NBA Finals odds for 2023-2024 NBA season: Who are the favorites to start the new season?

The idea of picking the correct champion out of 30 teams can be challenging but some teams should be cleared out of your mind as they have the proverbial snowball’s chance in Hell. But there are quite a few worth risking your money for.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the latest NBA Finals odds from DraftKings and analyze three worthwhile bets and one that will be a sure loser.

The Milwaukee Bucks were shockingly, and embarrassingly eliminated from the 2023 NBA playoffs by the Miami Heat in the first round. After being the top seed in the sport, they were on the wrong end of history by being the second one-seed to fall to an eight. However, fans should expect the Bucks to come back with a vengeance next season.

The main reason is their bold decisions to switch coaches and make a pre-training camp blockbuster trade for superstar point guard Damian Lillard. It is no surprise that the combo of Lillard and incumbent superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo led to a major jump in the odds for Milwaukee.

At the end of the 2022-2023 season, two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets teammates delivered on the promise they have long shown and brought the franchise its first NBA title. They were a dominant force throughout the postseason and seemed to only get better in the later rounds.

It is no surprise they are the favorites to repeat in 2024 since all of the key elements for the roster will be back next season. Furthermore, they all now know what it takes to be a world champion and there is a strong chance they are an even better team due to that experience and an even higher level of confidence.

One of the interesting darkhorse options among the NBA Finals odds is the Los Angeles Lakers at +1200. The team made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2023 and is likely to be even better in year two for head coach Darvin Ham. Plus, with Lebron James’ title window as small as ever he will be motivated to get one more championship.

Furthermore, if they can make some roster tweaks and retain young talents like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, they can definitely take another step forward to the NBA Finals in 2024 and are strong dark horse contenders.

It is always hard to bet against the Golden State Warriors, but in 2024 it is probably safe to say they won’t win a championship. Sure, many of the same pieces from the team that won it all in 2022 will be there again, but they are all a year older and the team has very limited means to make major changes to the roster.

While they did make one notable switch this summer in shipping out Jordan Poole and adding future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul, it is a move that strengthens them just on paper. But won’t really bear the sort of long-term fruit come spring that some Warriors fans are hoping for.