retail sportsbooks.

The Westgate SuperBook, Caesars Palace, Wynn, South Point, Venetian, and many other Las Vegas casinos host sportsbooks. All of these venues offer numerous ways to bet on the NBA.

Nevada hosts legal online sports betting as well. William Hill, Westgate SuperBook, Station Casinos, Golden Nugget, and Circa Sports represent just a few of the many options for mobile sports betting in Nevada.

How NBA Championship Odds Are Calculated

The following table shows the NBA Championship futures odds at FanDuel Sportsbook before the 2019-2020 season restart:

This table displays the lines on the NBA Champion as moneyline odds. All “+” moneyline odds display the amount of profit made off a $100 bet.

A $100 bet on the Milwaukee Bucks, for example, yields $240 profit if it wins. This means if you bet $100 and the Bucks win, the sportsbooks returns $340 to you ($240 profit plus the original $100 bet).

To calculate “+” odds for any moneyline bet, divide the odds by 100, and multiply that figure by the amount of the bet. So for instance, a +240 line means you must divide 240 by 100, which yields 2.4. You then multiply your bet amount by 2.4 to calculate the amount of profit.

A $50 bet results in $120 profit ($50 x 2.4), a $75 bet yields $180 in profit ($75 x 2.4), and so on.

If the Bucks were set at -240 odds, that number means you have to bet $240 to earn $100 in profit. You can calculate a -240 line by dividing 100 by 240, which yields 0.416.

Multiplying the amount of your bet by 0.416 gives you the amount of profit realized on a -240 moneyline bet. A $50 bet yields $20.80 in profit ($50 x 0.416), a $75 bet results in a $31.20 profit (75 x 0.416), etc.

What Might Affect The NBA Finals Odds?

As the NBA regular season plays on, the championship picture becomes clearer. A team that appeared as a strong championship contender in the preseason might be completely out of the running come playoff time.

Injuries, trades, coaching changes, and other factors can greatly affect futures odds. For example, the Golden State Warriors began the 2019-2020 season as one of the top five favorites to win the NBA Finals Championship.

All-star guard Stephen Curry broke his hand in the second game of the season, however, and the injury kept him out of the lineup virtually the entire season. As a result, the Warriors posted the NBA’s worst record, and aren’t among the 22 teams returning to Orlando for the season restart.

Betting Odds For The NBA Finals Breakdown

Milwaukee Bucks (+240)

Following up on a strong 2018-2019 campaign, the Bucks come into the season restart with the NBA’s best record. All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is second in the league in both points (29.6 PPG) and rebounds (13.7 RPG). Milwaukee goes to Orlando as the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship.

• 53-12 record (1^st in the Eastern Conference, best overall record in the NBA)
• +240 odds to win the NBA Championship (according to DraftKings Sportsbook)
• Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.6 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 54.7 FG%) and Khris Middleton (21.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG 41.8 3FG%)

Los Angeles Lakers (+260)

The Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks lead the pack among NBA Championship contenders as the season restarts. The addition of All-Star forward Anthony Davis to a lineup that already included LeBron James made the Lakers instant preseason favorites. That trend continued throughout the season.

• 49-14 record (1^st in the Western Conference)
• +260 NBA Finals odds
• Top players include LeBron James (25.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 10.6 APG); Anthony Davis (26.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.44 BPG).

Los Angeles Clippers (+320)

The addition of All-Star players Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the offseason placed the Clippers high on the list of preseason favorites. The new roster lived up to expectations before the regular season pause, and the Clippers remain a strong contender to the title.

• 44-20 record (2^nd in the Western Conference)
• +320 odds to win the NBA Finals Championship
• Key players include Kawhi Leonard (26.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.8 SPG), and Paul George (21.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.33 SPG).

Houston Rockets (+1700)

All-purpose threat Russell Westbrook reunited with former teammate James Harden in Houston before the season. With Westbrook and Harden on the same team, NBA oddsmakers set the Rockets as one of the top picks to win the NBA championship before the season. Those odds went up and down throughout the season, but Houston’s explosive offense makes the Rockets a factor in the Orlando bubble.

• 40-24 record (tied for 5^th in the Western Conference)
• +1700 odds to win the NBA Championship (according to DraftKings Sportsbook; odds on the Rockets vary significantly across different sportsbooks).
• Led by James Harden (34.4 PPG, 271 3FGM, 7.4 APG) and Russell Westbrook (27.5 PPG, 7.0 APG, 1.66 SPG).

Toronto Raptors (+2000)

The defending NBA champions saw star player Kawhi Leonard leave in the offseason to play on the Los Angeles Clippers. While Leonard’s departure stands as a significant loss, the Raptors still battled the Bucks for Eastern Conference supremacy throughout the season.

• 46-18 record (2^nd in the Eastern Conference)
• +2000 odds to win the NBA Finals
• Top players include Pascal Siakam (23.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.00 SPG), and Kyle Lowry (19.7 PPG, 7.7 APG, 1.35 SPG).

Learn more in our Guide To Placing A Sports Bet Online.

NBA Finals Odds And Betting

What Is An NBA Futures Bet?

A futures bet in any sport represents a wager on an event that spans longer than a single game or playoff series. Futures bets generally refer to season-long events.

NBA futures bets include opportunities to wager on what team will win the NBA Championship, what player will win the Eastern Conference, what team will lead the league in wins, and so on.

Other futures bets include totals (over/under) wagers on how many games a chosen team will win in the NBA regular season.

Futures bets can be made at any time up until the wagered-on event happens.

What Is An NBA Finals Prop Bet?

Wagering on an in-game or in-series event not related to what team wins or loses means making a prop bet.

Prop bets on the NBA Championship could include what player will win the NBA Finals MVP, or whether a certain player will average over 30 PPG. Exotic prop bets on the NBA Finals could include wagers on whether the combined point total in the final game of the series ends up as odd or even.

Nba Series Odds Vegas

The 2018-2019 NBA Finals (Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors) featured numerous prop bets. Some of these wagers included whether the series would end in a 4-0 sweep either way, what player would lead the series in scoring, and what player would win the NBA Finals MVP.

NBA Prop Bets

Most regular-season NBA prop bets function as futures bets on different statistics and player awards. These wagers can include betting on what player will lead the league in scoring, what player will win the NBA Rookie of the Year award, and so on.

Going into the 2019-2020 restart, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo stands as the overwhelming favorite to win the league MVP.

DraftKings Sportsbook sets the odds on Antetokounmpo winning the MVP at -5000. LeBron James comes in a +1000, with Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, and James Harden all set at +10000.

The NBA will award the MVP and other 2019-2020 accolades based on games played before the season paused on March 11.

See our full Guide To Sports Betting Odds.

Odds For The NBA Finals Championship FAQ

Yes, in states with legalized sports betting. Going into the NBA season restart, 19 US states allow legal sports betting, with 13 of those states offering legal online sports betting.

Some of the states that offer both land-based and online sportsbooks include Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana, and Illinois.

Office pools and other betting on the NBA Championship outside of legal sportsbooks are technically against the law.

21 in most US states. The minimum age for betting on the NBA Championship, and sports betting of any kind, is 21 in most states. Exceptions to this rule are Rhode Island and Montana, each of which offers legal online sports betting to players 18 and over.

Legal online sportsbooks offer the most convenient way to bet on the NBA Finals. Top choices for online sports betting include DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, FOX Bet, BetRivers, and PointsBet.

Many other legal online sportsbooks operate in the US, but this list represents some of the most popular and reliable platforms where you can find NBA Championship betting.

Vegas Nba Series Odds

These different platforms operate in different US states, so be sure to check out each brand’s website to find out where each is available.

Yes. As long as you’re betting at a state-regulated, legal online platform, placing a bet on the NBA Championship at an online sportsbook is perfectly safe.

Legal online sportsbooks function as extensions of land-based casinos in the states in which they operate. As such, placing a bet at a legal online sportsbook is just as safe as placing that same bet at a legal retail casino.

Yes. Like all other NBA regular season and playoff games, the NBA Finals presents numerous ways to bet in-game at legal online sportsbooks.

All of the different in-game and in-play bets that could be made in a regular-season game can also be made during any game of the NBA Finals.

The Milwaukee Bucks, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bucks sit at +240 odds to win the championship, with the Lakers (+260) and the Clippers (+320) also sit as strong contenders.

Nba Series Odds Playoffs

The Bucks and Lakers have traded places throughout the season as the favorite to win the title, and odds on these teams, as well as the Clippers, vary across different sportsbooks. The odds can also change based on what happens in the rest of the NBA regular season.

Nhl Series Odds

Yes. The NBA Finals will begin September 30 and play through October 13 at the latest. All games will be played from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.