NBA Championship Odds, Predictions & Picks 2025: Nuggets Move Past Lakers, Cavs Close Down Celtics

• The Thunder now have a 37 percent implied chance to win the Finals

• The New York Knicks fell all the way to +3000

• The Minnesota Timberwolves shot up in odds after they showed recent life

There’s less than a month until the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA playoffs, and odds to win the NBA Finals have already broken down teams into several groups of contenders and wanna-be’s.

The Oklahoma City Thunder recently moved past the Boston Celtics to lead the league in NBA Finals odds, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are slowly marching down their Eastern Conference counterpart. The Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors are also separated by just 300 points of value as the top favorites to challenge the Thunder.

Will there be late risers who upset the odds board, or will it be chalk from here until the NBA Finals in June?

Here’s a look at where 2025 NBA championship odds stand.

2025 NBA Championship Odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Place your bets at FanDuel and claim the following bonus: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

*Rest of the league listed at +10000 odds or higher.

2025 NBA Championship Pick

• My Pick: Boston Celtics (+195) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The Celtics went 12-7 against teams with top-10 point differentials and have turned it on as of late despite not being fully healthy. Their ability to dominate with offense and defense, inside and out, and their versatility makes it tough to find a single weakness on their team. They also play in the easier of the two conferences and have learned how to dominate on the road with their 24-7 record away from home.

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2025 NBA Finals Favorites

Boston Celtics

• Head Coach: Joe Mazzulla 

• Key Player: Jayson Tatum

• Player to Watch: Kristaps Porzingis

The Celtics are the gold standard in the NBA. Their status as defending champs helps, but they also mastered the theme of “modern” basketball by having a treasure trove of two-way players who are selfless, intelligent, excellent defenders and shooters, and know when to exploit mismatches. Their only real competition in the Eastern Conference is the Cavaliers, which means they should get to the conference finals without breaking a sweat.

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Oklahoma City Thunder

• Head Coach: Mark Daigneault 

• Key Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 

• Player to Watch: Jalen Williams

The Thunder’s statistical dominance is hard to put into words. They’re clearly the best on-paper team in the league and also performed the best against the other elite teams, which gives them tangible proof of concept as they prepare for the toughest months of the season. They’re young and inexperienced and were blown out in the In-Season Tournament finale, which raises questions about their ability to perform in the biggest moments. 

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Cleveland Cavaliers

• Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson

• Key Player: Donovan Mitchell

• Player to Watch: Darius Garland

Cleveland leads the league in two- and three-point percentage, which is an accurate representation of its overall offensive efficiency. They have size in the frontcourt, length on the wings, and two guards who can score off the dribble and create for their teammates, all of which combine to make them one of the most malleable teams in the league. They also split the season series with the Celtics 2-2 and won’t be afraid to see them in the postseason. 

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Los Angeles Lakers

• Head Coach: JJ Redick

• Key Player: Luka Doncic

• Player to Watch: Rui Hachimura

The LeBron James-Luka Doncic pairing is still a work in progress, but the Lakers have been able to generate efficient offense while playing the best defense in the league for nearly two months. Jaxson Hayes played well recently but is still a question mark in a playoff series, particularly if he has to match up with Nikola Jokic. LA is also prone to cold streaks from three and will need James and Doncic to be spectacular during those moments.

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Denver Nuggets

• Head Coach: Michael Malone

• Key Player: Nikola Jokic

• Player to Watch: Russell Westbrook

Having the best player in the world on your team means you always have a chance, and that’s exactly where Denver finds itself. Jokic is in the top three in points, rebounds, and assists per game and has helped the Nuggets’ offense elevate to one of the best in the league, although they’re only 20th in defensive rating. The team that knocks Denver out of the playoffs will need to keep them in rotation and win the three-point battle.

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2025 NBA Finals Dark Horse Picks

Milwaukee Bucks

Look, the Bucks probably won’t win the championship—but outside of the top five, who really has a chance? At least the Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, one of which can be the best player in the world on any given night, and the other of which can drop 50 points in a heartbeat and is one of the most clutch players in the league. They’ll face the Pacers, Lakers, Thunder, Warriors, Nuggets, and Knicks in the coming weeks, which will reveal more about their championship aspirations.

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Who Won the 2024 NBA Championship?

The Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals over the Dallas Mavericks 4-1. The C’s did not lose more than one game in any of their playoff series and brought back their entire starting five, along with important bench contributors such as Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser. 

The title was Boston’s first since 2008 and broke a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championships in NBA history.

Who Won the 2024 NBA Finals MVP?

Jaylen Brown was named the NBA Finals MVP after he averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.6 steals on 44 percent field goal shooting. Brown received seven of 11 first-place votes, while Jayson Tatum (22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists) received four.

Which NBA Teams Have Not Won the Finals?

10 of the NBA’s 30 franchises never won an NBA Finals trophy. The list of teams includes the following:

• Brooklyn Nets

• Charlotte Hornets

• Indiana Pacers

• Los Angeles Clippers

• Memphis Grizzlies

• Minnesota Timberwolves

• New Orleans Pelicans

• Orlando Magic

• Phoenix Suns

• Utah Jazz