Updated Betting Odds to win 2021 NBA Championship

Jordan Clarkson is guiding the Jazz, while LeBron remains in LA. Alec Burks isn’t going to sniff a title this season, but he has become one of Tom Thibodeau’s favorite players in New York. As for the actual Cavaliers team, they are playing pretty well but won’t get anywhere near the championship.

1) Los Angeles Lakers (+280)

Despite being the #3 seed in the West as it currently stands, it should come as no surprise that the Lakers are the listed title favorite. When Anthony Davis returns to the lineup (hopefully healthy), the team will have two juggernaut players once again, making life a living nightmare for whoever they have to play against most nights.

They have been able to hold up decently despite being short-handed, as the kid from Akron has been playing great basketball. He’s starting yet another All-Star Game and has been injury-free through 37 contests. He did sit the last one out for rest after exerting himself hard the prior evening, but LeBron is guiding the Lakers very nicely. They will be fine.

2) Brooklyn Nets (+300)

When a team has as many one-time Cavs players as the Nets, it’s no surprise they are the favorites in the East. But in all seriousness, there is so much talent in Brooklyn. The fact that Kevin Durant has been limited to just 19 games so far and the team is not far behind Philly is a very good sign.

All three of their stars made the All-Star Game, though Durant will be out. James Harden and Kyrie Irving guided the team to a recent eight-game winning streak. Do not sleep on these Brooklyn Nets. Not that anybody is.

3) Los Angeles Clippers (+500)

If any of the two teams above won the title, it would be no surprise. The same goes for the Clippers, despite never making a conference finals. The 3-1 blown lead to Denver last year marked the second time in the 2010s that they blew a three-games-to-one lead in the conference finals.

With Kawhi and Paul George, anything goes, really. If the guys around them buy into their system, which they clearly did not do last season, and those two superstars can deliver in the clutch, nothing is stopping the Clippers. The only problem they have is that they are wing-heavy and don’t go into the paint often.

4) Milwaukee Bucks (+750), 5) Utah Jazz (+800) 6) Philadelphia 76ers (+1400)

It’s “slightly” disrespectful to have Utah and Philly as five and six despite leading their respective conferences, but it’s also fair to be skeptical because neither team has reached the conference finals with their current cores.

As for Milwaukee, they were two wins from the Finals two seasons ago. Is this the year? Giannis hopes so.

T- 26) Cleveland Cavaliers (+50000)

Tied for the worst odds with Chicago, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, and Detroit, the Cavs are unlikely to win the title. Or even make the playoffs. But they are building something special with Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.

Don’t sleep on the Cavs as they start to rise through the rankings and turn heads in the coming years.