NBA Championship Odds, Predictions & Picks 2025: Clippers Move Up, Knicks OUT of Contention?

• The Thunder (+170) and Celtics (+190) are still heavy favorites

• The Knicks are in freefall after struggling against the Pistons 

• The Clippers are surging and just outside the top five

82 regular season games and four playoff rounds are all in the spirit of determining the next NBA champion. Here’s how the sportsbooks see the race in NBA championship odds shaping up.

2025 NBA Championship Odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Place your bets at FanDuel and claim the following bonus: Bet $5, Get $250 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

NBA Championship Predictions

It’s hard to argue with the Thunder being the NBA Finals favorites given the beating they put on the Grizzlies. The Celtics and Cavs are also clearly better than their opponents, which confirms that there are only three tier-one contenders.

The winner of the Lakers-Timberwolves series will have tremendous value moving forward. No other team in the league seems to be either complete enough or have enough of a top-end punch to truly compete for a championship.

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NBA Championship Winner Pick - Los Angeles Lakers (+2000)

The Lakers still have a better chance than anyone in the West to beat the Thunder, and their head-to-head matchups (post-Luka Doncic trade) showed they might even be the better team. Grabbing them at this value could be worth the risk, considering they’d have substantially shorter odds in the event they advance to the Finals against, presumably, the Celtics or Cavaliers.

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How to Bet on the NBA Championship

While there are tons of ways to bet on the NBA with game lines, player props, and other markets, NBA Championship bets deal strictly with predictions on the NBA Finals.

This bet classifies as a “Futures” bet, which is simply an event that will be settled at a future date. NBA champion odds will be found either in their own subheading or the futures section of a sportsbook’s NBA tab.

Sportsbooks will differ in their assessment of contending teams and provide different odds, so NBA bettors are encouraged to consult multiple sportsbooks before placing their bet.

How to Read NBA Championship Odds

Reading NBA championship odds are no different than reading traditional odds. All odds preceded by a + sign mean that a $100 bet will win the listed amount, and all odds preceded by a - sign will take the listed amount to win $100.

For example, a +550 team will pay $550 for a $100 wager if they win the NBA championship. A -165 favorite will pay $100 on a $165 wager.

The only key difference between futures odds and game lines is that usually, all or nearly all of the options will have positive odds. As the season and playoffs progress and teams are eliminated, the odds for all available candidates will shorten.

Where to Bet on the NBA Championship Winner

Every NBA betting site should come with NBA championship odds. However, as mentioned above, the odds and general experience will vary depending on the sportsbook.

FanDuel is the American leader in sports betting and has tons of NBA betting markets, including futures odds. New users of FanDuel can claim the welcome offer: Bet $5, Get $250 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

bet365 typically has great odds and offers two welcome bonuses for new users: First Bet Safety Net worth up to $1,000 in bonus bets OR Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose. Use our promo code WSN365 during the sign-up process to be eligible for a bonus of your choice.

Another great option is BetMGM, leading the way in the ease of navigation and user experience. If you are new to BetMGM, use our promo code WSNSPORTS when signing up for an account and claim the following offer: Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.

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NBA Championship Winner History (to 2000)

The recent strike of parity across the league has made it so that there hasn’t been a repeat champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2017-18. That’s a sharp change from the teams that perennially ruled the league, whether that be the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, or other teams.

Here’s a look at every NBA champion since 2000.