NBA Championship 2025: Opening Odds Favor Celtics Over Mavericks, Nuggets

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The Boston Celtics are on top of the world after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. The Celtics were the best team from the start of the 2023-24 campaign until the end, bringing home the franchise’s 18th title to Boston.

Despite the recent events, NBA bettors are eagerly anticipating the upcoming season. They can rejoice as major sportsbooks, including BetOnline, have already unveiled the 2025 championship odds, providing them with immediate opportunities for more action.

Who is expected to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy next year?

Before we delve into the 2025 championship odds, let’s review this year’s NBA Finals.

2024 NBA Finals: Mavericks vs. Celtics Recap

Just like every year, the Mavericks and Celtics followed distinct routes to make it to this year’s NBA Finals.

The Mavericks, having achieved a 50-32 regular-season record, began the playoffs as the fifth seed in the Western Conference. They triumphed over the LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder in six games each during the initial playoff rounds. In a similar fashion, they swiftly eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games, propelling them to the Finals.

In the meantime, the Celtics faced minimal challenges throughout their series. They swiftly eliminated the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers in just five games each, followed by a dominant sweep over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Celtics only played 14 games before reaching the 2024 NBA Finals. 

As soon as the NBA Finals commenced, basketball enthusiasts quickly recognized that we were witnessing a significant mismatch.

The Celtics completely controlled Games 1 and 2 against the Mavericks, securing convincing wins of 107-89 and 105-98. Dallas struggled to find any solutions against Boston’s strong defense, raising doubts about their place in the championship round.

Game 3 of the series moved to American Airlines Center, yet the change in venue failed to aid the Mavericks in their pursuit. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum’s remarkable performance led to a collective 61 points, resulting in a 106-99 victory for the Celtics. This game also witnessed Luka Doncic fouling out.

In Game 4, just as hope was fading away, Dallas sparked a glimmer of life. The Mavericks refused to be eliminated and ignited their fans’ spirits with an impressive 122-84 triumph. Doncic’s remarkable 29-point performance stole the spotlight, injecting further optimism. Although trailing by two games in the series, a potential comeback now seemed within reach.

Until it wasn’t. The Celtics shut down any thoughts of a comeback with a 106-88 statement win in Game 5 to win the championship. Tatum led the team with a double-double (31 PTS, 11 REB) in the series-clinching game, however, it was Brown who took home NBA Finals MVP honors for his heroic effort throughout the last round.

The team that emerges as the champion in a season is not necessarily the best regular-season team, but this year presents a unique scenario. Throughout the season, the Celtics have consistently proven themselves as the top team, and only time will reveal if they possess the necessary qualities to secure another victory.

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Opening NBA Championship 2025 Odds

All NBA Championship odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of 1:32 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 18. 

  • Boston Celtics (+300)
  • Dallas Mavericks (+700)
  • Denver Nuggets (+700)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (+900)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (+900)
  • Milwaukee Bucks (+1000)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (+1400)
  • New York Knicks (+1600)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (+2500)
  • Phoenix Suns (+2500)
  • Golden State Warriors (+2800)
  • LA Clippers (+2800)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (+3300)
  • Miami Heat (+3300)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (+4000)
  • Indiana Pacers (+5000)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (+6000)
  • Sacramento Kings (+6600)
  • Orlando Magic (+8000)
  • Atlanta Hawks (+10000)
  • San Antonio Spurs (+10000)
  • Houston Rockets (+20000)
  • Chicago Bulls (+25000)
  • Utah Jazz (+30000)
  • Brooklyn Nets (+50000)
  • Charlotte Hornets (+50000)
  • Detroit Pistons (+50000)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (+50000)
  • Toronto Raptors (+50000)
  • Washington Wizards (+50000)
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Unsurprisingly, the Celtics are BetOnline’s odds-on favorite to take home the 2025 NBA Championship. Boston currently sits at +300 odds to accomplish the task and, if successful, would be the first team since the 2017/2018 Golden State Warriors to win consecutive Finals appearances.

Currently tied with the Denver Nuggets, the Mavericks, who came in second place this year, have the second-best odds (+700) to win the 2024-25 title. Just for comparison, the 2017 Warriors were the most recent team to win the NBA Finals following their defeat in the championship round of the previous playoffs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, both with +900 odds, complete the top five teams, even though they did not advance past the Western Conference Finals. This suggests that these teams, which were previously perceived as up-and-coming, have now reached their potential.

It is worth noting that out of the top 13 odds, nine of them are held by teams from the Western Conference. Furthermore, in the last 11 championship-winning teams since the 2014 postseason, seven of them have emerged from the Western Conference.

However, it is important to note that these odds are subject to change before October due to the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft and free agency. With numerous changes expected, significant player movements could occur in the league soon.

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