Did we just watch a preview of the 2024 NBA Finals?
The Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics have been favored to win the NBA title ever since markets opened last summer. They’re popular picks with over 44% of the handle at BetMGM backing either team. The Nuggets have 15.1% of tickets and 22.4% of the handle while the Celtics have 14.1% and 22.1%.
Boston was +220 to win the title and Denver +425 prior to tipoff. Additionally, the two teams were +350 to face each other in the Finals with Denver +700 and Boston +800 to win.
Thursday night's showdown showed why the public believes we'll see these teams square off in June. The hard fought affair between two heavyweights came down to the wire, but the defending champion Nuggets were too much to overcome behind Nikola Jokic's 20th triple-double of the year. He dominated down the stretch, finishing with 32 points, 12 boards and 11 assists in a 115-109 win.
This was the second of two regular season games between the two frontrunners. Their first meeting was an instant classic back in January. Denver prevailed in a 102-100 victory behind a 34-point, 12-rebound and nine-assist effort by Jokic. The Celtics had a chance to tie it in the final seconds, but Jayson Tatum’s shot clanked off the rim as Denver handed Boston its first home loss of the season.
The loss didn't change odds at all. The Celtics still listed as favorites to win the NBA Finals.
The Nuggets and Celtics are a pair of veteran teams, which according to BetMGM makes a big difference to the public. Other veteran squads have been popular all year long for championship futures, including the Suns (11.4% of tickets, 7.8% handle), Warriors (6.0%, 5.1%), Clippers (5.9%, 8.6%), Lakers (5.9%, 5.7%) and Bucks (5.0%, 4.9%).
Meanwhile, younger teams such as the Timberwolves and Thunder who entered Thursday night tied for the best record in the West have far fewer believers. Minnesota has only 3% of the tickets and Oklahoma City 5% despite their success to date.
Overall, here’s a look at the complete NBA Championship odds with just over a month to go in the regular season.
NBA Finals Odds
Odds via BetMGM as off Thursday Mar. 7.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Celtics | +220 |
| Nuggets | +425 |
| Clippers | +475 |
| Bucks | +700 |
| Thunder | +1800 |
| Suns | +1800 |
| Mavericks | +3000 |
| Warriors | +3000 |
| Timberwolves | +3000 |
| Knicks | +3000 |
| 76ers | +3000 |
| Cavaliers | +3500 |
| Lakers | +3500 |
| Heat | +3500 |
| Kings | +6600 |
| Pelicans | +8000 |
| Pacers | +10000 |
| Magic | +25000 |
| Hawks | +50000 |
| Bulls | +50000 |
| Nets | +100000 |
| Rockets | +100000 |
| Raptors | +100000 |
