Updated NBA Odds for the 2017 Championship

The All-Star Break is over, and the second half of the NBA season is set to get rolling in a couple of days. Every team in the league is actually well beyond the halfway point in their schedules, so we already have a solid idea of who will be challenging for the conferences, and which teams will be the most likely to make runs deep into the postseason. As it stands at the moment, there are no major surprises to report, as the teams that we all believed would be at the top are right there. Maybe a dark horse will emerge in the second half, but for now, let’s take a look at who the bookies believes are the NBA betting odds favorites to challenge for the NBA crown.

A Closer Look At The 2017 NBA Championship Odds Update

 

Golden State Warriors (-200)

It’s hard to imagine that a team which broke the single season record for regular season wins would head into the new season with a chip on their shoulder, but blowing a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals will do that to you. Going out and getting Kevin Durant in the offseason proved that this team was serious about getting back to the top of the heap, and they are once again putting together another incredible season. They are going to be close to impossible to beat in a 7-game series, hence the odds they have now.

Cleveland Cavaliers (+300)

Probably one of the more infuriating teams to follow in the regular season, as the Cavaliers routinely just do enough to win, whilst seeming totally disinterested on some nights. They tend to up their play in a big way once the postseason begins, but there are some concerns that LeBron James is getting a little too much playing time in the regular season. Will that be something that comes back to haunt the defending champions?

San Antonio Spurs (+700)

The Spurs have been the model of consistency for as long as anyone can remember, and they have not let the retirement of Tim Duncan slow them down. They are once again in their familiar spot in the Western Conference, tucked right in behind the Warriors, a team that looks uncatchable at this stage of the season. If the standings stay the way they are right now, the Spurs would have a tricky first round match-up against the Oklahoma City Thunder, so by no means a shoe-in here.

Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets (+1600)

If you need to get an idea of the gap between the top three teams in the NBA and the rest of the pack, just look at how deeply the odds drop off after that lead group. The Boston Celtics and Rockets are essentially the 4th best pick in terms of odds, but they are well off the odds offered for the big three. The Celtics have had an excellent season, and still have a shot at running down the Cavaliers for top spot in the East, which would change their odds dramatically. This has been a huge rebound year for the Rockets, and they are well worthy of their current lofty standing in the West. The big question is whether they would be able to get past either the Spurs or the Warriors in a 7-game series.