NBA 2019-20 Season Preview: Analysis, Finals Odds, Predictions

The NBA is playing out a watershed season. For the first time in what feels like forever, the Finals matchup is not predetermined. The Golden State Warriors are human again after losing Kevin Durant to injury and Klay Thompson to an ACL injury. The door is open for all. Which team(s) represent your best championship bet this year? We’re about to break it all down.

Here are the seven teams laying the best 2019-20 NBA championship odds, courtesy of Bovada sportsbook:

Los Angeles Lakers (+300)
Los Angeles Clippers (+350)
Milwaukee Bucks (+600)
Philadelphia 76ers (+750)
Houston Rockets (+850)
Golden State Warriors (+1000)
Utah Jazz (+1200)

All of the NBA 2019-20 odds will change between now and the NBA Finals—a bunch of times. Be sure to double-check all championship lines as the season wears on. In the meantime, we'll make sure you're ready elsewhere by covering the following:

Complete NBA betting odds for the 2019-20 season
Buying or selling or the biggest favorite odds
Under-the-radar title bets
Is the Warriors' dynasty over?
Free NBA picks for 2019-20 title

2019-20 NBA Season Betting Breakdown

Here are the championship odds for all 30 teams entering the 2019-20 regular season:

Los Angeles Lakers (+300)
Los Angeles Clippers (+350)
Milwaukee Bucks (+600)
Philadelphia 76ers (+750)
Houston Rockets (+850)
Golden State Warriors (+1000)
Utah Jazz (+1200)
Boston Celtics (+1800)
Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets (+2500)
Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors (+3300)
Indiana Pacers (+4500)
Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs (+6000)
Dallas Mavericks (+7500)
Orlando Magic (+12500)
Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings (+15000)
Detroit Pistons (+17500)
Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards (+20000)
New York Knicks (+25000)
Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns (+30000)

Buying or Selling Top Title Odds

Los Angeles Lakers (+300)

Look, we're going to be honest: The Los Angeles Lakers should not have the league's best title odds.

Make no mistake, they belong in the conversation. They have LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They're also a little deeper, with better shooting.

But LeBron is coming off the worst injury of his career, Davis always seems to miss time, and the Lakers' bench, while not unimpressive, is filled with wild cards. Their +300 line implies they're a near-absolute favorite. And they're not.

Verdict: Sell at +300

Los Angeles Clippers (+350)

On paper, the Los Angeles Clippers are the team that should have the best title odds. They scooped up both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George over the summer, giving them two of the 10 best players in the game. They also have one of the deepest benches and scariest collection of defensive talent around.

Still, concerns remain. George begins the regular season with a shoulder injury, and Leonard may need to be load managed throughout the year following his quad-injury rehabilitation and a knee injury he suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals.

How many games will this duo play together? Do they need a year to develop chemistry? Will the Clippers' lack of size hurt them at the center spot? These are all valid worries, but they're not big enough to convince us to sell.

Verdict: Buy at +350

Milwaukee Bucks (+600)

Most people were shocked the Milwaukee Bucks didn't come out of the Eastern Conference last season. This team is facing similar expectations now.

To be sure, this makes us a little uneasy. Malcolm Brogdon signed with the Indiana Pacers, and the Bucks' wing depth is on the thinner side after accounting for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

The egg Eric Bledsoe laid in the playoffs last year doesn't help their case.

Alas, we're ultimately still high on them. We have to be. The Eastern Conference is almost devoid of another real contender.

Verdict: Buy at +600

Part of us wants to sell on the Philadelphia 76ers. But we just can't.

Spacing is going to be an issue with Al Horford, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid playing at the same time.

That the Sixers lost Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat also hurts the offense. He was their most relied upon crunch-time weapon.

In the end, though, the Sixers' defense figures to be a terror. Josh Richardson is the shortest member of their starting five, and he's 6'6". Couple that with a thin championship picture in the East, and they're a no-brainer buy.

Verdict: Buy at +750

Star power might get the Houston Rockets by. We're not convinced.

Swapping out Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook arms them with two of the best 15 players in the game when factoring in James Harden.

But the fit between Harden and Westbrook is too weird. The latter isn't a good enough shooter to spend ample time off the ball.

More than that, the Rockets' defense could suffer. Paul is a much better defender than Westbrook, and Houston isn't teeming with wings who can switch in the half-court once the postseason rolls around.

Verdict: Sell at +850

Golden State Warriors.

Over the past two seasons, their strong regular-season performances have been overshadowed by a lack of shot creation in the playoffs. That's no longer a problem with the addition of Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic.

Utah is also just as well off on the defensive end and off the bench. Few teams have more balance. The Jazz are a squad with which to be reckoned.

Verdict: Buy at +1200

NBA Championship Prediction

We typically avoid choosing a champion with a core that was just recently formed. Not this time, though. We're picking...the Sixers.

There is plenty of risk here. How many games will Embiid play? Will they generate enough spacing? Can Tobias Harris be their Jimmy Butler replacement in crunch time? It all matters.

And yet, for their price (+750), they're tough to pass up. Not only is the Eastern Conference inherently weaker than the Western Conference, but the Bucks themselves appear to be something less than they were. That really opens the door for the Sixers, who should have one of the league's most stalwart defenses.

If you're looking for some under-the-radar propositions with higher payouts, we suggest the Denver Nuggets (+1800) and Indiana Pacers (+4500). If you're looking for the best combination of likelihood and potential return value, though, the Sixers are your team.

OSB 2019-20 NBA Title Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers (+750)

Check out this list of the best online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for your NBA betting this season:

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