NBA betting: Warriors take over as NBA Finals favorite after another win over Nuggets
The Warriors are now the favorites to win the NBA Finals.
Golden State took a commanding 3-0 lead in its first-round series against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night with a 118-113 win. The Warriors are a win away from advancing to the second round, as a shorthanded Phoenix Suns team that began the playoffs as the title favorites is tied 1-1 in its series with the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Suns are no longer the favorite after Devin Booker suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s Game 2 loss to the Pelicans on Tuesday night. Booker could be sidelined for up to three weeks. Booker’s injury and the Warriors’ dominance of the Nuggets has pushed Golden State into favorite status at +280 to win the title at BetMGM.
Phoenix is now +500 to win the title and tied with the Boston Celtics as the No. 2 favorite. The Celtics have emerged as the favorites from the Eastern Conference thanks to a 2-0 series lead over the preseason favorite Brooklyn Nets and Khris Middleton’s injury. The Bucks guard suffered a sprained MCL on Wednesday night in the Bucks’ loss to the Bulls and is set to miss at least the rest of the first round of the playoffs.
The Bucks are the No. 5 Finals favorite at +800. Milwaukee is right behind the Miami Heat at +700 and ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers at +1000. Oddsmakers clearly aren’t totally sold on the Sixers just yet despite Philly’s 3-0 series lead against the Raptors.
Oddsmakers aren’t too impressed with Dallas’ title chances either. The Mavericks took a 2-1 series lead against the Jazz on Thursday night despite not having Luka Doncic for any of those games. Dallas is just +2500 to win the title, however.
Stephen Curry is the favorite for Finals MVP
Booker started the playoffs as the favorite for Finals MVP. That made sense. Phoenix was the title favorite. But now that Phoenix has fallen from that status and Booker is dealing with his hamstring injury, Stephen Curry is the new Finals favorite.
Curry is +280 to win Finals MVP ahead of the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (+750) and the Suns’ Chris Paul (+900). Booker opened the playoffs at +450 to win Finals MVP and has dropped to +900 after his injury.
If you’re confident that Milwaukee can survive and advance in the playoffs without Khris Middleton, you’re probably liking Giannis Antetokounmpo’s odds. The Greek Freak is +1000 to win Finals MVP at the moment and just ahead of the Sixers’ Joel Embiid at +1200.
NBA Finals odds
Warriors (+280)
Celtics (+500)
Suns (+500)
Heat (+700)
Bucks (+800)
Grizzlies (+1000)
76ers (+1000)
Nets (+1600)
Mavericks (+2500)
Jazz (+4000)
Bulls (+10000)
Pelicans (+10000)
Timberwolves (+20000)
Hawks (+40000)
Nuggets (+50000)
Raptors (+50000)
Finals MVP favorites
Stephen Curry (+400)
Jayson Tatum (+750)
Chris Paul (+900)
Devin Booker (+900)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (+1000)
Joel Embiid (+1200)
Ja Morant (+1200)
Jimmy Butler (+1400)
Jaylen Brown (+1800)
Kevin Durant (+2000)