The Golden State Warriors are the giant favorite to win the 2017 NBA championship. Adding Kevin Durant to a team that broke the league record for wins and fell a game short of its second straight title lands the Warriors at 2/3. That basically means you’ve got to bet three bucks just to win two. LeBron’s quest for consecutive Cavs conquests tantalizes at 7/2, — with all that willpower in Cleveland hard to bet against. After that there’s the Spurs, who put Pau Gasol in Tim Duncan’s spot and turn on the great automatic team machine again. They’ll defend and pass and work and you can have them at 12/1.
But the No. 4 team might surprise you. The Boston Celtics, riding the point guard magic of Isaiah Thomas, punched above their weight perhaps last year, winning 48 games and showing potential in a first round playoff loss. But having added Al Horford, the Celtics are now a 30/1 shot to win the NBA Championship. May seem like a long shot, but only three teams have a better chance according to some Vegas soothsayers. Even the Clippers, loaded with talent and on a mission, fall behind the Celtics, slated at 35/1. (Some bookmakers have the Clippers and Celtics flipped – it’s always a moving target.) After that the odds of a dark horse NBA squad stealing LeBron’s crown drop to 75/1.
