The Boston Celtics entered the 2024-25 NBA season as the favorites to win their second-straight championship. They’ve maintained that status throughout the first half of their schedule, despite other teams around the league sporting better records. But things have changed over the weekend, and it is now the Oklahoma City Thunder who now have the shortest odds of any team to win the NBA Finals.
Thunder Overtake Celtics For Top Spot On NBA Finals Odds Board
They’ve been far and away the best team in the West this year. The Thunder are now more than halfway through their regular season schedule, and they have posted a 35-7 mark, tied for the most wins in the league with the Cavaliers. But they play in a tougher conference than Cleveland, and OKC currently has the best average point differential by a wide margin. They are outscoring their opponents by an average of 12.8 points per game, nearly three full points better than the Cavs, and four better than Boston.
| Team | Current Finals Odds | Pre-Season Finals Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +240 | +650 |
| Boston Celtics | +250 | +280 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +600 | +5000 |
| New York Knicks | +1200 | +750 |
| Denver Nuggets | +1600 | +900 |
After splitting the season series with Cleveland, the Thunder have surpassed the Celtics and are now listed as the favorites to win the NBA Championship. After beginning the season at +650, OKC now has a designation of +240, according to BetOnline. That is just a notch lower than Boston’s designation, which is now +250. The oddsmakers don’t have much faith in the Cavaliers despite them having the pest winning percentage in the league thus far, placing them at +600.
Finishing off the weekend with a W 😄 pic.twitter.com/Jx8KhsQJ3P
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 20, 2025
The rest of the pack is further back. The New York Knicks have maintained their spot at no. 3 in the East for much of the season, and are fourth on the NBA Championship odds board at +1200. The Denver Nuggets are the second Western Conference team on the list, and they round out the top-5 at +1600.
The Houston Rockets, who are currently in second place in the West, are all the way back at +4000.
