The NBA playoffs are upon us, with the league’s Play-In Tournament wrapping up on Friday night.
That leaves us with just 16 teams left to win the NBA Finals, and history tells us that only eight of those teams have a legit shot to win the NBA Finals.
Since the 1996-97 season, every team that has gone on to win the NBA Finals finished the regular season inside the top eight in the NBA in net rating. Here’s who completed that feat this season:
There are some surprise teams in that group, and it doesn’t include the Western Conference favorite Phoenix Suns, who brought in Kevin Durant at the trade deadline.
If you’re looking to bet on the NBA Finals winner prior to the postseason, there are a few factors to consider, including matchups, historical trends and health. Here’s a look at the latest odds and the favorites in each conference:
Latest odds to win NBA championship
Bucks favored to win NBA Finals
The Milwaukee Bucks are +275 to win the NBA Finals, making them the favorite ahead of this year’s playoffs.
The Bucks earned the best record in the NBA with a strong second half of the season, and the team is extremely dangerous with Khris Middleton back in the lineup after missing last season’s playoff run.
Milwaukee, without Middleton, pushed the Boston Celtics (second in the odds to win it all this season) to seven games in last year’s playoffs. The season before? Milwaukee won the title.
The Bucks meet the profile of a championship team (fifth in net rating this season), and 33 of the last 47 title favorites have at least made it to the Finals.
Milwaukee is in a good spot entering the postseason.
Suns favored to come out of Western Conference
The Phoenix Suns are the No. 4 seed in the West, but they are the favorites to make it to the NBA Finals over the No. 1-seeded Denver Nuggets (+1100) and No. 6-seeded Golden State Warriors (+950).
Phoenix is a perfect 8-0 with Kevin Durant in the lineup this season, and there’s no doubt that the team has a ton of top-line talent when it is completely healthy.
The question will be whether or not the team has developed enough chemistry to win in the playoffs.
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
