2025 NBA Championship Future New Year's Odds & Predictions

All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

2025 NBA Outright Winner Future Betting Odds

Team (Record)	Outright Winner Odds
Boston Celtics (26-10)	+225
Oklahoma City Thunder (30-5)	+320
New York Knicks (24-12)	+1,000
Cleveland Cavaliers (31-4)	+1,100
Dallas Mavericks (20-15)	+1,400
Denver Nuggets (20-14)	+1,400
Milwaukee Bucks (17-16)	+2,000
Golden State Warriors (18-17)	+2,500
Memphis Grizzlies (23-13)	+2,500
Minnesota Timberwolves (17-17)	+3,000
Phoenix Suns (15-18)	+3,000

Boston Celtics (26-10): +225 Odds

The Boston Celtics won a championship last year with their recipe of sweet deep shooting and hard-nosed defense. They’ve continued with that philosophy in 2024-2025, and the results have pretty much been the same: this team looks impossible to beat when their three-point shooting is on. Their shooting hasn’t been quite as sweet as last year, however, as the volatility of the long ball makes its presence felt.

They hit more threes (18.7) and take more threes (50.3) than any other team in basketball, but they’re only 11th in three point percentage (37.1), which is down from their 2nd-best 38.8 mark last year.

They’ve missed Kristaps Porzingis for much of this season, but they’re only 7-6 with him in the lineup since his return. While Payton Pritchard has blossomed, all of Boston’s main contributors have seen a regression in their three-point efficiency, which isn’t a good sign for their future prospects.

They have not shown a consistent ability to overcome bad shooting: they are 17-3 this year when they shoot 35 or better from long range, but just 9-6 when they don’t. Not to mention that the next team on the odds leaderboard just beat them pretty soundly 105-92 on January 5. Boston is a decent bet to win the East at -105, but +225 odds are not offering nearly enough value for an outright winner bet in January. Especially for the 2nd-best team in basketball.

Oklahoma City Thunder (30-5): +300 Odds

The best team is the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have the 2nd-best record in the league and they have what seems like the most valuable player as well in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder simply seem like a perfectly built team. Shoutout to Sam Presti. All those tanking trades are finally going to come to fruition this year.

The Thunder are young, energetic, and exciting. However, they’re also none of the negative things you’d assume from a youthful group. They force the most turnovers in the NBA, but they also commit the fewest. They don’t mess around at the free throw line either. There are no weak links there, as they lead the league with an 81.3 mark from the charity stripe.

They’re so good offensively, featuring a variety of guys who can beat you in a variety of ways with SGA, Jaylen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. But their bread and butter is really defense, believe it or not. Acquisitions of glue guys in Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have paid massive dividends, as the Thunder are allowing the fewest points per game, the lowest field goal percentage, and the lowest three-point percentage.

Even with Holmgren missing this much time, OKC has not missed a beat, and they will improve exponentially when he is reinserted. The Thunder had their first little run with this group last year, learning what it’s like not only to win a playoff series, but to lose a tight one too. They’ve had their trial run, and after the shrewd additions of Hartenstein and Caruso, they seem destined to finally bring a trophy to the Sooner state. The +320 odds we’re getting from online betting sites aren’t exactly ideal, but this is by far the best bet on the board nonetheless.

Long Shots

New York Knicks (+1,000): It’s pretty clear now who won that trade. Karl-Anthony Towns has been nothing short of excellent in his debut in the Big Apple, and it seems his arrival has pushed everyone into their proper roles. Methinks the Garden is going to be a tough place to play this spring and summer.
Denver Nuggets (+1,400): They’re going through a lull right now because they have absolutely no depth. Their depth guys the last few years have been so good they haven’t been able to afford to keep them. If they add two strong bench players at the deadline, these +1,400 odds are going to be by far the best value on the board.
Dallas Mavericks (+1,400): Speaking of trade deadline moves, this team could also use an influx. The trades they made at this time last year pushed them to the Finals, and they could do the same this year. These odds represent bargain prices for the Mavs too, as Luka Doncic is currently on the shelf, which surely drove these odds up.