Celtics’ NBA Championship odds improve to +290; Is now the time to bet Boston?

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The odds suggest that the Boston Celtics have the best chance of any NBA team to win the Championship this season. Joe Mazzulla’s team continues to see improvement in their NBA title odds approaching the trade deadline.

Boston sits atop the NBA Eastern Conference standings with a 37-16 record, which is good for a .698 winning percentage. While the Celtics lead the East, they aren’t alone atop the overall NBA standings, as the Western Conference Denver Nuggets possess an identical record.

Let’s dive into the Celtics Championship odds and analyze whether this team is worth a wager ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Odds as of February 5th at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Boston Celtics remain the favorite to win the 2023 NBA Championship approaching the trade deadline. Boston opened in the offseason as the second-favorite to win the 2023 NBA title at +700, but those odds have gotten drastically shorter.

The Celtics are now the betting favorite and sit at +290 odds to win the NBA Championship at FanDuel Sportsbook. Their odds imply they have a 25.6% of taking home the title this year. DraftKings Sportsbook is a bit less bullish on Boston, as they have the Celtics priced at +330.

The Celtics have been the betting favorite since November, but their odds drastically improved recently after Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving requested a trade. The Nets’ Championship odds doubled from +700 to +1400 as a result, while the Celtics improved from +390 to 290.

Oddsmakers still view Milwaukee as Boston’s biggest threat to win the NBA title this season, as they list the Bucks second in the odds at +600. The 2021 NBA champs are one game back of the Celtics in the standings and face their Eastern Conference rivals on Valentine’s Day.

Betting NBA futures is all about timing. The odds for every team can change drastically throughout a season, so you want to place your bet when you believe there is value. The NBA trade deadline is February 9, and there are rumblings the Celtics could make a move to improve their roster.

Boston has made some big splashes at recent NBA trade deadlines, acquiring Derrick White from the Spurs in 2022 and Evan Fournier from the Magic in the previous year. This season, it will be difficult for Boston to make a huge move considering they are already $25.5 million over the luxury tax.

While we shouldn’t expect a big splash from the Celtics, they may try to improve an area of need. Boston is reportedly in the market for a big man, which makes sense given Robert Williams’ injury history and Al Horford’s age (36). It also wouldn’t hurt to find another wing who can play behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

How much would a trade for a player like Utah’s Kelly Olynyk move the needle for Boston’s Championship odds? Sure, it might give Boston a minor odds boost, but this team’s identity is built around its dominant top-eight rotation. The Celtics will only go as far as playoff veterans Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart will take them.

The Celtics deserve to be the favorite to win the NBA Championship past the midpoint of the season. Boston boasts the best record in the league and has already made marginal upgrades to a roster that came two wins away from winning the title in 2022.

Boston is a very strong bet to win the title, but you don’t have to rush to make your wager. With the Celtics’ luxury tax situation and all the Kyrie Irving trade rumors, Joe Mazzulla’s team is unlikely to be a team that sees a notable odds shift on February 9th.

The Celtics entered the month of January with +350 odds to win the title at FanDuel. Those odds lengthed to +390 midway through the month even though Boston went on a nine-game winning streak. It was the Kyrie trade request that really dropped their odds at online sportsbooks.

We advise waiting for the dominoes to fall at the trade deadline on Thursday before shopping around for the best price on Boston. The Celtics do have an easier remaining strength of schedule than Milwaukee and Denver, so we foresee their odds shortening further eventually, but you’ll likely be able to find a better price Thursday.

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