The Golden State Warriors became champions Thursday night, defeating the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Game Six and winning their fourth title in eight seasons— now, they are favorites to win the 2023 NBA Finals.
Stephen Curry earned his first NBA Finals MVP award, while Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala joined him and LeBron James as the only active players to win four championships. Boston, meanwhile, will have to wait for their next chance to pass the Los Angeles Lakers in all-time titles after just missing out on their 18th as a franchise.
In the spirit of optimism and being forward-thinking, and as is tradition after one championship concludes, here is a look at how the newly-released 2023 NBA Finals betting odds shape up.
2023 NBA Finals Odds
Golden State Warriors (+460)
The Warriors are, like many teams before they have been, the favorites to repeat after winning the title; however, there is a chance that this was their last hurrah, and they are destined to be competitive but fail to capture another championship with this core roster. Stephen Curry, as great as he is, is getting older, and all of the off-ball movement and injuries he has endured will cause his athleticism to decline quickly, while Draymond Green and Kaly Thompson showed that they can still have flashes but are not capable of being consistently outstanding over the course of a series. Younger players such as Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga are the next generation, but neither is ready to be the driving force of a championship team.
Boston Celtics (+650)
The Celtics have the best odds of winning the 2023 NBA Finals amongst all Eastern Conference squads, but again, this could be misleading. The Celtics won multiple road elimination games to reach the Finals in the first place, and they will have to break a poor stretch of non-dynastic Finals losers in their redemption seasons— Boston does have a solid coach and core unit, but they need different pieces, most notably a consistent ball-handler and playmaker to alleviate pressure from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Brooklyn Nets (+700)
The Nets always have to be in with a shout because they have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and the Ben Simmons addition could pay dividends, despite his critics. Simmons is an all-world defender and elite playmaker, so as long as they are not depending on him in fourth quarters, many of the concerns regarding his lack of shooting and desire will not play much of a role in future playoff series.
Milwaukee Bucks (+750)
The Bucks are widely seen as the best team in basketball with the best player in basketball, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was one game away from almost single-handedly defeating the Boston Celtics and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. With Khris Middleton back in the lineup and another year of playoff experience under their belts, Milwaukee has to be a legitimate consideration ahead of the next Finals. Bobby Porits, a major contributor, will attract interest from other teams, but Milwaukee should be able to retain him or snag a replacement.
Los Angeles Clippers (+850)
The Clippers have been following a strategy of accumulating a horde of wing shooters and defenders, which will allow them to be totally fluid on defense and play with pace and space on offense. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are expected to be back at 100% next year, and while neither is an iron man, they will have tons of rest behind them and are far from being washed up. The other LA-based team is another solid investment because of their star power and ability to cleanse their roster, but the Clippers, gone but not forgotten, are a sneakily good investment.
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