2023-24 NBA Championship Odds: Suns, Celtics, or Bucks Win?

On Tuesday, October 24, the road to the 2023-24 NBA Finals tips off at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets begin their title defense against LeBron James and the Las Angeles Lakers in the season opener.

We are assessing the latest 2023-24 NBA Championship odds at the best NBA betting sites and locking in our NBA Championship predictions. The season promises to be an ultra-competitive campaign, with several capable teams in the conversation to win the title. In addition to the usual candidates, a few up-and-coming squads are worth keeping tabs on as well.

Check below for the latest 2023-24 NBA Championship odds and our picks for the newest title-winner below.

The following NBA Championship odds are courtesy of BetUS:

The Milwaukee Bucks have a slight edge over the Boston Celtics to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship. At +420 odds, the Bucks have a 19.2 percent implied probability of winning their second title since 2021. The Celtics are only one percent behind the Bucks.

Shortly after winning the 2022-23 NBA Championship, the Nuggets opened as betting favorites. Currently, the Nuggets have the third-best odds to win at +550 odds. The Phoenix Suns follow closely behind the Nuggets at +600.

We are evaluating the top favorites out of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. As the favorites to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship, the Bucks represent the East. In the loaded West, the Nuggets are favored to reach the NBA Finals to defend their title.

The Bucks propelled to the top of the 2023-24 NBA Championship odds after acquiring Damian Lillard. With a fresh new look, including head coach Adrian Griffin, the Bucks are anticipating another championship run this season.

Last year, the Bucks were upset in the first round against the Miami Heat. The Bucks won just one postseason game before exiting in April. The front office shook the roster up and added a bonafide star to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Lillard provides the Bucks with the most sought-after player on the market in the offseason. The 33-year-old sharpshooter is coming off a career year. In his final season with the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game.

Will the Bucks instantly have chemistry and roll over the rest of the league? It could take a month or two before Griffin’s system flourishes. There are a few moving parts on this roster from last year, including a new head coach in Griffin, a former assistant in Toronto.

Losing Jrue Holiday will likely be felt on the floor. Replacing his defensive prowess on the perimeter is not immediately replaceable. He is one of the best defensive players in the NBA, so that loss will undoubtedly be felt.

Nevertheless, the Bucks have too much firepower, and still have an elite defender in Antetokounmpo to regress significantly in Holiday’s absence. The key for the Bucks will be Khris Middleton’s health.

Middleton is the X-factor for this team. He played just 33 games a season ago after suiting up for 66 games in 2021-22. When Middleton was healthy, he averaged 20+ points in three straight seasons, from 2019 to 2022.

The Bucks will figure it out and likely have a chance for 60 wins late in the season. Griffin will be a top candidate for NBA Coach of the Year, while Antetokounmpo will be in contention for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP.

After opening as the title favorites, the Nuggets have fallen back to the third-likeliest team to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship. On paper, the Bucks and Celtics got better in the offseason, while the Nuggets remained stagnant in free agency.

Rather, the Nuggets lost some depth in the offseason. Bruce Brown and Jeff Green aren’t stars, but they were integral pieces for team depth off the bench. Brown is coming off his best season in the NBA.

The Nuggets would have liked to retain Brown, though they were not willing to match the Indiana Pacers’ offer. Keeping the core together of Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. is not cheap. The team is banking on Christian Braun stepping up his play.

As long as the Nuggets have a healthy Jokić and Murray, they’re going to be in business. Murray being healthy in the playoffs proved to give the Nuggets the edge they missed in the past.

The Nuggets finished at 53-29 for the best record in the Western Conference. This season, Jokić should be capable of carrying the Nuggets to a similar record. He could go through the motions and not be completely motivated and still lead this team to 50+ victories.

It will be interesting to see how motivated the Nuggets are after winning a championship. Jokić could probably retire tomorrow and be content with his career.

In any event, the 28-year-old native of Sombor, Serbia, doesn’t require much motivation to be one of the most dominant players in the NBA. With an average effort, the five-time NBA All-Star is still averaging a minimum of 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The Nuggets will miss Brown coming off the bench, though a healthy starting five keeps this team in elite territory in the West.

The Miami Heat continue to be one of the most disrespected teams in the NBA. Despite knocking off the Bucks and rolling to the 2022-23 NBA Finals, the Heat are +2500 to win the NBA Championship.

After the Heat lost the Lillard sweepstakes, their NBA Championship odds plummeted. It’s as if nobody wants to include the Heat in their NBA betting strategy for this season. However, we believe that there is too much of an overreaction from the public.

The Heat are entering the 2023-24 season with their core intact. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry are back for the Heat this season. If the 37-year-old Lowry can find the fountain of youth, the Heat should be one of the better teams in the East.

Miami’s defense is expected to be a top-tier unit again this season. The Heat were the second-best team in the NBA defensively.

They conceded 109 points per game, which was better than the 76ers, Celtics, and Nuggets. Head coach Erik Spoelstra’s defensive system resonates with this team.

With Adebayo healthy, the Heat’s defense should continue to thrive in 2023-24. While the offense will run hot and cold throughout the year, their defensive effort puts them in a position to win on most nights.

During their expected playoff run as a play-in team, the Heat showed they can get hot at the right time. We are confident in the defense giving opposing offenses issues. If the Heat have another offensive spurt in the spring, they could surprise for the second straight year.

The Heat don’t have the best team in the East, but at +2500 you have to consider this value at online betting sites.

The Sacramento Kings did not have the successful run that the Heat had in the 2022-23 playoffs. However, making the playoffs and pushing the Warriors to seven games was a step in the right direction.

The Kings took a 2-0 series lead over the Warriors, but Stephen Curry’s 50-point effort in Game 7 was too much to overcome. In March, the Kings clinched their first playoff berth since 2006.

Despite failing to get out of the first round, last season’s 48-34 campaign was a win. Now, there are expectations and some pressure on the Kings. They are expected to win games and not just be competitive.

In 2022-23, the Kings led the NBA, with 120.2 points scored per game in the regular season. They were two points better than the Atlanta Hawks’ 118.2 points per game. The Kings were backed by a talented starting five that included point guard De’Aaron Fox and forward Domantas Sabonis.

Fox and Sabonis rank up there as two of the most underrated duos in the NBA. According to the Kings’ NBA Championship odds, BetUS is undervaluing the Kings, as well.

Fox led the Kings with 25 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. Sabonis averaged a double-double, with 19.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. Along with Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes, the Kings had four players averaging at least 15 points per game.

The offense was so efficient that the Kings broke a record for the best offensive rating in NBA history at 119.4. There were no offensive concerns for the Kings, but the defense had major problems.

To address the paper-thin defense, the Kings traded for guard Chris Duarte and signed center JaVale McGee. Rookie guard Colby Jones also has the potential to help give the defense a boost.

None of these acquisitions will suddenly turn the Kings into an elite defensive unit, but they are important for depth off the bench. This is something that the Kings severely lacked a season ago.

The Kings are stuck in a tough Western Conference. However, they should have the personnel to give opponents fits this season. Teams aren’t playing the Kings and leaving the court without breaking a sweat.

At +4000, the Kings are worth at least a flier to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship.

To wrap up our NBA betting preview, let’s make our 2023-24 NBA Finals matchup prediction and then jump into our pick to win the NBA Championship:

At BetUS, you can bet on the exact matchup for the 2023-24 NBA Finals. Currently, the Bucks and Nuggets are favored to meet in the championship series next spring.

We have identified slightly better value on the board, though. The Celtics and Suns make for an intriguing NBA Finals matchup. Both of these teams underperformed in the playoffs last year.

Many pundits had the Celtics and Suns meeting in the 2022-23 NBA Finals. A year after disappointing their supporters, the Celtics and Suns have gotten better in the offseason.

In June, the Suns and Washington Wizards engaged in a trade that sent Bradley Beal to Phoenix. The Suns didn’t stop there. Included in the blockbuster Lillard trade, was center Jusuf Nurkic going to the Suns. Injuries have been a concern for Nurkic, but a significant contributor when he’s healthy.

The Suns are entering this season with a starting five featuring Beal, Nurkic, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Josh Okogie. If Okogie elevates his game, and there is chemistry between this group, the Suns will score in bunches this season.

Depth is still a concern for Phoenix. Ultimately, depth ended up being their demise in the playoffs against the Nuggets. The addition of Grayson Allen is an underrated move that should provide help off the bench.

Meanwhile, in Boston, the Celtics recently acquired Holiday in a trade from the Trail Blazers. The Bucks obtained Lillard, but Holiday’s defensive absence is difficult to replace.

The Celtics, who believed they were a player away from a championship, seized the opportunity to bring Holiday to Beantown.

Holiday joins a Celtics team that was already in good shape. The Celtics finished two games behind the Bucks in the East with a record of 57-25.

Adding Holiday to a roster that includes Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown provides the Celtics with a potent attack and a top-notch defensive approach.

The Celtics were one of the most well-rounded squads in the league, and even more so now with Holiday in the starting lineup. They’ve been considered playoff chokers the past few years, but the Celtics may have found the missing piece to the puzzle.

Last season, the Celtics led the NBA in average scoring margin in the regular season. At +5.9, the Celtics were a point better than the rest of the league. In comparison, the Nuggets had an average scoring margin of +4.3.

With that in mind, the Celtics were already an elite team before trading for Holiday. Despite not being a household name, everyone in the NBA knows how much of an impact he has on the floor. In 2022-23, the former Buck averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists.

Holiday is known for his defense, but he’s an underrated offensive player. Tatum and Brown will only benefit from his presence at point guard.

No. 0’s NBA MVP campaign is likely to benefit from a point guard like Holiday on the team. This is on a team that was already one of the best in the Eastern Conference and Tatum is an MVP contender.

The Bucks might have the best record in the regular season, but the Celtics are built to finally get over the hump in the playoffs. For our 2023-24 NBA Championship prediction, we are siding with the Celtics to prevail.

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