Bet on NBA Finals online: 2024 NBA Finals odds
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The National Basketball Association's 2023-24 NBA champion will be determined in June's best-of-7 NBA Finals series between the Eastern and Western Conference champions.
Following we look at the current 2024 NBA Finals odds betting favorites along with details for betting on the NBA Finals online, including:
- Current NBA Finals futures odds
- Live NBA Finals game odds during the series
- Best sportsbooks and most popular NBA Finals bets
NBA Finals odds at online sportsbooks
2024 NBA Finals betting favorites
Boston Celtics ()
Boston easily finished the regular season with the league's best record (64-18) -- securing homecourt advantage throughout the postseason -- and remains the consensus favorite of the top online sportsbooks to capture its first NBA title since 2008. Behind the high-scoring Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown duo and newcomers Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, Boston owns the league's top offensive and net ratings while ranking second on the defensive end.
Denver Nuggets ()
The defending NBA champs are seeking to become the first team to win back-to-back NBA titles since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. League MVP-favorite Nikola Jokic and Co. missed out on the West's top seed -- instead settling for the No. 2 spot -- but they remain strong favorites to represent the conference in the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles Clippers ()
The Clippers earned the West's No. 4 seed behind the potent, veteran trio of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden -- all averaging at least 16.6 points per game. Overall, L.A. owns the fourth-best offensive rating in the league and will open the playoffs against red-hot Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavercks. Will this finally be a break-through year for the Clippers, who have never played in the NBA Finals?
Milwaukee Bucks ()
A surprise midseason coaching change was made to inject some life into the Bucks, and even though they finished 15 games behind the Celtics, they still earned the No. 3 seed in the East. Provided his late-season calf injury doesn't linger, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. will be a team no one wants to face in the postseason.
Dallas Mavericks ()
That the Mavs have the league's fifth-best championship odds as a No. 5 seed -- and not the West's top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder -- shows how much respect Dallas garnered during its 16-4 finish over the final 20 games of the regular season. Facing the experienced Clippers, though, in a first-round playoff series is a hefty challenge right out of the postseason gate.
How to bet on the NBA Finals
Here’s a look at the most common ways to bet on the NBA Finals:
NBA Finals moneyline bets
Moneyline betting on NBA Finals games is fairly simple. You just pick a winner and book your bet at the current odds. If they win the game, you win your bet. Here are some sample odds from last season’s title-crowning series:
| Team | Moneyline Odds |
| Denver Nuggets | -125 |
| Miami Heat | +115 |
The Nuggets, as indicated by the minus (-) sign, are the favorites in this example. At -125 odds, bettors have to bet $125 for the chance to net $100. Bettors get paid if they win the game by any score. The Celtics, conversely, are the underdogs, as the plus (+) sign indicates. At +115 odds, a bettor would net $115 on a $100 wager if the Knicks pull off the upset.
NBA Finals spread betting
The spread serves as a handicap, evening out the odds between two teams. It is essentially a number of points that a bettor must factor into the final score. The favorite gives away points and the underdog receives them, but because of the spread, the betting odds on both sides are usually fairly even. Here’s an example:
| Team | Spread |
| Denver Nuggets | -3.5 (-110) |
| Miami Heat | +3.5 (-110) |
A bet on the Nuggets nets $100 for a $110 wager, but they need to win by 3.5 points. Obviously, a team can’t win by 3.5 points, so in reality, that means the Nuggets need to win by 4 in order to “cover”. Conversely, a bettor placing a wager on the Celtics needs them to lose by no more than 3.5 points. Again, that means as long as they lose by no more than 4, they cover and the bet wins.
NBA Finals totals (over/unders)
Totals betting, also known as the over/under, is betting on the total number of points in a game. Sportsbooks will set a line, and you can bet on whether the two teams will go over or under that number.
You might bet the over or the under on 229.5 points in an NBA Finals game at -110 odds. Over bets would win if the teams combined to score 230 or more points. Otherwise, under bets would win.
NBA Finals prop bets
Game and team props
These are bets on certain things happening in an NBA Finals game that do not necessarily involve the game’s outcome. Popular options include the following:
- Home/Away team totals (quarters, halves, full game)
- Team to score first
- Race To X Points (each quarter)
- Odd/Even (final score of quarters, halves, full game)
Player props
Player props let you bet on player performances in an NBA Finals game. That means stats like points, assists, rebounds, and more for individual players in each game. You can also bet on stat combinations and the possibility of a double-double or triple-double.
How to bet parlays in the NBA finals
Parlays are where you can combine two or more bets into a single wager. Because you have to win every bet, you’ll get higher-paying odds than you would by placing the bets individually.
Unless you add other games or sports, you’ll create same-game parlays for the NBA Finals games.
That might mean a bet on Steph Curry scoring over 29.5 points, the over on 240.5 points, and Golden State winning at combined odds of +450. Of course, you would have to win all three bets for you to win this parlay.
- Check here for the best NBA betting promos at top online sportsbooks.
- Read our in-depth review of the best apps for sports betting
- Learn about the best sports betting sites in the US
5 essential NBA Finals betting tips
Here are five simple tips to keep in mind for betting on the NBA Finals:
1. Six games or fewer
Only four of the past 22 NBA Finals have gone to a seventh game. That means any bets on the total number of games should probably stop at six.
2. Home court is huge
The team with home-court advantage has won 11 of the past 14 NBA Finals. Getting the first two and a total of four games at home makes a difference.
3. NBA Finals MVP trend
The NBA Finals MVP has come from the winning side all but one time. The exception was 1969, when Jerry West won it for a losing Los Angeles Lakers team. In other words, a bet for MVP is akin to picking a series winner.
4. Importance of seeds
No fifth, seventh, or eighth seed has ever won an NBA title. In fact, only one team not seeded No. 1 or No. 2 has won the title over the past decade. That was the Dallas Maverick in 2011.
5. Go with the favorites
Heading into the 2023 NBA Finals, the favorites to win at the start of the playoffs were 7-3 in the past 10 seasons. The nature of the NBA Finals -- seven-game series -- makes it more challenging for underdogs to pull off title-winning upsets.
NBA Finals 2024: Key information
Here are a few key things worth keeping in mind when betting on the NBA Finals:
When do the NBA Finals start?
Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals will most likely tip off in June, but the exact day is still be determined. If the series goes the full seven games, the 2024 NBA champion will be crowned in mid-late June.
How do the NBA Finals work?
The NBA playoffs start with a play-in tournament where the seventh through 10th teams in each conference play one another for the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds. The first round of the playoffs officially begin upon the conclusion of the play-in tournament. The winners of each seven-game series in this round advance to the conference semifinals.
The best-of-seven semi-finals winners advance to the best-of-seven Conference Finals, and those winners meet in the NBA Finals, also a best-of-seven series. The best seed gets home-court advantage, hosting games 1,2,5 and 7. The first team to win four games wins the title.
How many games are in the NBA Finals?
The NBA Finals is a best-of-seven series. The winner is the first team to win four games, which means there is a maximum of seven games.
Where to watch the NBA Finals?
The NBA Finals will air on ABC, a network station. This ensures that the widest audience can access the league’s premier event. An NBA League Pass subscription gives you access to every game throughout the regular season and playoffs but does not include the NBA Finals.
For more relevant NBA betting information, check out the following:
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