The 2020-21 NBA season is well underway after tipping off the campaign on Dec. 22. There are a little over two months remaining in the regular season, with the playoffs starting in May and the Finals wrapping up in July. Here we look at live NBA Finals odds with the Lakers the favorites to win it all again.
The Brooklyn Nets were neck-and-neck with the Milwaukee Bucks to win the East at most books early in the season and were around +600 to win the title. Immediately following the trade for James Harden, however, the Nets championship odds improved to +270 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Brooklyn is now +300 to win it all, with the second lowest odds – behind the favorite LA Lakers at +280.
2021 NBA title odds
2021 NBA Futures Report (March 9)
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NBA 2021 Championship Favorites
Los Angeles Lakers: The defending champs have looked vulnerable throughout the regular season and have struggled lately with Anthony Davis (Achilles) on the shelf. Still, the LeBron James-led Lakers are 13-5 on the road and 17-8 against WCF teams with the potential to hit another gear once Davis is healthy.
Those rounds will take place from May 22 to July 6, with the NBA Finals scheduled from July 8 to 22, just one day before the 2021 Summer Olympics are scheduled to open in Japan. NBA Finals odds: Futures betting 101. NBA futures bets function like futures bets in other sports. They’re typically based on an end-of-season outcome. NBA trade deadline: The 10 best contracts. This list isn’t necessarily those players who are the best — some aren’t even All-Stars. But what each has in common is that their production far. ESPN's NBA BPI Playoff Odds estimate the likelihood for each team to make the playoffs, win the NBA title and finish in the top three of the NBA lottery.
Brooklyn Nets: James Harden was the MVP of the league over the last three weeks before the All-Star Break. With Harden playing the best ball of his career, the Nets were able to win 10 of their last 11 while Kevin Durant (hamstring) watched in street clothes. This team will be tough to beat if they can continue to improve defensively.
Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers are 14-3 against losing teams, but 10-11 against winning teams and 7-11 with a league-worst -26.4 net rating in the final five minutes of games within 5 points. They’re completely dependent on Kawhi Leonard to create crunch-time offense.
Milwaukee Bucks: After posting the best regular season numbers in history prior to the shutdown last March, the Bucks have struggled to regain momentum. They’re 8-9 on the road and 7-9 against teams with winning records this year, but could find some cohesion on the other side of the break now that Jrue Holiday is back with the team.
Utah Jazz: With a league-best +8.8 point differential, along with the best 3-point percentage, and best rebounding rate in the NBA, the Jazz are similar to the 2019-2020 Bucks in terms of their regular season dominance. Will that carry over into the playoffs?
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid is the primary challenger to Harden in our latest MVP rankings and the Sixers are the biggest threat to the Nets in the East. Brooklyn will have no answers for Embiid now that Jarrett Allen has been shipped out of town, but Ben Simmons (+225) – a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year – should be able to slow down Harden or Durant.
The Contenders
Boston Celtics: The Celtics got hot before the break with Kemba Walker (knee) showing signs of life and they should get Marcus Smart (calf) back in the lineup soon. It may take some time for those guards to gel with young superstars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, but this team is just a savvy trade away from becoming a legit title contender.
Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets also caught fire before the break with the top offensive rating in the NBA during a four-game win streak. Nikola Jokic leads the league in PER and is the favorite to win MVP according to stats and projections compiled by Basketball-Reference.com.
Phoenix Suns: There is no reason not to back this Suns team now that Chris Paul has taken over and exerted his competitive control over a talented young roster. They won 11 of 13 with a league-best 14.2 net rating before the break and posted a 25.9 net rating in clutch time with wins over the Bucks, 76ers, and Lakers in that span.
Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler is back and so is Miami’s more subtle leader, Goran Dragic (foot). Bam Adebayo continues to showcase his exponential growth on both ends of the floor, but the real star of the Heat might be head coach Erik Spoelstra.
Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks came out of a 10-day layoff due to a climate disaster with renewed focus on the defensive end and won five of their last six games heading into the break, including the only victory over Brooklyn since Feb. 9.
Toronto Raptors: Before a COVID outbreak cost them a few games by forcing three starters and four coaches to quarantine, the Raptors were heating up with an elite defensive rating and convincing wins over the Bucks and Sixers.
Portland Trail Blazers: Even without Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins, and C.J. McCollum, the Blazers are 5-2 with an absurd 138.7 offensive rating over their last seven close games. Damian Lillard leads the NBA in fourth quarter scoring and can carry his team until those other key players return.
How the 2021 NBA Playoffs will work
The 2020-21 NBA regular season will last 72 games with the top six teams in each conference earning an automatic playoff berth. Teams that finish in the 7-10 spots in each conference will be eligible for a play-in tournament (May 18-21) as long as they’re within four games in the final standings.
The 9th seed in each conference will have a chance to play their way into the playoffs by beating the 8th seed twice in a row. The 8th seed would have to win one of those games to advance. The scenario is the same for the 10th seed and 7th seed in each conference if the 10th seed qualifies.
The NBA still plans to run best-of-seven series formats for the quarterfinal, semifinal and finals in both the Eastern and Western Conference. Those rounds will take place from May 22 to July 6, with the NBA Finals scheduled from July 8 to 22, just one day before the 2021 Summer Olympics are scheduled to open in Japan.
NBA Finals odds: Futures betting 101
NBA futures bets function like futures bets in other sports. They’re typically based on an end-of-season outcome. Futures bets are usually made available on both the team and player level.
Prior to the start of a season, team-level futures could include a wager on the minimum number of wins a team will capture in that season or whether a team will win its division or conference.
Player-level futures include whether a player will win the MVP, Rookie of the Year or Sixth Man of the Year awards, for example. Other player-level futures are based on whether a player will reach certain benchmarks in common statistical categories such as points, 3-point shots, rebounds or assists for the season.
Where do I find futures bets in an online sportsbook?
In an online sportsbook, available futures wagers are typically found under their own tab as a subcategory of wagers available for a particular sport. Like the odds for other bet types, futures bets are typically labeled with a number that has a “plus” or “minus” sign next to it.
In the case of futures bets, a “minus” sign would be placed next to a team or player that has a higher probability of reaching the statistical goal. Teams or players with a “plus” sign are considered by oddsmakers to have a lesser chance of reaching that goal. The higher the number next to the plus sign signifies the lower the probability the team or player achieves it.
For example, the LA Lakers enter the 2020-21 season as the favorites to win it all as they have +270 odds. That signifies that a bettor would have to wager $100 to win $270 if the Lakers do indeed take it again.
It’s also important to note that futures odds for both players and teams can certainly fluctuate throughout the course of a season.
Best NBA betting sites
Common questions regarding wagering on the NBA Finals
Where can I bet on the NBA Finals in the US?
Bettors can currently bet on the NBA Finals in the US at a regulated sportsbook in one of the following states:
Who is the favorite to win the NBA Championship in 2021?
The Lakers were initially installed as favorites to repeat, with odds of +360 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Those odds lowered to +270 just prior to the start of the season due to LA’s strong off-season. LA is now +280 to win it all at FD.
Nba Playoff Finals Odds 2019
When does the 2021 NBA season start?
The 2020-21 NBA season started on Dec. 22, 2020.
When do the NBA Finals start?
The 2021 NBA playoffs will start on May 22, 2021 and the NBA Finals are expected to begin in mid-July. Prior to the pandemic, the NBA had traditionally held its championship round in early June.
Where can I get NBA betting tips?
Nba Playoff Winner Odds
Start with our own 6-part NBA betting series right here:
PlayPicks.com is also a valuable resource for bettors of all levels. Throughout the NBA season, PlayPicks.com will feature articles with a sports betting breakdown of select games, including a suggested lean or pick on the game’s point spread, moneyline and/or the projected total. Additionally, new bettors can find rewarding offers and bonuses exclusive to PlayPicks.com readers that are also first-time depositors.