Three NBA Finals long shots worth a bet entering 2023 playoffs

After a wild and consequential final day of the NBA regular season, the initial playoff and play-in field is finally set. And the title race has never been more compelling.

The Bucks (+245) and Celtics (+360) are still the favorites to win it all at FanDuel, as they have been virtually the entire season, while the Suns (+480) are the only other team dealing at 8/1 or shorter.

After that, it’s a messy collection of title hopefuls with clear upside and a potentially dangerous path to the Finals — especially for the eight teams that need to play their way into the postseason.

All of that uncertainty also spells plenty of speculative value on the title oddsboard.

Here are three of our favorite bets to win the NBA championship ahead of this week’s play-in games:

Cleveland Cavaliers (36/1)

I keep waiting for the betting market to catch up on the Cavaliers, who boast the NBA’s second-best net rating (+5.6) and best defensive rating (109.9) and a roster built to succeed in the postseason.

Sure, this group hasn’t proven it yet, but Cleveland has everything you’d want on paper.

Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen form an elite defensive duo inside with the size to match up with fellow bigs and the athleticism to keep up with small-ball 5s, while Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are potent scorers with a penchant for late-game heroics.

Mitchell in particular has already posted historic numbers in the postseason in his days in Utah, and his ability to create his own shot in chaos is the one thing Cleveland was missing before this season.

With him in tow, the sky is the limit for the East’s most underrated squad.

Los Angeles Clippers (40/1)

I’ve been on the Clippers’ bandwagon ever since Kawhi Leonard returned to his All-NBA form earlier this season, teasing just how dominant Los Angeles can be with him and Paul George leading the way.

Obviously, that’s complicated by health — George (knee) still doesn’t have a timetable for his return, and Leonard’s injury history is well-documented at this point.

Still, I’d be surprised if both players aren’t ready to go for this team’s first-round series against the Suns, who aren’t exactly impervious to a postseason collapse.

When those two are at full strength, L.A. boasts two elite shot creators and wing defenders, which is a stellar foil to Kevin Durant and company in the first round.

If the Clippers can survive that early test, they’ll be among the favorites to win it all as soon as Round 2, making this an absolute steal at 40/1.

New Orleans Pelicans (240/1)

Are we sure the Pelicans can’t win it all? Clearly, it’s not a likely scenario with New Orleans needing to win twice to keep its season alive, but this price basically writes off any chance that this team can make a deep run.

I’m not so sure about that.

Before Sunday’s loss to the Timberwolves, the Pelicans had won nine of their last 11 with the NBA’s third-best net rating (+11.7) in that stretch, all of which came without Zion Williamson (hamstring).

He won’t play this week and is uncertain for the postseason, but his addition would be the ultimate trump card for a team that’s already dangerous without him.

Consider that Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum nearly knocked off the top-seeded Suns in last year’s playoffs with Williamson on the shelf then, too.

Again, this team is a long shot for a reason, but New Orleans’ true ceiling spells more than a 0.4 percent of winning it all, as these odds suggest.