With eight teams remaining in the NBA postseason, one franchise has clearly separated itself from the competition in the eyes of oddsmakers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been installed as strong betting favorites to capture their second consecutive NBA championship as the conference semifinals kicked off Monday evening.
Both DraftKings Sportsbook and BetMGM have listed the Thunder at -145 odds to claim the NBA Finals crown. The San Antonio Spurs, who earned the Western Conference’s second seed behind Oklahoma City, hold the next-best championship odds at +370 (DraftKings) and +375 (BetMGM).
Oklahoma City’s dominant campaign began with an impressive 24-1 record to open the regular season, ultimately leading to the league’s top mark of 64-18. The Thunder continued their excellence into the playoffs, becoming the only team to complete a first-round sweep by defeating the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns 4-0.
San Antonio could present the most significant challenge to Oklahoma City’s title aspirations should the regional foes meet in the Western Conference championship series. The two teams faced each other five times during the regular season due to their matchup in the NBA Cup semifinals, with the Spurs claiming victory in four of those encounters.
From the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons have emerged as the leading contenders, though third-seeded New York carries significantly better odds than top-seeded Detroit following the Pistons’ struggle against Orlando. Detroit was forced to overcome a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the eighth-seeded Magic.
New York stands at +900 to win the championship at both major sportsbooks. The Knicks are also favored to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals, with +135 odds at DraftKings and +150 at BetMGM.
Detroit’s championship odds sit at +1800 (DraftKings) and +1700 (BetMGM), while their Eastern Conference odds are listed at +260 and +250, respectively.
Complete DraftKings championship odds as of May 4, 8 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City (-145), San Antonio (+370), New York (+900), Detroit (+1800), Cleveland (+2200), L.A. Lakers (+2800), Philadelphia (+4000), Minnesota (+7000).
BetMGM championship odds as of May 4, 8 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City (-145), San Antonio (+375), New York (+900), Detroit (+1700), Cleveland (+2000), L.A. Lakers (+2500), Philadelphia (+3500), Minnesota (+8000).
