NBA Title Odds: Celtics, Bucks Enter Preseason as Championship Favorites

The Boston Celtics’ 17 NBA titles are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in NBA history, and oddsmakers currently peg them as the betting co-favorite to win their 18th NBA championship as preseason action gets underway.

The Celtics made it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year, and they bolstered an already talented lineup by acquiring Jrue Holiday on the eve of training camp. It continued a transformative offseason for Boston, who traded away long-time Celtic Marcus Smart in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis earlier in the summer. FanDuel lists them at +380, which is in line with the consensus odds.

NBA Title Odds

Odds via FanDuel and as off Monday Oct. 9.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks are right on Boston’s heels at +400, although FanDuel has them equal with the Celtics at +380. Milwaukee swung a blockbuster trade of their own shortly before training camp, acquiring Damian Lillard from Portland. The seven-time All-Star set a new career-high averaging 32.2 points per game last season, and will pair with perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo to form one of the league’s top duos.

Overall, oddsmakers project the Eastern Conference to be top heavy heading into the 2023-24 campaign. The Cleveland Cavaliers  (+2400) are the only other team FanDuel lists as a top 10 favorite. The other seven all come from the Western Conference, which figures to be wide open. The Phoenix Suns have the third-best odds at +550, tied with the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets.

Finally, while the Miami Heat made it to the NBA Finals a year ago, oddsmakers are down on their chances for a return visit. The hot rumor over the summer was that Miami was the likely landing spot for Lillard, but the Trail Blazers opted for Milwaukee’s package instead.

Even though the Heat return the big three of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, they failed to make a splash in the offseason while their two biggest threats in the East made significant upgrades. As a result, FanDuel has them at +3000 to take home the title, which ranks 12^th in the league.

More Stories from Action NBA