The NBA Finals are finally here. Naturally, there’s a whole host of odds to examine before Thursday’s Game 1.
As you’re probably aware, the Boston Celtics have slogged through 14 consecutive games against Milwaukee and Miami. They enter the Finals with a full 96 hours of rest, which is the most that they’ve gotten since their sweep of the Brooklyn Nets.
Out west, you may need to be reminded that it’s Golden State who is headed to the Finals, as it’s been a little while since the Warriors actually played a game. They wrapped up a 5-game WCF series against Dallas last week; they’re currently 3.5-point favorites in Game 1 at BetMGM online sportsbook.
Prior to Game 1, the Warriors own -160 NBA Championship odds. That’s all the way down from +280 in late April and +1200 (!!) at the beginning of the season.
Perhaps the most interesting dataset this year is the market for NBA Finals MVP odds. The conversation starts with the best player on the favorite, which is Steph Curry. Understandably, he’s the favorite to win at +110.
If you think the Celtics stand a chance to pull the upset, you can opt to roll with Jayson Tatum at +175.
And if you think someone else is likely to win… well, that’s when things get interesting. Every other player offers +1000 odds or better.
But is it really wise to get away from the superstars here? That’s what Chelsa Messinger and Michael Jenkins debated recently on an episode of The Daily Tip. Listen in on their conversation before deciding where to put your money.
You can listen to The Daily Tip live on Audacy radio stations from 6-9 a.m. ET on weekdays, and check out the show as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and elsewhere.
NBA Finals Betting Odds
When the stakes are raised on the court, you can raise the stakes at with NBA Finals betting. Throughout the championship series, you can bet online with NBA Finals odds for spreads, player props, parlays, and more.