OKC's Still the Pick, But Spurs and Celtics Have the Whole League's Attention

The Oklahoma City Thunder are rolling into the playoffs as the betting market's favorite to repeat as NBA champions, but here's what's wild: the real money is flowing toward the teams chasing them down the board. At DraftKings, the Thunder sit at +110 odds to win it all, which makes them the betting favorite. But if you're watching where the public is actually putting their money, it's on the teams right on their heels.

The Top Tier Has Three Teams, and It's Not Even Close

Behind OKC, the San Antonio Spurs (+500) and Boston Celtics (+550) are the next tier of championship contenders. Then there's a pretty steep drop before the Denver Nuggets (+900) round out the group of teams Vegas is treating as legitimate threats. These four teams have serious handle and considerable bets stacked on them across the sportsbook marketplace, which tells you something about where the smart money thinks this playoff run is headed.

Everyone Else Is Playing Long Odds

There's a massive gap on the odds board before you get to the next group. The Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are both sitting at 17-1 and 18-1, respectively, which is a huge jump from that top four. That gap tells you exactly how much confidence the betting market has in OKC, San Antonio, Boston, and Denver compared to everyone else still alive in this thing.

The Thunder and Nuggets aren't liabilities for the sportsbooks because of those relatively short odds, but the Spurs and Celtics are getting enough action that they're actually moving the needle for Vegas. If you're a Celtics or Spurs fan right now, that public confidence heading into the playoffs has to feel pretty good.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.