Also See Expert NBA Betting Picks

Odds To Win 2012 NBA Finals Championship:

Miami Heat
8/5

Chicago Bulls
11/2

Oklahoma City Thunder
11/2

Los Angeles Lakers
15/2

Dallas Mavericks
16/1

Los Angeles Clippers
18/1

Boston Celtics
20/1

New York Knicks
20/1

Portland Trailblazers
25/1

San Antonio Spurs
25/1

Orlando Magic
30/1

Memphis Grizzlies
35/1

Denver Nuggets
40/1

Atlanta Hawks
50/1

Indiana Pacers
50/1

Philadelphia 76ers
50/1

Houston Rockets
100/1

New Jersey Nets
100/1

Golden State Warriors
150/1

Milwaukee Bucks
150/1

Minnesota Timberwolves
150/1

New Orleans Hornets
150/1

Phoenix Suns
150/1

Utah Jazz
150/1

Charlotte Bobcats
250/1

Cleveland Cavaliers
250/1

Detroit Pistons
250/1

Sacramento Kings
250/1

Toronto Raptors
250/1

Washington Wizards
500/1

NBA Betting Odds to win the NBA Finals

The primary focus of NBA wagering involves betting on the point spreads of individual games, however, pool wagers on the annual NBA Finals are also quite popular among professional sports bettors.

Bookmakers and bettors will look at several factors in the NBA Finals pool. The top teams from the prior year are usually among the preseason favorites. Free agent signings, trades and draft picks can alter the perceived value of each team in the offseason. Coaching changes can also have an impact.

In the NFL, there are 53 players on each team’s roster. In MLB, each club has a roster of 25 players. In the NBA, there are only 12 players on each squad. Thus, a certain shift in personnel for a team can have a dramatic and rippling effect on the odds in the pool.

Professional bettors dominate NBA Betting pool

While many casual fans and bettors will get actively involved in Super Bowl betting and World Series betting odds, they aren’t too active in the NBA Finals pool. First, the NBA isn’t nearly as popular as the NFL or MLB. Second, it is rare for a long shot to win an NBA title. Because a specific player can be so critical in a team’s value, there are only a small group of teams that have a viable shot at the championship each year. While there are popular teams and long shots that draw interest in pro football and baseball, the NBA pool is usually contained to a select few clubs. Therefore, the pool’s main source of revenue is driven by professional gamblers who follow the league closely.

NBA Betting heats up during the playoffs

The NBA playoffs can seem like a marathon to fans and bettors of the sport. While the NFL and MLB postseasons last about a month, the NBA playoffs last a couple of months. When the regular season ends, 16 teams advance to the postseason while the other 14 NBA squads are sent home until the next season. So, over half of the clubs in the initial NBA Finals pool are still alive when the postseason begins. In contrast, only 8 of 30 teams make the playoffs in baseball with just 12 of 32 squads advancing to the NFL postseason. With a best-of-seven format in all four rounds of the playoffs, underdogs have a difficult time sticking around against superior teams that have a home court advantage.