Celtics Championship Odds are Wildly High
By Cem Yolbulan
The Boston Celtics are 10-2 in the playoffs and look like a solid bet to make the NBA Finals after a one-season hiatus. They have been the favorites to win it all the entire season but how much of a given the oddsmakers consider Boston's championship should give Celtics fans a pause.
On FanDuel Sportsbook, the Boston Celtics have -210 odds, making them significant favorites over the field. This implies that the Celtics have a 68% odds of winning it all while the rest of the teams have a combined 32% chance.
2024 NBA Championship Odds
- Boston Celtics: -210
- Dallas Mavericks: +390
- Minnesota Timberwolves: +490
- Indiana Pacers: +8500
It is understandable why the Celtics would be such heavy favorites. They were the most dominant team in the league in the regular season, they are already up 2-0 in the Conference Finals, and Tyrese Haliburton is hobbled with a hamstring injury. Their path to the Finals is much easier than their Western Conference counterparts.
At the same time, the Mavericks and the Timberwolves are very good teams. Dallas won two series against higher seeds in relatively easy fashion. They have the best remaining player in the playoffs in Luka Doncic. Minnesota swept Phoenix's Big Three in the first round, then beat the reigning champions Denver in a road Game 7. They arguably have the only starting five on par with Boston's in terms of quality.
Plus, it's not like Boston doesn't have any problems. Kristaps Porzingis still hasn't returned from his injury. How effective he will be on his return remains to be seen.
Moreover, the fact that the Celtics haven't been tested at all in the postseason could be a problem. They played extremely short-handed Miami and Cleveland in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Pacers are far from a high-level Conference Finals team, especially with Haliburton less than 100%.
An adjustment period in the NBA Finals could prove costly to the Celtics. They are still the deepest, most talented team remaining but they shouldn't allow themselves to get complacent thinking that the job is already done.
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.