2024 NBA title odds: Clippers join inner circle of Finals contenders

Don’t look now, but the Los Angeles Clippers are a top-flight title contender.

After a red-hot two months, the Clippers have joined the Celtics, Nuggets, and Bucks in the inner circle of the NBA’s best teams. 

Kawhi Leonard and Co. are currently +500 to win the 2024 NBA championship, the third-best odds behind Boston (+265) and Denver (+375), and a smidge ahead of Milwaukee (+700) at Caesars Sportsbook. 

The Clippers opened the season with eighth-best title odds at +2600 but rose to fifth at +1300 (FanDuel Sportsbook) following their blockbuster trade to acquire James Harden from the 76ers in late October. 

But after a 3-7 start to the season, the Clippers dropped to +2200 to win the title in late November – far from the contender status they are today. 

Since then, the Clippers have gone 33-10 and steadily climbed the odds board thanks to what’s become a months-long hot streak.

By Jan. 9, the Clippers jumped to +950, becoming the fourth team to have title odds better than 10-1. 

Now, as the league heads into the All-Star Break, the Clippers have leapfrogged the Bucks on the ladder and sit at 36-17, third in the Western Conference and two games behind the No. 1 seed Minnesota Timberwolves. 

The Clippers’ rise comes after years of disappointment during the Leonard-Paul George era that began with a historic trade in the summer of 2019. 

Los Angeles has made just one Conference Finals round since Leonard and George joined forces in 2019-20.

After several years of pegging the Clippers as title contenders, oddsmakers seemed to have softened on them this time around with the +2600 preseason number. 

If they can pull it off, the Clippers would be the biggest preseason long shot to win the title since the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors (+2800) shocked the world with their first championship, according to Sports Odds History.