The Celtics are favored to repeat as NBA champions
The reigning runners-up, the Mavericks, are +1100
The new-look Knicks are third in title odds
The hunt for the 2025 NBA Finals and the Larry O’Brien Trophy is on.
The Boston Celtics stormed their way to last season’s title with a combined 80-21 record across the regular and postseason. They are the unsurprising leader in NBA Finals championship odds, though the teams right behind them are quite shocking.
Here, we will review the NBA Finals odds and give a comprehensive analysis of the top contenders, along with our favorite dark horse picks.
The T-Wolves might not start the year great as they adapt to playing with Julius Randle in place of Karl-Anthony Towns. However, they have an outstanding front office, an NBA MVP level player leading the way, impactful role players, and can both shoot the three and lock down their opponents. The Western Conference also isn’t as strong as it was in recent years.
At WSN, we pride ourselves on being the most trustworthy source for online sportsbook and casino reviews. Our in-house team of reviewers spend a minimum of six hours thoroughly evaluating each website before rating it using our unique BetEdge scoring system. This methodology was designed to ensure all reviews meet our high set of standards and are consistent across the board. Read more.
Affiliate Disclaimer
When you sign-up to a sportsbook or casino through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This is how WSN makes money in order to continue providing valuable and trustworthy content for sports bettors and casino players. The compensation we receive does not impact our reviews or recommendations. The information on WSN will always remain unbiased, objective, and independent.
21+
WSN is committed to supporting the fight against underage gambling. While the legal minimum online gambling age varies by state, we take a strict
21+ stance and do not promote any underage gambling activities.
The Celtics are more than a team, they are a system. Any fans of European soccer will be able to draw the parallels between the coach philosophies of Joe Mazzulla and Pep Guardiola, the latter of which mentored Boston’s young coach over the past couple of seasons.
Boston took and made more threes than any team and also defended the three-point line excellently last year. They get up and down the court and are rife with athletic two-way players who are committed to their responsibilities on both sides.
As talented as they are, they are more than the sum of their parts. It’s still unclear how they will respond to being punched in the mouth in the biggest moments, but that doesn’t matter if they’re going to dominate everyone the way they did in 2023-24.
The Thunder managed to post the best record in the Western Conference last year despite having the youngest team in the league. They hit on a slew of draft picks and had a legitimate MVP contender, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, running the show.
OKC’s drive-and-kick style allowed them to play aggressive, disruptive defense and set them up for efficient shots either at the rim or on the three-point line. Jalen Williams showed incredible progression and development, while young pieces such as Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe all made tangible impacts on the rotation.
To top it off, OKC had some of the best business of the summer, signing Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. Caruso is a former First-Team All-Defense member who matches their ethos, and Hartenstein is a functional player whose rebounding ability addresses their only weakness.
The Knicks are putting the theory of “modern basketball” to the limit and loaded up on versatile wing defenders with three-point shooting ability. That includes OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart, who will complement Jalen Brunson.
The addition of Karl-Anthony Towns will reduce their prowess on the boards, but it will give them an even greater ability to create space which, with a player like Brunson, opens up a plethora of angles to attack.
The biggest question here is if Thibodeau will finally cut his guys a break during the regular season and allow their bodies to be fresh in the playoffs. They were one game away from the Eastern Conference Finals last year and appear to be better on paper this time around.
Joel Embiid informed the media that he will enjoy “rest” periods and will not play in back-to-back games during the regular season. Barbershop debates about his ability to withstand the physicality of the 90’s aside, this is a smart plan for a player who, when healthy, has been the best in the world for two years running.
Newcomer Paul George might be past his prime. But he shot a career-best 41.3 percent from three-point land last year and played in 74 games. He will face the loosest coverage of his NBA career post-his third year thanks to Embiid and newly-crowned star guard Tyrese Maxey.
The Sixers filled out the rest of their rotation with players such as Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Kyle Lowry, all of which have experienced deep playoff runs and are the type of players who will make big plays when they are needed.
The Timberwolves have some questions heading into the new season. They sacrificed their size and spacing by trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the former of which isn’t as seamless of a fit in the rotation.
That said, DiVincenzo is a deadeye shooter who repeatedly came up huge for the Knicks last season. Anthony Edwards also looks ready to leap into MVP contention, while their cast of role players is arguably the best in the league.
Minnesota played the best defense of any team in the Association last year and was also one of the top three-point shooting teams. Edwards’ continued development as a two-way star and playmaker can push them into legitimate championship contention following last year’s appearance in the Western Conference Finals.
It feels like the Grizzlies were completely forgotten because of an injury-riddled and overall-terrible 2023-24 campaign. Let’s not forget that Ja Morant, in his last full healthy season, averaged 26.2 points and 8.1 assists per game, Jaren Jackson Jr., won Defensive Player of the Year, and they finished with the second-best record in the West. They’ll also have Marcus Smart and Zach Edey rounding out the starting five for what should be a phenomenal defense.
The Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals over the Dallas Mavericks 4-1. The C’s did not lose more than one game in any of their playoff series and brought back their entire starting five, along with important bench contributors such as Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser.
The title was Boston’s first since 2008 and broke a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championships in NBA history.
Who Won the 2024 NBA Finals MVP?
Jaylen Brown was named the NBA Finals MVP after he averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.6 steals on 44 percent field goal shooting. Brown received seven of 11 first-place votes, while Jayson Tatum (22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists) received four.
Which NBA Teams Have Not Won the Finals?
10 of the NBA’s 30 franchises never won an NBA Finals trophy. The list of teams includes the following:
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Orlando Magic
Phoenix Suns
Utah Jazz
2025 NBA Championship FAQs
Do the NBA Champions Receive a Prize?
NBA champions do not receive a traditional monetary prize for winning the NBA Finals. Instead, they are awarded the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy, a prestigious and symbolic honor. This trophy represents the team's victory and achievement as the NBA champions for that particular season.
While there is no cash prize for winning the NBA Finals, the players, coaches, and other team personnel receive championship rings commemorating their victory.
Additionally, winning the NBA Finals can benefit the players and the team. Players may receive bonuses as part of their contracts for reaching and winning the Finals, on top of those presented to the players from additional television revenues for participating in the postseason. However, the primary reward for winning the NBA Finals is the honor, recognition, and prestige of being crowned the NBA champions.
What Is the Larry O’Brien Trophy?
The Larry O'Brien Trophy is awarded to the team that wins the NBA Finals—named after Larry O'Brien, the league commissioner from 1975 to 1984.
The trophy is made of sterling silver and measures about 2 feet tall, featuring a basketball on top of a hoop. It weighs approximately 14.5 pounds. Each year, the NBA champions are presented with the Larry O'Brien Trophy following their title-clinching game to symbolize their achievement and victory in the National Basketball Association.
What Are NBA Championship Rings?
NBA Championship Rings are commemorative jewelry pieces presented to the winning members of the Championship team. They are customized for each team, featuring logos, accomplishments, player numbers, and more to make the piece unique to each player.
The rings are distributed to members of the NBA Champions during the first home game of the following season. Players who have joined a new team have their ring delivered or presented to them during their first return match against their Championship squad.
Who Were the First NBA Champions?
The first NBA Champions were the Philadelphia Warriors. In the National Basketball Association's (NBA) inaugural season in 1946-1947, the Philadelphia Warriors emerged as the champions by defeating the Chicago Stags in a five-game series. The Warriors were led by notable players such as Joe Fulks and coach Eddie Gottlieb.
Which NBA team Has Won the Most Championships?
The Boston Celtics have the most championships in NBA history, with eighteen.
Which NBA Franchise Was Fastest to an NBA Championship?
The team to win the NBA Championship fastest was the Milwaukee Bucks. Founded in 1968-1969, the Bucks won their first NBA Championship after the 1970-71 season.
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the San Francisco Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Baltimore Bullets en route to their first NBA title.
Responsible Gambling
If you or someone you know needs support or wants to speak with a professional about responsible gambling, seek out the correct resources. Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER to get help, or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. WSN is an advocate for safe gambling practices. Visit our Responsible Gambling Center for more details.
Grant is a sports and sports betting journalist who prides himself on delivering breaking news and insightful analyses of the industry. Grant graduated from Virginia Tech in 2021 and is feverishly pursuing his ambitions in the sports betting field.
In his free time, Grant can be found passionately watching sports, doing a workout, or searching for adventure with his friends.
Get special offers and tips straight to your inbox
Sign up to our newsletter to get WSN's latest hands-on reviews, expert advice, and exclusive offers delivered straight to your inbox.
We've been featured on:
We only list licensed sportsbooks
We support responsible gambling. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you need help, call 1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is managed by Gentoo Media. Unless declared otherwise, all of the visible content on this site, such as texts and images, including the brand name and logo, belongs to Innovation Labs Limited (a Gentoo Media company) - Company Registration Number C44130, VAT ID: MT18874732, @GIG Beach Triq id-Dragunara, St. Julians, STJ3148, Malta.
Advertising Disclosure: WSN.com contains links to partner websites. When a visitor to our website clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase at a partner site, World Sports Network is paid a commission.
/fit-in/222x222/caesars-sportsbook-b.jpeg)
/fit-in/222x222/frame-1-1.png)
/filters:no_upscale()/fit-in/1200x585/1697451586/nba-championship-winner-predictions.jpg "NBA Championship Winner Predictions")
/1670420339/img-2826.jpg "Img 2826")
/dmca.png "Dmca"){kind=small}
/1670944202/21.png "21"){kind=small}
/1670944628/2022-igb-best-casino-affiliate-gig-media-e1651053747946.png "2022 igb best casino affiliate gig media e1651053747946"){kind=small}
/1670944701/gig-media-power-affiliates-rank-123x40-1.png "Gig media power affiliates rank 123x40 1"){kind=icon}
/1670944773/800-gambler-black-144x40.jpg "800 gambler black 144x40"){kind=small}
/1718715753/gpwa.webp "Gpwa"){kind=small}
