Updated 2024 NBA championship odds: With Nuggets fading, can anyone stop the Celtics?

09/05/2024

When the postseason began, the Celtics were a significant favorite to win the Eastern Conference, which combined with how competitive the West was expected to be, made it the most likely choice to win the NBA Finals.

Getting to the championship round would ensure the series opens in Boston since they owned the league’s best record, and even after briefly losing homecourt advantage following a Game 2 loss to Miami, the Celtics have remained in a position of power in the East.

Defending champion Denver was expected to get out of the West despite finishing as the No. 2 seed behind Oklahoma City, who is participating in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and hadn’t won a playoff series since 2016 before eliminating New Orleans.

Little changed after defeating the Lakers 4-1 in the first round, but since they’ve fallen behind the Timberwolves 2-0 following a pair of stunning home losses, the Nuggets have now dropped well behind the favorites in 2024 NBA championship odds. BetMGM lists them at to rally for another West title and to repeat as champions. Less than four weeks ago, betting on them to win a second consecutive championship would only net you three times your investment.

Denver Nuggets NBA title odds fading fast, but is it time to re-buy at ?

If you bet on the Nuggets when the playoffs began, it would make sense to double down at this point. Entering Game 3, there’s going to be no better time than the present to ride with Denver. Jamal Murray didn’t get suspended for throwing his heating pad at referees, which was pretty ridiculous but certainly aids his team’s chances of pulling an upset on Friday night and getting back in the series. If they lose, there’s no way they’re coming back from a 3-0 deficit, so this is essentially last call prior to a must-win.

Newly crowned MVP Nikola Jokic didn’t play well in either of the first two games against the Timberwolves, averaging 24 points, 12 rebounds and 8.5 assists, all below his season averages. While those numbers are obviously not terrible, Denver needs him to dominate in a manner he hasn’t been able to.

In fact, Jokic fared better in Game 1 against Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert than he did in Monday’s Game 2, which the French star missed due to being away from the team to witness the birth of his son. Jokic is shooting 16-for-38 in the series (42%), which for him, is unheard of. He’s made only two of 10 3-point attempts.

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Minnesota Timberwolves NBA championship odds

Anthony Edwards is playing as well as anyone in these playoffs. Karl-Anthony Towns has shown off a reaffirmed commitment to defense. Naz Reid is shooting 6-for-12 from 3-point range while also defiantly guarding Jokic and Denver’s other frontcourt standouts.

Key role players Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker have been exceptional on both ends of the floor. Mike Conley has ran the show, providing his trademark leadership while making timely shots. Despite playing two of the West’s title favorites in Phoenix and Denver, the Timberwolves are a perfect 6-0 straight up and against the spread. BetMGM now lists them as basically an even-money choice () to win their first Western Conference title ever.

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OKC Thunder title odds

While I wouldn’t talk you off riding the Timberwolves to win the championship now, better odds may surface down the road. The team to back at the moment for value’s sake is Oklahoma City ( to win West), which has also not lost this postseason entering Thursday’s Game 2 against the Mavericks, holding their opposition under 100 points each time out while averaging 107.6 points for a margin of victory of 17 points per game.

Despite their youth and collective playoff inexperience, the Thunder are checking all boxes in looking formidable at both ends of the floor, locking up opponents while sharing and shooting the ball well. As long as they get past Dallas, which looks probable since Luka Doncic is playing through knee issues, the Western Conference finals would start at OKC’s Paycom Center.

Pacers title odds () represent best value in Eastern Conference

The Celtics, despite playing without an injured Kristaps Porzingis (soleus), who is likely to return before a potential NBA Finals appearance, are to win the championship and to represent the East.

New York is to win their first conference title since 1999 after going up 2-0 on Indiana and to win the championship, but the loss of backup center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) the rest of the way and OG Anunoby nursing a hamstring injury that kept him from finishing Game 2 tempers enthusiasm over betting Knicks futures.

For that reason, if you’re looking for a value spot in the East, the best one resides in Indiana. The Pacers were in both games at Madison Square Garden, were victims of multiple controversial calls that might have changed the outcome of both losses. Indiana sent what it feels were 78 missed calls to the league office in the wee hours of Thursday morning in an effort to protest what’s gone down in the conference semifinals to date.

The Pacers have been excellent at home, taking an eight-game win streak at Gainbridge Fieldhouse into Game 3 after a perfect 3-0 run in the first round against the Bucks. Indiana is healthier than New York and went 2-3 (3-2 ATS) against Boston this season, eliminating it from the in-season tournament.

With their odds currently to win the East at BetMGM and to earn what would be their first NBA title, this would be a prime spot to hop in on the most likely longshot to emerge as league champion.

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