David PurdumESPN Staff Writer Oct 24, 2023, 8:30am ET3 minutes read
Must-see NBA offseason recap
Phil Murphy takes you through some of the big moves and funny moments leading up to the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks enter the NBA season as betting favorites to win the championship at sportsbooks across the country.
The Celtics and Bucks are co-favorites at several sportsbooks, while Boston has slightly better odds at +380 at Caesars Sportsbook, followed by Milwaukee at +400. Next up are the defending champion Denver Nuggets at +420, and the Phoenix Suns (+600) and Golden State Warriors (+850) round out the teams with single-digit odds to start the season at Caesars Sportsbook.
The Celtics and Bucks, who each revamped their backcourts in the offseason, are also favorites to win the NBA Cup, the first tournament of the season. Boston added veteran guard Jrue Holiday and Milwaukee traded for superstar Damian Lillard to pair him with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Nuggets attracted the most and biggest bets to win the title during the offseason at Caesars Sportsbook, where it was reported that they had accepted a $30,000 bet on Denver at 4-1 odds from a bettor in Nevada would have paid out a net $120,000.
The Los Angeles Lakers, who are about 11-1 for the title, have received the most support from bettors at sportsbooks FanDuel and SuperBook. The LA Clippers are 18-1 and the Miami Heat are 22-1.
The Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers are the biggest underdogs, each with odds of 500-1 at Caesars Sportsbook.
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is the 3-1 favorite to win the regular season MVP, followed by Antetokounmpo (6-1) and Luka Doncic (11-2) of the Dallas Mavericks.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, the top pick in the draft, is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year at -150 odds. According to betting database SportsOddsHistory.com, Wembanyama is the first player to be the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award since Kevin Durant in the 2007-2008 season.
The season begins on Tuesday when the Nuggets host the Lakers and the Warriors host the Suns.
Odds to win the NBA Championship (via Caesars Sportsbook as of October 24):
Celtics +380
Dollars +400
Nuggets +420
Suns +600
Warrior +850
Lakers +1,100
Clippers +1,800
Heat +2,200
Mavericks +2,500
76ers +2,800
Cavaliers +3,000
Grizzlies +3,000
Kings +4,000
Timberwolves +4,000
Knicks +5,000
Pelicans +5,000
Thunder +7,000
Falcons +8,000
Raptors +12,500
Bulls +15,000
Net +15,000
Spurs +20,000
Pacemaker +20,000
Jazz +30,000
Missiles +30,000
Magic +30,000
Piston +50,000
Hornets +50,000
Wizard +50,000
Trail Blazers +50,000