With the 2021-22 NBA regular season winding to a close, all smart basketball fans need to re-evaluate the betting odds on the NBA Finals.
Much has changed throughout the online NBA betting landscape since these championship odds were first released. For starters, the preseason favorite to win the 2022 NBA title, the Los Angeles Lakers, will now officially be missing the playoffs. That in itself opens up a world of possibilities. And we're here to go through the most likely ones.
Our latest dive into NBA futures will seek to spot the best Finals bets, a process that will prompt us to cover the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and others. This exercise will culminate in our official 2022 NBA Finals prediction. But first, here are the latest NBA Finals betting odds:
| NBA Title Pick |  |
|---|---|
| Golden State Warriors | +300 |
| Phoenix Suns | +390 |
| Boston Celtics | +460 |
| Miami Heat | +550 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +650 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +1000 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +1600 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1600 |
| Utah Jazz | +6000 |
| Toronto Raptors | +12000 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +16000 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +16000 |
Always ensure you're double-checking these betting odds on the NBA prior to making an NBA Finals prediction. Our basketball betting lines are accurate entering Wednesday, April 6, and all betting odds on NBA futures will continue moving through the end of the regular season and as the playoffs unfold.
If you haven't already, this is also a great opportunity to peruse our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. All the extensive information we provide can help you single out the best 2022 NBA Finals betting sites without breaking a sweat.
Why the Suns are Favorites to Win the 2022 NBA Finals
It took a while for linemakers to get here, but the Suns (+280) are finally odds-on favorites to win the 2022 NBA title. And they deserve to be.
No other team aside from Phoenix ranks in the top five of both offensive and defensive efficiency. And while some remain concerned about how they match up with the athleticism and length of the Golden State Warriors (+950) or reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks (+550), the Suns have cobbled together the league's best record by a mile despite Devin Booker and Chris Paul both missing significant time throughout the regular season.
The Bucks are Legitimate Threats to Repeat as NBA Champions
Truth be told, it's hard to label the Bucks (+550) title favorites at the moment. Their roster is much shallower than last season, even following the return of Brook Lopez. There's just something uncomfortable and flimsy about relying on guys like Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton when it matters most.
Still, almost no team in the league has as much talent at the tippy top of the roster. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are hammering opponents when they share the floor together.
If that's not enough, the fact that direct competitors in the Eastern Conference are dealing with key injuries or noticeable slumps only helps Milwaukee's chances.
Are the Nets Still NBA Title Contenders?
Any team with a healthy Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving is a threat to win any given series. This year's Brooklyn Nets (+650) are now different.
That said, they are probably a notch or two overvalued here. Injuries and availability issues have consigned them to the play-in tournament, which means they'll likely have the toughest path possible to making the NBA Finals. On top of all that, their defense is atrocious, and it doesn't look like Ben Simmons will be making his team debut at all this season.
This isn't to say you should entirely write off the Nets. Again: Kyrie and KD exist. We're just saying you should play Brooklyn's odds with caution.
Better NBA Finals Bet: Celtics or Warriors?
Both the Celtics (+1000) and Warriors (+950) at one time looked like potential juggernauts—fringe championship favorites. Untimely injuries have since put their title stocks into question.
Stephen Curry will miss the rest of the regular season with an injury, and it isn't yet clear when he'll be ready for the playoffs. The Celtics, meanwhile, will be without defensive stalwart Robert Williams III likely for the rest of the year.
Of the two teams, we prefer Golden State. Not only does it seem like Steph will at least play again this season, but the Warriors have verged on unstoppable when he's next to a healthy Draymond Green. For our money, they're the biggest threat to the Suns in the Western Conference—and one of the league's biggest threats overall.
So...Who Will Win the 2022 NBA Finals?
This time around, we won't be going against the oddsmakers. The Phoenix Suns are our 2022 NBA championship pick.
If we're being honest, they've been our preference for quite some time. The notion that teams led by Chris Paul and Devin Booker are strictly regular season squads is inane. The Suns are fresh off a Finals appearance last year for crying out loud. And where many people see the same roster with similar flaws compared to 2020-21, we see a group that boasts more cohesion and has received noticeable jumps from Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and even Booker.
To be completely blunt, it wouldn't surprise us if the Suns sprint their way to a title without much resistance from anyone else in the West or anyone they might even meet in the Finals. They're that good.
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your NBA betting:
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