Basketball’s fast-paced nature, characterized by swift possessions and rapid turnarounds, fuels the sport’s electrifying appeal. Comebacks are a common sight and outcomes defy expectations more often than not, keeping fans on the edge of their seats for the six months in the NBA schedule.

At the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Denver Nuggets futures odds to win the NBA championship were +2000. Sparked by Nikola Jokic, Denver went on to win its first NBA title in franchise history, after 47 seasons in the league. The Miami Heat were a good bet on the NBA Finals last season with +1600 futures odds pointing to a potential handsome return. 

NBA Futures bets offer a thrilling opportunity to ride the wave of your team’s anticipated success. When you place an NBA futures bet, you are making a long-term prediction on your team’s performance for the duration of the season. And when your team triumphs, you reap the rewards.

2023-24 NBA FINALS ODDS

Who will be the two best teams in the NBA to battle for the right to lift the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy? Placing an NBA Finals futures bet is a way to keep the thrill going until the final buzzer. 

Can you predict who will win the next NBA championship? 

Wth the 2023-24 NBA season underway, here are the futures betting odds to win the NBA championship, according to leading sportsbooks.

The Boston Celtics are considered the favorites to lift the trophy, but will they? The Milwaukee Bucks and defending champion Denver Nuggets have other ideas. All three mean business, and are off to fast starts in the 2023-24 NBA season. Don’t count out the perennial NBA title contenders Golden State Warriors or the reinvigorated Los Angeles Clippers. With longer futures odds at +1200 to win the NBA championship, the Clippers and the Warriors are a popular NBA futures bet that can produce a significant payout.

What are the futures odds for some of the potential surprises? Any team with LeBron James in the lineup is worth a closer look. The Los Angeles Lakers show consensus futures odds to win the NBA Finals at +1600. The Joel Embiid-led Philadelphia 76ers list longer futures odds at +2000. Are the Miami Heat, with futures odds at +3600, capable of pulling off one of their patented stretch runs through the NBA playoffs and into the NBA Finals? 

See our full breakdown of NBA player props, NBA MVP odds and NBA best bets.

Top Picks For The Week

Moneyline Pick

76ers

vs

Celtics

Celtics

-490

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The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Wednesday, December 25th, at 5:00 PM EST

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Moneyline Pick

Timberwolves

vs

Mavericks

Timberwolves

+155

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The Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, December 25th, at 2:30 PM EST

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Bet $100 Payout $255

NBA Computer Pick

Moneyline Pick

Nuggets

vs

Suns

Nuggets

-125

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The Denver Nuggets take on the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on Wednesday, December 25th, at 10:30 PM EST

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Moneyline Pick

Spurs

vs

Knicks

Knicks

-450

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The San Antonio Spurs take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, December 25th, at 12:00 PM EST

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Moneyline Pick

Lakers

vs

Warriors

Warriors

-190

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The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Wednesday, December 25th, at 8:00 PM EST

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Point Spread Pick

76ers

vs

Celtics

Celtics

-9.5

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The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Wednesday, December 25th, at 5:00 PM EST

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NBA Computer Pick

Point Spread Pick

Timberwolves

vs

Mavericks

Timberwolves

+4.5

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The Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, December 25th, at 2:30 PM EST

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NBA Computer Pick

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Point Spread Pick

Nuggets

vs

Suns

Suns

+2.5

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The Denver Nuggets take on the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on Wednesday, December 25th, at 10:30 PM EST

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NBA Computer Pick

Point Spread Pick

Spurs

vs

Knicks

Spurs

+9.5

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The San Antonio Spurs take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, December 25th, at 12:00 PM EST

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Point Spread Pick

Lakers

vs

Warriors

Warriors

-4.5

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The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Wednesday, December 25th, at 8:00 PM EST

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Over/Under Pick

76ers

vs

Celtics

Over

222.5

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The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Wednesday, December 25th, at 5:00 PM EST

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Bet $100 Payout $193

NBA Computer Pick

Over/Under Pick

Timberwolves

vs

Mavericks

Over

223.0

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The Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, December 25th, at 2:30 PM EST

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NBA Computer Pick

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Over/Under Pick

Nuggets

vs

Suns

Over

234.5

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The Denver Nuggets take on the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on Wednesday, December 25th, at 10:30 PM EST

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NBA Computer Pick

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Over/Under Pick

Spurs

vs

Knicks

Under

223.5

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The San Antonio Spurs take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, December 25th, at 12:00 PM EST

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NBA Computer Pick

Over/Under Pick

Lakers

vs

Warriors

Over

225.5

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The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Wednesday, December 25th, at 8:00 PM EST

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NBA CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURES

The stepping stone for the NBA Finals is the Conference championship. The NBA has two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, each with 15 teams aligned in three divisions. Like the NBA Finals, the Eastern Conference Finals and the Western Conference Finals are best of seven series.

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE HISTORY

The Boston Celtics, one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, have won the Eastern Conference Finals a total of 10 times, last winning in 2022. The Miami Heat were last season’s Eastern Conference champion after romping through the playoffs, and have won the trophy –since named after Hall of Famer Bob Cousy– a total of 7 times.

According to the latest NBA futures odds, the Boston Celtics are a safe bet to win the Eastern Conference Finals at +150, and are followed closely by the mighty Milwaukee Bucks, listed at +175. The Bucks are led by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and have bulked up their roster this season with superstar Damian Lillard. The Celtics are not to be outdone, and have an NBA All-Star caliber roster to boot, with newly-acquired Jrue Holiday, dominant center Kristaps Porzingis and all-around scorer and rebounder Jayson Tatum. 

The Philadelphia 76ers are an intriguing futures wager to win the Eastern Conference Finals, with odds at +800. Philly re-signed Joel Embiid and traded James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Miami Heat have long-dominated the notoriously mediocre NBA Southeast Division and have won the Eastern Conference Finals in two out of the last four seasons. The Heat put on an improbable playoff run to capture the Eastern Conference and make it to the NBA Finals. Miami is showing longer futures odds to win the conference, at +1200.

See our full breakdown of the Greatest NBA Players, Most NBA Rings, NBA Players Average Height.

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE HISTORY

Some of the greatest dynasties have come out of the Western Conference. Who could forget the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal Los Angeles Lakers losing only 15 games in the 1999-2000 NBA regular season and then following up in the 2000-2001 season by winning a second consecutive NBA championship and waltzing through the postseason with a 15-1 record. Or the 1983-84 ‘Showtime’ Lakers, with multiple NBA championship and NBA MVP winner Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy. Fast-forward to the LeBron James and Anthony Davis-led Lakers from 2019-20, a team that won the franchise’s 17th NBA title in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. And last NBA season, the Lakers made it to the NBA Finals, only to be swept by the Denver Nuggets.

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors have won 6 out of the last 9 NBA Finals and have had a hold in the NBA Pacific Division. Betting action for the Warriors is likely to pick up as the  2023-24 NBA season progresses as Curry’s hot hand burns his opponents. The Warriors’ futures odds to win the NBA Western Conference are at +800. The Nuggets have been formidable, anchored by 2022 NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Denver, expected to win the NBA Northwest Division, is the Western Conference championship futures betting favorite, at +250.

See our full breakdown of NBA FUTURES:

NBA CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE ODDS

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE ODDS

NBA MVP WINNER

WHAT ARE NBA FUTURES ODDS?

Futures bets are wagers you can place in order to predict the outcome of a future event. 

For example, when betting on the NBA, you can predict:

• Which team will win the NBA championship? 
• Which teams will appear in the NBA finals?
• Who will be the NBA’s regular season MVP? 

An exciting fact about NBA Futures is that, since you are able to place them from the beginning of the season, or even before the season starts, you can secure very favorable odds. 

However, if the season has started, and you are looking to place an NBA Futures bet, there is no need to worry, as the betting lines are open throughout the season. 

As the NBA Finals approach and the outcome becomes more predictable, the odds will shift to reflect this developing probability. Consequently, we strongly advise gaining familiarity with the concept of implied probability. 

It is important to understand the factors that can influence these betting odds. Sportsbooks take into account a team’s roster at the start of the season, with odds based on NBA Draft picks, trades or free agent signings. As the team’s lineups change, the odds will adjust accordingly. For example, the Philadelphia 76ers traded All-Star and former league MVP James Harden and two other players to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Sixers received four players plus draft picks from the Clippers in the blockbuster trade. The futures odds to win then fluctuated from prior to the trade.  

There are three main formats for sportsbooks to display betting odds, and they will vary depending on your geographic location. To succeed in sports betting it is important to familiarize with the three types of odds: American odds, fractional odds, and decimal odds. Because the NBA is based in the United States, it is more likely that sportsbooks will display betting odds in the American format.

American odds might seem intimidating at first, but make sure to check out this detailed and thorough guide. Here you can estimate the potential payout for betting on your favorite team, enabling you to make an informed wagering decision. 

We strongly recommend comparing odds across multiple sportsbooks to maximize your chances of securing the best available lines. To facilitate this process, Lines.com has partnered with the top legal sportsbooks in the United States, providing you with access to the best odds through our dynamic dashboard.

HOW TO BET ON THE NBA FUTURES MARKET

You’ve understood how odds work and the factors that influence them. You’ve learned how to read the odds and calculate your potential payout. Now, you’re ready to place an NBA Futures bet. 

The first step is to create an account with your preferred sportsbook so that you can place a wager. At Lines.com, we’ve developed strategic partnerships with the top legal sportsbooks in the United States. The sportsbooks available to you vary depending on the state where you are located. 

If you are not sure about which sportsbook to choose, consult our review section. We gather and analyze reviews from fans, bettors and experts to compare the features, sign-up bonuses, and exclusive promotions offered by various sportsbooks. 

Before placing an NBA Futures wager, consider these insightful tips that can boost your chances of success:

1. Follow the NBA Draft and keep track of transactions, which include free agent signings and trades.
2. Keep up to date on any injuries, suspensions and off-court events that could affect your team. These factors can affect the outcome of games, so it is important to stay informed to make sound betting decisions.
3. Shop around for the best odds available.
4. Set a budget and bet responsibly. All sportsbooks offer gambling tools to set limits and ensure you enjoy the wagering action within your financial capabilities.

FAQ

HOW DO YOU BET ON NBA FUTURES?

To bet on NBA Futures, research the teams, star players and potential outcomes. Select a sportsbook with favorable odds for your chosen team. Sign up and create an account, determine your budget and place your bet.  

HOW TO READ NBA FUTURES ODDS?

NBA Futures odds are listed as American odds, listed as + for underdog and - for favorite. Consult our detailed guide. Here you can estimate the potential payout for betting on your favorite team, enabling you to make an informed wagering decision. 

WHERE CAN I BET ON NBA FUTURES?

NBA Futures are accessible through legally authorized sportsbooks in the United States, with availability varying by states.

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