After stopping play on Wednesday March 13, 2020 due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the 2019-20 NBA regular season is expected to resume on Friday July 31 from Orlando, Florida. Instead of 30 teams, the league is only inviting 22 teams to Florida with 13 from the Western Conference and 9 from the Eastern Conference. All teams will play eight games to finish the regular season before a 16-team postseason begins soon after. It's expected that 88 regular season games will be played before the playoffs and the last possible day for the NBA Finals would take place on Monday, October 12, 2020. Odds to win 2020 NBA Finals
Odds to be 8th Seed - Eastern Conference
NBA 8th Seed - Eastern Odds Analysis
Two playoff seeds need to be filled in the Eastern Conference. The Brooklyn Nets are currently in 7th place at 30-34, one half-game ahead of the Orlando Magic, who own a 30-35 record. The Washington Wizards need to make a huge run in the final eight games of the season, as they sit five games behind Orlando for the eighth seed. |
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NBA 8th Seed - Western Odds Analysis
Grizzlies have inside track, but won't be easy
The race for the eighth seed in the Western Conference is a little more competitive than in the East. The Memphis Grizzlies were one of the big surprises in the NBA this season as they eclipsed their season win total of 27.5 by posting a 32-33 record prior to the stoppage of the season. Memphis has the inside track on the eighth position, but the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, and Sacramento Kings are all 3.5 games back. The Pelicans' odds for the eighth seed is higher than the Blazers and Kings due to the Zion Williamson factor, as the top pick from Duke helped New Orleans dig out of an early season hole to get themselves in this position.The San Antonio Spurs have their 22-year playoff streak in jeopardy as they own a 27-36 record heading to Orlando for the final eight games of the season. The Phoenix Suns barely made the cut for the restart as they are within six games of Memphis, but have too many teams to jump for the final seed. The Dallas Mavericks are on the verge of clinching a playoff seed and will only fall to eighth assuming they melt down in Orlando, but they also have an opportunity to win the Southwest Division title as they are one game behind Houston.
NBA Finals Future Odds Analysis
Lack of Homecourt Edge Should Even Playing Field
Beyond seeing how effectively teams handle getting back into the swing of things following a layoff of over four-and-a-half months, it remains to be seen how the lack of a homecourt advantage affects teams going forward. One of the reasons the Milwaukee Bucks were such a threat to win their first NBA title since the 1971 was that they had established a tremendous edge at the two-year-old Fiserv Forum, where they’re 61-11 in regular-season play. That 28-3 record the Bucks compiled in Milwaukee serves to pad the league’s best record, but won’t serve them anymore going forward. Oddsmakers certainly take the homecourt edge into account when setting lines and futures, so the handful of points the host typically gets going into a game goes out the window. NBA games will now feature more of a summer-league feel. Not the Las Vegas Summer League, either.
With Orlando hosting games in a bubble setting at Disney’s Wide World of Sports, only officials deemed necessary to get the games played are expected to be in attendance. Fans won’t be chanting defense down the stretch. Referees won’t be swayed by 20,000 boos raining down on them.
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The Rockets odds’ have been adjusted some since they were at 20-to-1 at some shops on March 11. Houston was arguably the biggest beneficiary to getting such a lengthy pause button since their small-ball approach was going to physically tax stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook if they had closed out an 82-game grind. The Philadelphia 76ers should be more of an x-factor and saw its payout decreased from +4000 to +2700 since young standouts Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will now be healthy enough to lead the way. Both were nursing injuries three months ago.
The Nets went from +10000 to just +6000 due to the possibility that Kevin Durant returns after rupturing his Achilles in the 2019 Finals. He may continue to sit and join Brooklyn’s active roster for the 2020-21 season, but sportsbooks have taken measures to limit potential losses if he decides to change course and takes the court in August.
Odds to win 2020 Eastern Conference Finals
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NBA Eastern Conference Odds Analysis
Bucks Should No Longer be Heavy Favorite in East
Although the Bucks have a nearly insurmountable lead on their closes Eastern Conference competitor in the chase for the top record and No. 1 seed, not having a homecourt edge diminishes the value of being top dog. For that reason alone, there’s no value at all in riding Milwaukee as such a chalky favorite (-165). The Bucks were a -250 choice to win the East when games came to an end. At the moment, paying more than even money to win the conference given the new neutral atmosphere isn’t advisable. The Boston Celtics (+700) had dropped four of six entering the hiatus and were attempting to overcome injuries in March, so they could benefit if Jayson Tatum is able to pick up where he left off. The Raptors (+800), Heat (+900) and 76ers (+900) are deep and talented enough to Milwaukee, which should make the final two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs awfully competitive.
The potential return of Durant makes Brooklyn a potential threat, but a more viable longshot is the Indiana Pacers, which will have a healthier Victor Oladipo in place since he just returned in late January after a broken kneecap cost him over a full year of action.
Odds to win 2020 Western Conference Finals
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NBA Western Conference Odds Analysis
L.A. Teams Continue to Reign as West Favorites
The Lakers (+160) are a slight favorite over the Clippers (+180) as a result of carrying a 5.5-game edge in the West into this restart, but the difference between the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the conference have been truly mitigated by the drastic changes required to get up an running again. Outside of potentially avoiding a team like the Rockets (+700) that might be scary given their fresh legs, there’s truly no difference between being seeded first or second. Houston is actually running fifth behind both L.A. teams, the Nuggets (+1200) and Jazz (+1400) but benefits greatly from the time off. P.J. Tucker will now have renewed stamina to work with in serving as the team’s undersized small-ball five while Harden and Westbrook, two guys who perennially top the league’s usage stats, are expected to come in fresh. Harden looks to have gotten himself into phenomenal shape.
Among longshots, the Pelicans (+6600) are going to be a popular choice if Zion Williamson has been working on his body and game since he had been limited by minutes restrictions aimed at responsibly starting his pro career a few months ago after early knee trouble. The Trail Blazers (+8000) will get big men Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins back to aid their playoff push. With Damian Lillard at the controls, they’ve got better odds than the Grizzlies (+12000), currently seeded eighth.
Updated Mon, July 6, 2:00 p.m. ET - Odds Subject to Change
How to Bet on NBA Futures
Betting on the NBA is widely popular in the United States and the NBA Futures Odds market continues to cater to both novice and professional bettors. The NBA championship is decided very June with a best-of-seven matchup known as the NBA Finals.
This Future Odds market is open year-round and the oddsmakers will adjust their numbers when trades, injuries, free agent signings, or other changes affect the NBA championship odds. The opening odds come out at the end of the current season or just after it ends, with NBA Future Odds posted on all 30 teams in the league.
Betting on NBA Futures may not always provide big payouts due to the nature of the league, where dynasties are often created by player movement in free agency. However, betting on the right team early can provide better results, as seen in 2019 when the Toronto Raptors won with +1850 odds to win the NBA championship in August 2018. Compare that to the +750 odds the Raptors had in December 2018 and you can see how the NBA Futures odds could offer less value as the season progresses and the player talent is on display.
The NBA championship futures betting market takes in the most volume of wagers and money at sportsbooks but there are other wagering opportunities in the NBA Futures market.
Bettors can wager on:
NBA Conference Winners
Eastern, Western
NBA Division Winners
East
Atlantic, Central, Southeast
West
Southwest, Northwest, Pacific
The sportsbooks also offer up NBA Futures Odds on specific player awards, usually just for the Most Valuable Player and the Rookie of the Year. These wagers are a little tricky since those bets and their results are based off subjectivity. Both awards are determined by votes from sports writers and we all know that everybody has an opinion.
The Clippers and Lakers are two favorites to win the NBA Finals (AP)
2020 NBA Finals Odds to Win
There are several good bets to win the NBA Playoffs in 2020. The current odds to win the NBA Championship today are:
- Lakers: +240
- Bucks: +250
- Clippers: +333
- Rockets: +1200
- Celtics: +1700
- Raptors : +2200
- Nuggets: +2500
- 76ers: +2800
- Heat: +3000
- Jazz: +3300
Sportsbooks are still accepting bets on who will win the NBA Finals in 2020, despite the season currently being suspended indefinitely. If the season resumes, this could perhaps offer some value for teams with higher odds, as the shortened season and disruption in team chemistry could create a more even playing field than we've seen in previous NBA Playoffs.
NBA Finals Odds
In the offseason, opening odds are posted on all 30 teams to win the NBA Championship and those numbers are adjusted as the regular season begins based on the opinion of bettors. The key to cashing a big ticket and locking in a return on the NBA Finals Odds is not easy but with the right homework, you can forecast ahead and take a shot with a team that may have started slower than others.
Injuries, suspensions, trades are also key factors in the NBA Finals Odds and that’s just in the regular season. When the playoffs begin and the matchups are set, you’ll see sportsbooks tweak their Future Odds because one team may have an easier path on paper than others.
After the NBA Playoff field of 16 is dwindled down to two teams in the NBA Finals, oddsmakers will use American Odds on the matchup. The American Odds is often thought of as a Money-Line or in this example below, it would be called the NBA Finals Odds Series Price:
Los Angeles Lakers -250 (Bet $100 to win $40)
Milwaukee Bucks +200 (Bet $100 to win 100)
Fractional Odds
Los Angeles Lakers 2/5
Milwaukee Bucks 2/1
Decimal Odds
Los Angeles Lakers 1.4
Milwaukee Bucks 3.0
Betting on NBA Futures Odds
Where can I bet on the 2020 NBA Championship?
Where can I bet on the 2020 NBA Championship?
There are several legal sportsbook options in the United States. Visit our sportsbook directory to find online sportsbooks where you can bet on who will win the NBA Playoffs.
Who are the experts picking to win?
With multiple strong contenders to pick from, our experts are here to help. Check out our 2020 NBA Playoff Predictions to see what teams our handicappers like.
What type of bets can I make on the NBA?
In addition to betting on how teams will finish in the NBA Playoffs, there are multiple angles you can bet on individual games. Check out our NBA odds page for the odds on each game.
Where can I learn how to bet on basketball?
To learn more about betting on basketball, check out our basketball betting tutorial.
