The Boston Celtics were favored by the NBA Championship odds at online bookmakers before the season, but they were been overtaken shortly before the playoffs! The flying OKC Thunder are now expected to win, with multiple other teams ready to upset them.
Will the Celtics manage to defend their crown, or are the Thunder ready for glory? Continue reading to find the winner odds, analysis, and my 2025 NBA Championship predictions!
NBA Championship 2025 Betting Odds
The following NBA 2025 winner odds are courtesy of Bovada:
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +150 |
| Boston Celtics | +200 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +600 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +1000 |
| Golden State Warriors | +1000 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +2500 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +4000 |
| New York Knicks | +4000 |
| Denver Nuggets | +5000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +5000 |
There hasn’t been much movement at the top of the NBA championship odds as Oklahoma City’s (+150) price has shortened from +190, which gives them an implied win probability of 40%. The reigning champions from Boston (+200) have also shortened their price from +220, and their implied win chance of 33.3% has gone up from 31.2%.
Cleveland’s (+600) price has increased slightly, but only up from +550. The Los Angeles Lakers (+1000) have fallen from +850, and the same goes for Golden State (+1000), who were +900 two weeks ago.
The big drop comes from Denver (+5000), who were +2000 at NBA betting sites on April 10. But after firing head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, the Nuggets’ NBA odds tumbled to +4000, and now, +5000. Their first-round opponents, the Los Angeles Clippers (+2500), have risen from +4000, as they split the first two games of their series in Denver.
The New York Knicks (+4000) and Minnesota Timberwolves (+4000), followed by Indiana (+5000).
You can find up-to-date NBA Championship 2024-25 odds at Bovada by navigating to All Sports > Basketball > NBA Futures > NBA Championship.
Favorites for the 2024-25 NBA Championship
The NBA Championship 2025 odds suggest it’s a two-team race between the Celtics and Thunder. However, there are a slew of hungry teams behind them that will be eager to prove everyone wrong.
Let’s analyze the top favorites and their chances:
Oklahoma City Thunder (+150)
- Head Coach: Mark Daigneault
- 2023-24 Record: 57-25 (Loss Conference Semifinals)
- NBA Titles: 1 (Seattle Supersonics)
- Key Players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams
The Thunder absolutely decimated Memphis in the first two games of their series, winning Game 1 131-80, and Game 2 by a score of 118-99.
The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies 131-80 in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series on Sunday, the fifth-biggest margin of victory in NBA postseason history. https://t.co/AI68kstwjC
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 20, 2025
NBA MVP odds favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t even gone off yet. The Canadian guard has averaged 21.0 points on 33.3% shooting, including 23.5% from three-point land. That the Thunder still beat the Grizzlies by an average of 35 points over the first two games shows just how good they are.
Their defense has been the best in the NBA all season! OKC led the league in defensive rating during the regular season, and they’re also first by a wide margin over the first two games of the playoffs. As good as their offense is, especially “SGA”, the Thunder could win the title solely based on their defense.
Lu Dort and Jalen Williams are menaces on the perimeter, then they can bring Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace on the bench. Then, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein are guarding the rim.
Good luck to anyone trying to score on the Thunder, and their NBA title odds of +150 could shorten with each round!
Boston Celtics (+200)
- Head Coach: Joe Mazzulla
- 2023-24 Record: 64-18 (Champions)
- NBA Titles: 18
- Key Players: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porziņģis
The Celtics won Game 1 over Orlando by a score of 103-86 at home, but it was a bruising game as Jayson Tatum was fouled hard and hurt his wrist. The play even got the mild-mannered Al Horford heated!
Al Horford on KCP’s flagrant foul on Jayson Tatum:
“There was something extra there. It was the second or third time.”
–
⚡️ by Gametime pic.twitter.com/rSe0MwCRpq— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) April 22, 2025
The Celtics should get past Orlando easily as the Magic don’t have anyone outside of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner who can score. Those two combined for 59 points for the Magic, but no one else scored more than seven points.
Boston gets the benefit of the doubt in the Eastern Conference as the defending NBA champions, as they should. However, I don’t think the gap should be as much as it is. Boston is favored at -160 to win the Eastern Conference, while Cleveland comes back at +190. I believe they should both be plus money, with Boston as a slight favorite.
It feels like the East is coming down to a Celtics-Cavs final, and Boston just needs to stay healthy to get back to that place.
Contenders for the NBA Championship
Online sportsbooks have three teams just behind the Thunder and Celtics in the title odds for this season!
Cleveland Cavaliers (+600)
- Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson
- 2023-24 Record: 48-34 (Loss Conference Semifinals)
- NBA Titles: 1
- Key Players: Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley
Like Boston, have their second game of the playoffs on Wednesday, April 23. It was closer than it should have been for three quarters, but the Cavs blew the game open with a 34-21 fourth quarter to win 121-100 over Miami.
28 points for Ty Jerome in his playoff debut 👏 pic.twitter.com/0yr1IEsotk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 21, 2025
Ty Jerome didn’t win the Sixth Man of the Year award (that was won by Boston’s Payton Pritchard), but he went off in Game 1, scoring 28 points in 26 minutes. It made up for a bad game for Evan Mobley, who had just nine points and seven rebounds. He did play typically good defense as he is a DPOY candidate. But the Cavs need more from Mobley to get through the East.
The Cavs should get past Miami, and they could face Indiana, who is up 2-0 on Milwaukee in their first-round series. The Pacers love to push the ball, so the Cavaliers will have to play at a faster pace in the following series.
Los Angeles Lakers (+1000)
- Head Coach: J.J. Redick
- 2023-24 Record: 47-35 (Loss First Round)
- NBA Titles: 17
- Key Players: Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Austin Reaves
The Lakers got dismantled in Game 1, losing 117-95 at home to Minnesota. But they rebounded with a great defensive performance and 31 points from Luka Dončić to win Game 2 94-85.
“TIMEOUT! WHAT THE FU** IS GOING ON?! JESUS FU**ING CHRIST! WHAT THE FU** ARE YOU GUYS DOING? CMON!”
JJ Redick called a timeout & immediately chewed out his Los Angeles Lakers team after allowing a quick 7-0 run in the 3rd quarter of Game 2, as Minnesota creeped into the game… pic.twitter.com/ithCuAAf8K
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) April 23, 2025
Head coach J.J. Redick is known to be smart when it comes to X’s and O’s, but he lit into his team in the fourth quarter when they were dropping their intensity. The Lakers are going to score points with Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
But they’re only going to go as far as their defense takes them, and that has been up and down since acquiring Dončić for Anthony Davis in February. The Timberwolves are a tough team, and Anthony Edwards can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league. But the Lakers have James and Dončić, two proven playoff performers, and their NBA title odds at +1000 offer a great return!
Golden State Warriors (+1000)
- Head Coach: Steve Kerr
- 2023-24 Record: 47-35 (Loss Play-in Round)
- NBA Titles: 7
- Key Players: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler
The Warriors won Game 1 of their series Houston 95-85, and they finally got to see “Playoff Jimmy” in person. Jimmy Butler kept the Warriors in it early while Stephen Curry tried to get going. Butler would finish with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals.
Jimmy Butler vs HOU:
25 PTS
7 REB
6 AST
5 STLSecond in 25/5/5/5 playoff games this century. pic.twitter.com/POXlisR32G
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 21, 2025
Golden State also took advantage of their playoff pedigree as the Rockets looked like a young team. But the defense of Draymond Green and Butler definitely played a role in that. It is strange that head coach Steve Kerr has all but benched Jonathan Kuminga. That’s something the Warriors will have to deal with in the offseason.
Still, they have Curry and Green, and if Butler keeps playing like “Playoff Jimmy”, Golden State’s NBA championship odds of +1000 will look fantastic in a month’s time!
The Top Sleeper for the NBA Championship in 2025
Before finalizing my early NBA Championship 2025 predictions, let’s look at the most dangerous sleeper heading into the postseason. Take a look at this team when going over your NBA betting strategy for the title in 2025:
NBA Championship 2025 Prediction and Betting Pick
I’m not moving off my 2025 NBA championship prediction of Oklahoma City, although the return is decreasing now that they’re down to +150. Their performance in the first two games of their series with Memphis has more to do with the Grizzlies being a mess that fired their coach with two weeks left in the season.
They’ve been the best team all season and as I said in a previous update, defense travels. If they’re not hitting shots, the Thunder are still going to hound you all over the court. I think that’s going to power them to their second NBA title (the first was in Seattle in 1979), so take the Oklahoma City Thunder at +150 before the return goes down even more!
In terms of a sleeper NBA title prediction, look at the Los Angeles Clippers at +2500. Again, if Kawhi Leonard can stay healthy, he’s a top 5-7 players in the NBA. We’ve seen him drag teams to titles before in San Antonio and Toronto. The health is a big “if”, but if he can do it, no one wants to face the Clippers.
Where to Bet on the 2024-25 NBA Championship?
NBA betting for the 2024-25 campaign is in full swing as the postseason ramps up, so make sure to get your future wagers in now! Take advantage of the opening NBA Championship odds with the best prices at Bovada.
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