Updated NBA Championship Odds – December 20th Edition

With the calendar set to turn in just a couple of weeks and the 2017-18 regular season starting to offer up some eye-opening developments, now is a perfect time to take a look at the most recent NBA Championship odds. From the top title favorites in the league to more middle-of-the-pack contenders and those teams that will have absolutely no chance of winning it all whatsoever, you’re going to get some expert NBA betting advice that could help you in your quest to cash in on this season-long wager. Let’s get started!

Updated NBA Championship Odds – December 20th

Houston stays atop this week’s Power Rankings after picking up its 14th straight win. pic.twitter.com/99xFtAQGB3

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) 19 de diciembre de 2017

The Favorites

Golden State Warriors

• NBA Championship Odds: 1/2

The Golden State Warriors (24-6) may not have the league’s best record right now, but they’ve done nothing to make anyone believe they’re not going to be very difficult – if not impossible – to dispatch as they seek their second straight NBA Championship and third in four years. Even with Steph Curry out with a bad ankle, the Dubs are simply too cohesive, too focused – and just too good for almost every team in the league.

Cleveland Cavaliers

• NBA Championship Odds: 4/2

The Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8) are looking really good right now after a rough start and LeBron James, at almost 33-years-old, is playing some of the best basketball of his career. James also looks like he has some formidable help this season in the forms of the rehabbing Isaiah Thomas, an improved Kyle Korver and veterans like Kevin Love, Dwyane Wade. Still, I’ve got the impression the Cavs are going to have a tough time beating the Warriors if they meet for an unprecedented fourth straight time in the Finals.

Houston Rockets

• NBA Championship Odds: 13/2

I said it in each of the last two seasons and now, I’m going to hammer the point home. James Harden (31.3 ppg) and the Houston Rockets (25-4) look like the only team with enough offensive firepower to beat the Warriors in a seven-game playoff series. The addition of veteran point guard Chris Paul has been a stroke of genius and the play of sweet shooters like Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson and immense contributions of young big man Clint Capela and do-it-all veteran Trevor Ariza cannot be overstated. Right now, the Rockets look scary good no matter who they’re facing.

Boston Celtics

• NBA Championship Odds: 10/1

When Kyrie Irving said he wanted out of Cleveland because he was nobody’s ‘Robin’ he clearly wasn’t playing around. Irving has played like ‘Batman’ in leading the young Boston Celtics (26-7) to the best record in the Eastern Conference at the time of this writing and he’s done it without the help of fellow all-star Gordon Hayward who was lost on opening night. GM Danny Ainge clearly got it right by drafting shooting guard Jaylen Brown (14.5 ppg) with the third overall pick in the 2016 draft before following that up with another genius move by getting rid of the top overall pick in this year’s draft to nab forward Jayson Tatum (13.8 ppg) with the third overall pick this year.

San Antonio Spurs

• NBA Championship Odds: 14/1

Last but not least, the San Antonio Spurs (21-10) are clearly headed toward another 50-win season under the venerable Gregg Popovich. Once Kawhi Leonard gets fully healthy and Tony Parker returns to join a re-energized LaMarcus Aldridge, and veterans like the ageless Manu Ginobili, Rudy Gay, Pau Gasol, who knows how high the Spurs could soar? Sure, they don’t shoot threes like the Dubs and Rockets and they’re definitely not as young, but by now, I think NBA fans everywhere know not to put anything past a Gregg Popovich-coached team.

The Contenders

• Oklahoma City Thunder: 20/1
• Minnesota Timberwolves: 25/1
• Milwaukee Bucks: 40/1
• Toronto Raptors: 50/1
• Washington Wizards: 50/1

Oklahoma City Thunder

Look, I’m just going to get to the point by saying…save your money when it comes to Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder (15-15). Despite adding star forward Paul George and Carmelo Anthony in the offseason, the Thunder look and play like a mostly disjointed team that still doesn’t know how to incorporate their bench players effectively. Case in point, veterans Patrick Peterson and Kyle Singler are averaging all of 5.8 shots per game – combined.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota (18-13) made some really good offseason additions by adding Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford and Taj Gibson to go along with Karl Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, but something just doesn’t feel right about this group to me and I’m starting to think someone is going to have to go at some point.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have a legitimate superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.8 ppg), but I also think they’re relying on him to do too much when they’d have better balance by incorporating their young players from last season like Malcolm Brogdon and Thon Maker a bit more while maybe letting Tony Snell (52.5% FG) and John Henson (58.0% FG) shoot it a bit more.

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors (20-8) have a quartet of excellent players in DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas, but what they don’t have is any ‘heart’ or anyone that’s going to challenge LeBron James.

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards (16-14) have a fantastic backcourt in Bradley Beal (23.7 ppg) and John Wall (19.4 ppg) and they’ve also got some other very good players in Marcin Gortat, Otto Porter Jr. Kelly Oubre and Markieff Morris. However, what the Wiz don’t have is a whole lot of cohesiveness or effort at the defensive end of the floor.

The Rest

• Philadelphia 76ers: 50/1
• Denver Nuggets: 66/1
• Detroit Pistons: 66/1
• Miami Heat: 80/1
• New Orleans Pelicans: 100/1
• New York Knicks: 125/1
• Portland Trail Blazers: 125/1
• Utah Jazz: 125/1
• Indiana Pacers: 200/1
• Memphis Grizzlies: 200/1
• Orlando Magic: 200/1
• Charlotte Hornets: 250/1
• Los Angeles Clippers: 250/1
• Los Angeles Lakers: 250/1
• Brooklyn Nets: 500/1
• Atlanta Hawks: 1000/1
• Chicago Bulls: 1000/1
• Dallas Mavericks: 1000/1
• Phoenix Suns: 1000/1
• Sacramento Kings: 1000/1