The NBA All-Star break is over and that means it's time for the home stretch of regular season games. With the Playoff landscape set to take shape over the next several months, basketball fans are gearing up for some of the best basketball of the season as the 2024 NBA Finals loom in the distance.
Current NBA Finals odds: Celtics lead the way
Boasting the NBA's best record at the mid-way point of the season, the 43-12 Boston Celtics are the current betting favorite to win the 2024 NBA Finals on DraftKings Sportsbook (+260 odds). With a six-game lead on second-place in the Eastern Conference, Boston will look to lock up home court advantage throughout the Playoffs as they push for the franchise's first championship since 2008.
DraftKings tags the defending champion Denver Nuggets with the second-best odds to win the 2024 NBA Finals at (+475). Denver currently sits fourth in the West at 36-19 but is only three-games out from first place. A roster well-equipped for Playoff basketball, the Nuggets will look to round into top form once again as post-season hoops begin.
Here are the current 2024 NBA Finals odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Feb. 22:
- Boston Celtics (+260)
- Denver Nuggets (+475)
- Los Angeles Clippers (+500)
- Milwaukee Bucks (+700)
- Phoenix Suns (+1300)
- New York Knicks (+2200)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (+2200)
- Philadelphia 76ers (+2500)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+2500)
- Los Angeles Lakers (+3000)
2024 NBA Finals best bet: Back the Nuggets to repeat
Second on the list of best odds to win the 2024 NBA Finals, the (+475) Denver Nuggets are the bet to make at the mid-point of this season. Not having quite put the pedal to the metal yet this season, Denver is a championship-proven team looking to once again hit their peak when the Playoffs arrive.
Although not quite as dominant thus far as they were in 2023, the Nuggets remain just three games back from first place in the West and have a leigitmate chance to secure the top-seed in back to back Playoffs. Two-time league MVP and reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokić remains an unsolvable puzzle as one of the toughest matchups in the NBA, particularly in a seven-game Playoff series.
The supporting cast for Jokić is as good as it gets in the NBA including point guard Jamal Murray, who has proven time and time again to be a clutch Playoff performer. Rounding out Denver's starting five, Michael Porter, Aaron Gordon, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope bring size, defense, and important three-point shooting to make Denver the most formidable squad in the NBA.
Sitting at an enticing (+475) odds on DraftKings, the Nuggets are a great bet to make as they look to become the NBA's first repeat champions since the 2017-2018 Golden State Warriors.
Finding value in Philadelphia
Listed by DraftKings with the eighth-best odds to win the 2024 NBA Finals, the (+2500) Philadelphia 76ers remain very interesting. Philadelphia began the season looking like a true contender in the East behind the historic scoring of center Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey. However, Embiid was sidelined after suffering a meniscus injury in January that required surgery to repair.
While the 76ers initially feared Embiid would be lost for the remainder of the season, positive reports suggest the reigning league MVP could return in time for the Playoffs. And that's not the only good news for 76ers fans, as their first-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey has taken a major leap this season averaging a career-best 25.7 points per game on 45/38/85 shooting splits.
With a record of 32-22 good for fifth-place in the East, Philadelphia sits only a half-game back from the Knicks in fourth and has a real chance to secure home court advantage in the first round of the Playoffs.
Before his knee injury, Joel Embiid was on a league-leading scoring pace averaging 35.3 points on 53.3% shooting. If the 76ers can indeed get back a healthy and rested Embiid for a Playoff run, there is every reason to bet this team at a whopping (+2500) odds on DraftKings.
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