Updated 2019 NBA Championship Odds – November 30th Edition

With the 2018-19 NBA regular season off to an intriguing start as we move just past the official quarter mark of the current campaign, it’s time to take a look at the latest NBA Futures Odds to win the 2019 NBA Finals and offer up some expert insight into three teams that could potentially win this season’s NBA championship.

Will the prohibitive favorite and two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors complete the three-peat this season or will the Dubs get knocked off their throne as reigning league champs? Let’s find out who’s looking good as we head toward the midway mark of the 2018-19 NBA regular season.

Updated 2019 NBA Championship Odds – November 30th

The Favorite

• Golden State Warriors

The Dubs (15-8) are off to a slow, drama-filled start that has clearly hurt the defending champs so far this season. The Warriors are just 4-6 in their last 10 games following Thursday night’s overtime loss to Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors. Golden State is currently behind both, the L.A. Clippers (15-6) and Denver Nuggets (14-7) in the Western Conference standings, but there is still some good news on the horizon.

First, Golden State has been without the services of team leader and floor general Steph Curry for several weeks now, so they’re definitely going to be better once he returns. Golden State also still has one of the most explosive offenses in the league as they average an encouraging 116.5 points per game to rank fifth in scoring. The Dubs also rank second in field goal shooting percentage (49.4%), first in three-point shooting (38.5%) and second in free throw shooting (82.1%).

Once Curry returns and the Dubs get the services of gifted center DeMarcus Cousins, who knows how far this could soar. If the Dubs can get past the unity-shifting drama between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, I suspect they’re going to be super difficult to beat once again come playoff time. If they can’t get past their hurt feelings, the Dubs will beat themselves. Right now, the former looks a whole lot more likely than the latter.

The Smart Pick

• Toronto Raptors

The Raptors (19-6), not the Boston Celtics, look like the biggest challenger to Golden State’s league supremacy and that was before their 131-128 overtime win over the Dubs on Thursday night. Toronto ranks third in scoring (117.6 ppg) in first-year head coach Nick Nurse’s free-flowing offense. The Raptors are also ranked first in field goal shooting percentage (49.4%) and a modest 16th in three-point shooting (35.3%).

Defensively, Toronto has also been fantastic in ranking eighth in points allowed (109.0 ppg), fifth in field goal percentage (44.5%) and seventh in defending the three-point shot (33.5%). Toronto has more than exceeded expectations after basically shipping out DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard.

The former San Antonio Spurs star has fit in seamlessly with the Raptors and is averaging a team-high 25.0 points per game while four other players also average double figures in scoring.

Toronto has competent big men in Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas, a heady floor leader in Kyle Lowry, a deep bench a player-friendly head coach and a new resident superstar. I don’t see this team fading at all, making them my ‘smart’ pick to win it all this season.

The Long Shot

• Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks (15-6) are off to a great start this season and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. You see, I predicted Milwaukee to be one of the most pleasantly surprising teams in the league this season after nearly beating Boston in the first round of last season’s playoffs. The Bucks lead the NBA in scoring (120.8 ppg) while ranking third in field goal shooting (48.8%), 13th in three-point shooting (35.8%) and 16th in free throw shooting (76.3%).

Defensively, Milwaukee has been solid as well in ranking 11th in points allowed (110.1 ppg), a stellar second in field goal shooting defense (43.9%) and 13th in defending the three-point shot (34.8%).   More importantly, the Bucks are getting some great offensive balance with five players averaging double figures in scoring this season, starting with still-blossoming superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (27.3 ppg). While I could have gone with a number of other teams as my longshot pick, I like the way the Bucks are playing and I believe their upside is virtually unlimited, much like the Greek Freak.

Complete Odds to Win the 2018-19 NBA Championship

• Golden State Warriors 2/3
• Toronto Raptors 8/1
• Boston Celtics 10/1
• Houston Rockets 14/1
• Los Angeles Lakers 14/1
• Philadelphia 76ers 14/1
• Milwaukee Bucks 16/1
• Oklahoma City Thunder 25/1
• Denver Nuggets 40/1
• Indiana Pacers 50/1
• Los Angeles Clippers 50/1
• New Orleans Pelicans 50/1
• Detroit Pistons 66/1
• Utah Jazz 66/1
• Charlotte Hornets 80/1
• Portland Trail Blazers 80/1
• San Antonio Spurs 80/1
• Brooklyn Nets 100/1
• Dallas Mavericks 100/1
• Memphis Grizzlies 150/1
• Miami Heat 150/1
• Orlando Magic 150/1
• New York Knicks 150/1
• Sacramento Kings 150/1
• Washington Wizards 150/1
• Chicago Bulls 250/1
• Minnesota Timberwolves 250/1
• Atlanta Hawks 500/1
• Cleveland Cavaliers 500/1
• Phoenix Suns 500/1