Celtics enter offseason as clear-cut favorite to repeat
Celtics enter offseason as clear-cut favorite to repeat
ByDAVID PURDUM
June 17, 2024, 11:29 PM
The Boston Celtics, fresh off winning the franchise's 18th NBA championship, enter the offseason with some of the best sportsbook odds for a repeat title since the great Golden State teams of the late 2010s.
The Celtics are the clear-cut betting favorites to win the 2025 championship at sportsbooks around the nation. At ESPN BET, Boston is +280 for next year's title, which would be the shortest preseason title odds since the 2017-18 Warriors (-180).
The Celtics finished off the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the Finals on Monday, capping a dominating season in which they were the championship favorites from the first game of the season to the last. Boston was a betting underdog in just three games during the regular season and only twice in the playoffs.
The Celtics, Denver Nuggets (+650) and Minnesota Timberwolves (+850) are the only teams with 2025 championship odds shorter than 10-1 as of Monday at ESPN BET. Six of the last eight NBA champions had single-digit odds in the preseason, according to betting archive SportsOddsHistory.com.
The Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder are each 10-1, followed by the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, who are each 16-1.
The Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards have the longest title odds for next season at ESPN BET, each at 500-1.
Odds to win the 2025 NBA championship, as of Monday, via ESPN BET:
Celtics +280
Nuggets +650
Timberwolves +800
Mavericks +1000
Bucks +1000
Thunder +1000
Knicks +1600
76ers +1600
Clippers +2000
Warriors +2200
Cavaliers +2500
Heat +2500
Suns +2500
Pacers +3300
Lakers +3300
Grizzlies +4000
Kings +5000
Pelicans +6000
Rockets +8000
Magic +8000
Hawks +10000
Bulls +20000
Spurs +20000
Raptors +20000
Nets +50000
Hornets +50000
Pistons +50000
Trail Blazers +50000
Jazz +50000
Wizards +50000