Teams the Odds Say Could Reach the NBA Finals in 2025
James Willis | April 15, 2025
There will be 16 teams in play to try and advance to the NBA Finals in 2025. That’s after the 2024-25 regular season ends this Sunday (April 13th) and the play-in tournament concludes April 18th. Then, eight teams in the Eastern Conference and eight more in the Western Conference begin best-of-seven series en route to see who wins the title.
As the 82-game year has progressed, there have been three teams dominating the wagering in the category of “next league champion.” It’s not surprising that these are the same teams who’ve manhandled the NBA scores during the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently favored at +175, with the defending champion Boston Celtics at 2-1 (+200).
Those Cleveland Cavaliers are priced at 11-2 (+550), the only other team under double figures.
While OKC is led by league-leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, prohibitive MVP favorite, Boston is featuring more balance with Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown. Meanwhile, it’s the Cavs boasting Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.
Though the board is fluid (the story was written during the season’s last week), the odds are suggesting Boston and Cleveland are going duking it out to see who draws the Thunder in the Finals.
If you go deeper into the odds, Boston is the -145 choice to win the East, Cleveland at +175. There’s no one between the Cavs and the 10-1 (+1000) New York Knicks.
Over in the West, it’s the Thunder also at that -145 quote, with the Los Angeles Lakers at 11-2 (+550) and the Golden State Warriors third choice at 6-1 (+600)… That’s it as far as under double digits on the board (the Denver Nuggets are next at 10-1 [+1000]).
If you care to wager on precisely who is going to play in the Finals, a Celtics-Thunder meeting is favored at +175 to contest the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
That’s a current look at the board just before the start of the NBA playoffs.
Here’s a bit of a primer on the 2025 NBA Finals…
What Day Do the NBA Finals Start?
The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin June 5th; obviously, the team with the better record during the season. The last possible date of the best-of-seven series would be June 22nd.
What Are the Dates of the NBA Finals 2025?
Subject to change, the NBA Finals are…
- Game 1 – Thursday, June 5th
- Game 2 – Sunday, June 8th
- Game 3 – Wednesday, June 11th
- Game 4 – Friday, June 13th
- Game 5 – Monday, June 16th
- Game 6 – Thursday, June 19th
- Game 7 – Sunday, June 22nd
(Note that Games 5,6, and 7 are, if necessary, and that all series find the better-record team hosting Games 1,2,,5 and 7, the “worse-record” team hosting Games 3,4, and 6; times are TBD).
Who is Favored to Win the NBA Finals 2025?
As was mentioned, looking at the 2024-25 NBA standings, it’s not stunning to find the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and Cleveland Cavaliers as favorites to win the NBA title this season. They had won 66 (Thunder), 63 (Cavaliers,) and 60 (Celtics) games, respectively, in the waning days of the NBA schedule.
Any Final Thoughts?
As with other sporting events on the board, the odds to win the 2025 NBA championship are fluid, and as with all other sports events on the board, “do your NBA games homework” is the mantra before placing any wager. Just because the board suggests a “three-team match race” to the title doesn’t necessarily make it so. Do not be afraid to take a shot with a lesser light at a price.
