The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas released its 2021 NBA championship odds, and the Los Angeles Lakers are the favorite at 7/2 odds to repeat as champions. The LA Clippers at 5/1 odds, Milwaukee Bucks at 13/2, and Golden State Warriors at 8/1 round out the Top 4 favorites to win the NBA championship.
The Miami Heat were the runner-up this year after a magic run in the postseason thanks to Jimmy Butler’s Herculean effort. Coming into next season, the Heat are only 14/1 odds to win the 2021 NBA championship.
| 2021 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS |
- LA Lakers 7/2
- LA Clippers 5/1
- Milwaukee Bucks 13/2
- Golden State Warriors 8/1
- Brooklyn Nets 10/1
- Boston Celtics 12/1
- Miami Heat 14/1
- Denver Nuggets 20/1
- Toronto Raptors 25/1
- Houston Rockets 25/1
After an ugly season dealing with injuries to both of the Splash Brothers, plus recovering from the fallout of losing Kevin Durant, the Warriors were one of the worst teams in the NBA. With both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson expected back at full health, the Warriors are a popular pick at 8/1 odds to win the NBA championship in 2021.
Other Contenders: Celtics, Raptors, Nuggets, Nets
The Boston Celtics went deep, but came up short when they were bounced in the Eastern Conference Finals by the red-hot Miami Heat. The Celtics are only 12/1 odds to win the title next season.
Kevin Durant is expected to be ready to return to action and play his first games with the Brooklyn Nets next season. The Nets are a popular pick to win the NBA championship at 10/1 odds.
The Toronto Raptors experienced a rough postseason inside the NBA Bubble, but they still managed to secure a #2 seed in the east, even after Kawhi Leonard bolted for the LA Clippers. The Raptors are one more key player away from becoming a bona fide threat in the Eastern Conference. The raptors are 25/1 odds to win their second NBA title in the last three years.
The Denver Nuggets were my upset pick to advance to the NBA Finals in 2020. The never-say-die Nugs fell short of making me look like a genius when the Lakers stopped them dead cold in the Western Conference Finals. Jamal Murray emerged as one of the NBA’s next big stars after a couple of sensational scoring performances. Plus, Nikola Jokic has become one of the NBA’s elite big men (not named Anthony Davis). The Nuggets once again offer great value at 20/1 odds to win the NBA title.
The Middle of the Road
If anyone can turn around the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s Doc Rivers. The Sixers are a fetish pick this upcoming season at 30/1 odds after big data-guru Daryl Morey joined as their new general manager.
The Dallas Mavericks could be one of my sleeper picks because Luka Doncic has the skills to become the top player in the NBA. However, the Mavs lack enough firepower to help Doncic with the scoring load. The Unicorn injured his knees once again, and who knows how effective he’ll be when he returns from post-op rehab.
Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers could be a force if they stay healthy in 2021. They offer up good value at 30/1 odds.
| 2021 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS |
- Philadelphia 76ers 30/1
- Dallas Mavericks 30/1
- Portland Trail Blazers 30/1
- Utah Jazz 40/1
- New Orleans Pelicans 50/1
- Phoenix Suns 50/1
Stan Van Gundy will try to guide the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson to the promised land. At the least, the Pelicans hired a head coach who has experiencing developing up-and-coming big men (e.g. SVG with Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic). The Pelicans are 50/1 odds to win the NBA title, which sounds about right. They’re still a veteran or two away from being a legit threat to the big dogs in the west.
The Phoenix Suns need to add a couple of better players to the lineup around Devin Booker. If you live on the West Coast, then you’ve seen what Booker can do as one of the NBA’s elite scorers. If Booker played on the East Coast or in a bigger market like LA, then he’d be mentioned in the same breath as the top-5 players in the NBA.
The Long Shots
The NBA has become a battle of the haves vs the have nots. Only a handful of teams truly have a shot at the NBA championship, whereas most of the league is just cannon fodder.
Save your money. Avoid wagering on these long shots because it would take a miracle for any of them to turn around their current situations, whether it’s a lackluster roster, a stagnant front office, a toxic environment, bad head coaches, or terrible ownership.
There are definitely talented players on the NBA’s bottom-feeding teams, like Ja Morant at Memphis or Trae Young in Atlanta. But those young gunslingers need a lot of help if they want to even join the middle-of-the-road teams mentioned above.
| 2021 NBA LONG SHOT ODDS |
- Memphis Grizzlies 100/1
- Atlanta Hawks 100/1
- Chicago Bulls 100/1
- Washington Wizards 100/1
- Indiana Pacers 100/1
- Oklahoma City Thunder 100/1
- San Antonio Spurs 200/1
- Sacramento Kings 200/1
- Minnesota Timberwolves 200/1
- New York Knicks 300/1
The sad-sack New York Knicks are the consensus worst team in the NBA heading into next season. James Dolan should take note that every bookie in the world thinks his team sucks, and that he sucks even more. The Knicks are 300/1 odds to win the 2020 NBA title, and they should probably be even higher, like 420/1.