With the future of the season still in limbo, the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are consensus co-favorites at 5/2 odds to win the 2020 NBA Championship. The Lakers (49-14) and Bucks (53-12) were the best teams in their respective divisions before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the NBA Season on March 11.
The futures markets are still intact without any major movement. The Lakers, Bucks, and LA Clippers are the top three favorites on the board, and the NBA championship odds haven’t changed much since the preseason and during the progression of the season.
The Bucks, led by the Greek Freak, were on pace to win 70 games for most of the season. When the NBA suspended its season, the Bucks were the only team to have passed the 50-win mark.
The Clippers (44-30), with the second-best record in the Western Conference, are 3/1 odds to win the title.
Even without Kawhi Leonard, the defending champion Toronto Raptors won 46 games and moved into the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are 18/1 odds to repeat as NBA champions.
2020 NBA Championship Odds – Top 5
Los Angeles Lakers 5/2
Milwaukee Bucks 5/2
Los Angeles Clippers 3/1
Houston Rockets 13/1
Toronto Raptors 18/1
The NBA is considering multiple scenarios and options to resume play. The latest option on the table could include the playoffs hosted at Disney World in Orlando.
The NBA has been tyring to keep its fans entertained and engaged during the shutdown. The NBA, in conjunction with the WNBA, hosted a HORSE tournament. With pro leagues exploring virtual options, the NBA and eSports worlds met with a players-only NBA 2K tournament won by Devin Booker from the Phoenix Suns.
Saw some reports about execs and agents wanting to cancel season??? That’s absolutely not true. Nobody I know saying anything like that. As soon as it’s safe we would like to finish our season. I’m ready and our team is ready. Nobody should be canceling anything. 👑
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 30, 2020
Playoff Bound, But Basic
The Boston Celtics (43-21) clinched a playoff berth before the shutdown. Brad Stevens and his squad hold the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are 20/1 odds to win the 2020 NBA title, but must fight the Greek Freak for supremacy in the east.
The Miami Heat (41-24) got off to a hot start with Jimmy Butler and a couple of young players. They hit a mini-slump shortly before the pandemic pause, but still have the fourth-best record in the east. The Heat are certainly ahead of schedule, but Butler in the playoffs can be their wild card. You definitely don’t want to be matched up against Butler and head coach Erik Spoelstra.
2020 NBA Title Odds
Boston Celtics 20/1
Miami Heat 20/1
Philadelphia 76ers 22/1
Denver Nuggets 30/1
Utah Jazz 30/1
Dallas Mavericks 40/1
Brooklyn Nets 66/1
Oklahoma City Thunder 80/1
The Philadelphia 76ers (39-26) were an unusual bunch this season. The Sixers were unbeatable at home in Philly, but for some reason, hopeless on the road. Maybe it’s the cheesesteaks.
The Sixers boast the best home record in the NBA with a 29-2 clip, yet they’re an atrocious 10-24 on the road. The Sixers faded in the playoffs last year and they’ve slipped to 22/1 odds to win the championship.
The Denver Nuggets offered up the best value on the board at 30/1 to ship the NBA championship. The Nugs were one of the most exciting teams to watch in the playoffs last season. The Portland Trail Blazers and the Nuggets played an exhilarating seven-game series in the Western Semifinals in 2019, including a quadruple-overtime marathon in Game 3. They followed up last year’s run with a 43-22 record, for third-best in the west. The Nugs are only 1.5 games behind the Clippers.
Everyone Else, Have-Nots Doomed
The NBA evolved into the haves and the have-nots. It seems like there are five superteams and a half-dozen good teams, but that’s about it. Not every team can be like the Lakers with tandem superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Indiana Pacers currently hold the #5 seed in the east, but they had just gotten Victor Oladpio back int he lineup before the coronavirus outbreak shut down the league. The Pacers are 100/1 odds to win the NBA championship, and are definitely the best team in this grouping.
Several young teams were fun to watch this season. The Memphis Grizzlies, led by rookie Ja Morant (probable Rookie of the Year), were fighting for the #8 seed out west.
The New Orleans Pelicans were also a long shot at securing a playoff berth, but the Pels improved as a team as soon as Zion Williamson made his long-awaited midseason debut after injuring his knee in the preseason.
NBA Title Odds
Indiana Pacers 100/1
Memphis Grizzlies 200/1
New Orleans Pelicans 200/1
Portland Trail Blazers 200/1
San Antonio Spurs 200/1
Orlando Magic 300/1
Chicago Bulls 500/1
Phoenix Suns 500/1
Sacramento Kings 500/1
Washington Wizards 500/1
Atlanta Hawks 800/1
Charlotte Hornets 800/1
Cleveland Cavaliers 800/1
Detroit Pistons 800/1
Minnesota Timberwolves 800/1
New York Knicks 800/1
The have-nots are the teams that were openly trying to tank or are in the process of rebuilding. The best part of the pandemic is that the New York Knicks aren’t getting their butts stomped on a nightly basis. The Knicks, T-Wolves, Pistons, Cavs, Hornets, and Hawks were all jockeying for a potential lottery pick. Sound familiar?
