In 2019-20, the Los Angeles Lakers emerged victorious to cash in at +450, taking home the Larry O’Brien trophy for the 17th time in franchise history. With the new season about to begin, the 2021 NBA Championship odds predict a similar outcome.

The Lakers started the season as the second highest favorites to win the title, trailing only the Los Angeles Clippers at +400.

In 2020-21, the Lakers begin the race to the 2021 NBA title as the clear favorite at +250, leading all 2021 NBA Championship odds.

Kevin Durant and the rejuvenated Brooklyn Nets came in just behind the champions at +650.

The Milwaukee Bucks (+650), Los Angeles Clippers (+650), and Boston Celtics (+1,400) rounded out the bookmakers top five contenders in 2021 to start the season.

Notably absent from the upper echelon were the current Eastern Conference champions, the Miami Heat.

The Heat started the season at just +1,400, despite their eye-opening postseason run in 2020.

With just a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the top two favorites to win the championship remain at the peak, but the Clippers have bumped the Bucks from their top three perch.

The Bucks are now fifth on the list, hot on the tail of the Utah Jazz.

Below are the current 2021 NBA Championship odds for every team, updated weekly.

2021 NBA Championship Odds

Lakers, Heat, Anthony Davis, NBA Finals

Brooklyn Nets +200

Los Angeles Lakers +460

Los Angeles Clippers +600

Utah Jazz +650

Milwaukee Bucks +750

Philadelphia 76ers +1,200

Phoenix Suns +1,600

Denver Nuggets +3,600

Dallas Mavericks +4,200

Miami Heat +4,200

Boston Celtics +5,500

Portland Trail Blazers +5,500

Atlanta Hawks +16,000

New York Knicks +16,000

Indiana Pacers +24,000

Golden State Warriors +24,000

New Orleans Pelicans +25,000

Washington Wizards +25,000

Chicago Bulls +25,000

Memphis Grizzlies +25,000

San Antonio Spurs +25,000

Minnesota Timberwolves +25,000

Charlotte Hornets +25,000

Sacramento Kings +25,000

Cleveland Cavaliers +25,000

Toronto Raptors +25,000

(Via BetOnline.ag)

Line-Shifting Events

NBA, John Wall, Rockets, Wizards, Russell Westbrook, 2021 NBA Championship Odds

Below is a list of major events that shifted betting lines for the 2021 NBA Championship, updated weekly.

[January 13th] James Harden Traded To Brooklyn: The Houston Rockets trade perennial MVP candidate James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in a league-altering mega-deal. The Nets odds decrease from +600 to +300. The Rockets odds increase from +5,000 to +12,000.

[December 2] Russell Westbrook For John Wall Trade: The Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards swap All-Star point guards. The Rockets odds increase from +3,000 to +5,000. The Wizards odds decrease from +25,000 to +10,000.

[November 24] Hornets Sign Gordon Hayward: The Hornets sign Gordon Hayward to bring the former Celtic to Charlotte. The Hornets odds decrease from +22,500 to +20,000.

[November 24] Jrue Holiday Trade: The Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets complete a four-team trade. The Bucks acquire Jrue Holiday and Sam Merrill. The Pelicans acquire Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, and two first-round picks. The Thunder acquire George Hill, Josh Gray, Kenrich Williams, Zylan Cheatham, Darius Miller, one first-round pick, and two second-round picks. The Nuggets acquire RJ Hampton. The Bucks odds improve from +700 to +650. The Pelicans odds also improve from +9,000 to +8,000. The Thunder’s odds get worse from +9,000 to +10,000 The Nuggets odds remain unchanged.

[November 23] Lakers Sign star 6th Men And Marc Gasol: The Los Angeles Lakers make three massive signings to backup LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, and Dennis Schroder all join the defending champions. The Lakers odds decrease from +300 to +250.

[November 23] Klay Thompson Confirmed Out: An MRI confirms that Klay Thompson has a torn right Achilles tendon.  The Warriors odds increase from +1,000 to +2,200.

[November 19] Klay Thompson Injury News: News breaks that Klay Thompson has sustained an injury while playing basketball in Los Angeles. The seriousness of the injury is not confirmed. The Warriors odds increase from +800 to +1,000.

[November 18] 2020 NBA Draft: Lines mostly stay uniform. The Hornets odds decrease from +25,000 to +22,500 after drafting 2021 Rookie Of The Year favorite LaMelo Ball.

[November 18] Al Horford Trade: The Philadelphia 76ers send Al Horford and two draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Sixers receive Danny Green, Terrance Ferguson, and Vincent Poirier. The Sixers odds decrease from +1,700 to +1,600. The Thunder’s odds remain unchanged.

[November 16] Chris Paul Trade: The Oklahoma City Thunder send Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns. The Thunder receive Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2022 first-round pick. The Suns odds improve from +6,500 to +4,000. The Thunder’s odds increase from +7,500 to +9,000.

[November 16] James Harden to Sixers Rumors: Rumors spread that James Harden wants out of Houston. The Brooklyn Nets become the favored destination for The Beard. The Nets odds decrease from +750 to +650.

Analyzing 2021 NBA Championship Odds 

The first step in selecting which team to bet on is to analyze if the payoff is worth the risk.

If you decide that the Lakers (+460) have the best chance to win the championship, then you can bet $100 on them to win $460.

Even if you think the Lakers have a better chance to win the championship then any other team, it could still be worth it to bet on a different team for the high payout.

Even if you predict it is more likely for the Lakers to win then the Mavericks, the Mavericks payout is significantly higher than the Lakers.

While $100 pays off $460 for a Lakers victory, $100 would pay off $4,200 if the Mavericks (+4,200) triumph.

Weigh your odds, and select which team gives you most bang for your buck.