NBA Finals Betting: Who Should You Pick Right Now?
We’ve finally arrived at the NBA All-Star break. On Sunday, the league’s best players will gear up for a showdown between teams led by Lebron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. It will surely be a lighthearted contest, with little to no defense played and full of show-stopping dunks and three-pointers.
But after Sunday, the NBA season will soon kick back into full gear as top teams make the last push to the playoffs, which begin in mid April. There are currently several candidates to make the NBA Finals and win it all, some of which have been in the conversation all season, others who are just now emerging.
With that momentum, betting on the winner of the NBA Finals is sure to be a hot topic. Today, I’m going to break down some strategies for betting on the champion of the NBA as we near the playoffs.
To Win The NBA Finals
If you want to bet on who is going to win the NBA Finals right now and capitalize on the payout, I have some strategies for making your pick. As of right now, the Boston Celtics are the favorite to win it all at +280. The Bucks are second at +430, the Suns at +480, Denver at +750, the Clippers at +1200 and Philadelphia at +1400.
Easily the safest bet here would be Boston, but the payout is not quite as enticing as the others. If you’re looking to maximize profit while minimizing risk, I highly recommend picking the Phoenix Suns to win the finals. They just added Kevin Durant via trade, which skyrocketed their chances. In addition, the payout is substantially better than betting on Boston. Because Phoenix’s chances of winning and the potential earnings are so high, I think this is the best bet for the winner of the NBA Finals.
Betting on Milwaukee, on the other hand, would be far riskier. Though they technically have better odds, they would likely have to get through Boston, the current betting favorite, in order to eventually win the finals. Phoenix doesn’t have quite that treacherous of a road, with teams like Denver, Memphis or the Clippers in their path. The Bucks could definitely win it, but in my opinion, the earnings aren’t worth the risk.
Denver would be a really profitable bet if it hits, but it’s highly unlikely to happen. Before, the Nuggets seemed like the favorite to win the western conference and make the NBA Finals. After the Suns’ addition of Kevin Durant, though, many believe that to be a longshot. It’s not like the Nuggets were ever considered locks to win the west; people just picked them because there weren’t many better options. Now, despite leading in the standings, contending for the championship seems out of reach.
I would also avoid betting on the Philadelphia 76ers. While they currently stand at the 3 seed in the east and are only 3 games behind the Celtics for the top spot, they always struggle against the league’s tougher competition. Their loss to the injury-riddled Celtics last week is the epitome of that fact, and I don’t see that changing in the playoffs.
