The Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers — the top three favorites to win the 2025 NBA championship — all suffered stunning Game 1 home losses to open the postseason’s second round.
But the Big 3 have held their ground atop oddsboards at the top-rated sports betting sites and, below, we examine the title odds and outlooks for all eight teams remaining in the tournament.
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NBA championship odds: Oklahoma City Thunder (best value: +175 at DraftKings)
Despite a huge rest advantage and the home-court edge, the West’s top-seeded Thunder was silenced in Game 1 Monday night on a waning-second 3-pointer by the Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon.
It was the first loss of the playoffs for OKC, who is hoping to avoid a repeat of last season’s second-round upset ouster at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.
Perhaps, though, it’ll serve as a catalyst for the Thunder, who are deeper and more experienced this season as they seek the franchise’s first NBA title since winning as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979.
NBA championship odds: Boston Celtics (+225 at Caesars)
The defending champs also fell in stunning fashion Monday night, squandering a 20-point second half lead and misfiring on a record 45 3-point attempts in a 108-105 home loss to the New York Knicks.
Perhaps it was nothing more than a one-game shooting blip, but the Celtics’ overall health remains a concern as well as big man Kristaps Porzingis missed all but 13 minutes of Game 1 with an illness.
Jayson Tatum (wrist), Jrue Holiday (hamstring) and Jaylen Brown (knee) also have had injury concerns this postseason, and Boston needs to regain better form to get back on the repeat track.
NBA championship odds: Cleveland Cavaliers (+575 Caesars)
The East’s top-seeded Cavs swept the Miami Heat in dominating fashion in the opening round but then subsequently fell 121-112 Sunday in Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers.
The news is even worse news on the health front as three of Cleveland’s top four scorers — Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle) and De’Andre Hunter (thumb) — are now battling injuries.
That’s less than ideal facing a confident Indiana squad that has beaten the Cavs in four of five meetings this season and now has the home-court edge in the series.
NBA championship odds: Minnesota Timberwolves (+1100 at bet365)
The Los Angeles Lakers entered the postseason with the fourth-best title odds, but Anthony Edwards and Co., made short work (4-1) of them in a mild Round 1 upset.
Now the sixth-seeded Timberwolves suddenly find themselves favored with home-court advantage in a second-round matchup against Golden State.
And, if they can advance there, Minnesota will have no need to fear its Western Conference finals foe, having gone a combined 6-2 against OKC and Denver during the regular season.
NBA championship odds: Denver Nuggets (+1800 at DraftKings)
Nikola Jokic and the 2023 champs have won four of five since falling behind 2-1 in their opening-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.
And they’re steadily moving up on current oddsboards as a result, supplanting the Golden State Warriors as the team with the fifth-best championship odds following their shocking victory Monday night on two days rest.
But Denver’s lack of quality depth and David Adelman’s lack of experience — 11 total games since taking over the interim role late in the regular season — remain key concerns for Denver.
NBA championship odds: Golden State Warriors (+2500 at BetMGM)
Steph Curry and Co., nearly squandered a 3-1 series lead against the second-seeded Houston Rockets in Round 1 before dominating the fourth quarter on the road to win Game 7.
The Warriors’ playoff-proven trio of Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler is garnering betting ticket respect, but does seventh-seeded Golden State have enough in the tank to make another Finals run in the stacked West?
NBA championship odds: New York Knicks (+3000 at BetMGM)
Like the Nuggets, the Knicks also saw their title odds take a sizable jump following their impressive Monday road win in Beantown.
Jalen Brunson is cementing his place among the league’s elite scorers and play-makers, but N.Y. still has a long road ahead to reach its first NBA Finals since 1999.
Monday’s victory was only the Knicks’ second win in their last 10 games against the Celtics, who surely will rededicate their efforts and alter their strategy after launching 60 of their 97 field-goal attempts from 3-point range in Game 1.
NBA championship odds: Indiana Pacers (+3500 at BetMGM)
Tyrese Haliburton and Co., are playing with momentum and confidence as the possibility of the franchise’s second NBA Finals appearance has been steadily improving by the day of late.
But like the Knicks’ path, there promises to be many twists and turns ahead. And Indiana can certainly expect a renewed effort from a wounded Cavaliers team for the remainder of their semifinal series.
