NBA Championship Odds, Betting Favorites, Picks After into Week 20

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs start in about six weeks, and the standings are beginning to take shape, giving an idea about what playoff matches we could see in April. The trade deadline shook up the landscape of the league, the Western Conference in particular, and there’s plenty of good betting value on the board in terms of the NBA title.

Let’s take a look at the 10 teams with the shortest NBA championship odds to win this Larry O’Brien trophy in 2022-23.

Updated NBA Championship Odds after Week 20

NBA Championship Outright Odds

Boston Celtics +275
Phoenix Suns +410
Milwaukee Bucks +440
Denver Nuggets +700
Philadelphia 76ers +1125
Golden State Warriors +1125
Los Angeles Clippers +1150
Memphis Grizzlies +1650
Dallas Mavericks +1725
Cleveland Cavaliers +2600

The Favorite – Boston Celtics +275

Although they’ve finally been overtaken by the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics still have the shortest odds to win the title this season. The Celtics have arguably the deepest roster in the league with no real glaring weaknesses. They’re 45-20 this season, including 28-15 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston has lost two games in a row, including a 131-129 overtime loss to the surging New York Knicks on Sunday.

Before that, the Celtics blew a 22-point first-quarter lead before losing 115-105 to the Brooklyn Nets. Boston showed some cracks in the armor this past week, but there’s no real reason to panic yet. They’re a top-10 team in three-point shooting, blocks, turnovers, rebounds, and points per game.

The Celtics should have an easy first-round opponent and, even in second place, should be positioned well to win the East. They reached the NBA Finals last season and will be ready to play come playoff time.

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Smart Pick – Phoenix Suns +410

Phoenix now has the second-shortest odds to win the Larry O’Brien, and they get shorter seemingly with every game that passes. Kevin Durant has gotten better with each game since debuting with the Suns last week, and Phoenix’s Big 3 of Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul are already showing great chemistry on the court.

Durant had a game-high 37 points, including several important late-game buckets, in Phoenix’s 130-126 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. If he can stay healthy, it’s hard to imagine anyone beating Phoenix in the West. Phoenix won’t catch up to the Denver Nuggets, but they could climb to second in the West before the end of the year.

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Longshot – New York Knicks +8500

Are the New York Knicks going to win the NBA title this season? Probably not. But +850 is incredible value for a team that just might be the hottest in the league right now. The Knicks have won eight in a row, climbing to fifth in the East, and could overtake the Cavaliers for fourth and home-court advantage in the first round.

There’s a lot of momentum brewing in New York, and Madison Square Garden could be a tough place to play come playoff time.