Just like that, things are underway. The new NBA season has officially kicked off and people can't wait to see the best basketball players on the planet put on a show from start to finish. There were some big trades this offseason, while other stars found their way to new teams through free agency. So, which team will come out on top? As things stand, the Celtics are the favorites to win the 2025 NBA Finals title. Will the Eastern Conference powerhouse get the job done?
Last season, Boston looked sensational, winning the title in convincing fashion. Throughout the year, the Celtics looked like the best team out there and while some other teams made a ton of noise, Boston was the one to pull away and look far superior. Things begin and end here with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, arguably the best duo in the game. The two will look to pick up where they left off this season.
| NBA Finals odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics to win | +310 | +310 | +310 |
| Thunder to win | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| Knicks to win | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Nuggets to win | +950 | +950 | +950 |
"The goal is to win every single year," coach Joe Mazzulla said in a recent interview. "So, the idea of “back-to-back” is null and void, because every team has the same goal — to win. But it’s about the process that leads to winning. Who are we if we’re not coming into every season trying to achieve the best possible season that we can have? So regardless of the circumstances, our goal is no different than it was last year: Stick to the process of winning and get better every single day.
According to the best online sports betting sites, the Celtics hold +310 NBA betting odds to win the championship again. It should be no surprise at all that Boston holds the top basketball betting odds to repeat as champs, as they've welcomed back the majority of their roster from last year's squad. It will be interesting to see if the Celtics will be able to go back-to-back here. With all of that said, we're going with the Celtics as our pick to win the NBA Finals.
Iconic 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/oiHCgW8Zk6
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 23, 2024
The Thunder and Timberwolves hold the top odds to win the Western Conference
While Boston is the clear frontrunner to win the Eastern Conference and NBA Finals, the Thunder and Timberwolves hold the top odds to win the Western Conference. Denver is also in the mix here, but the fact of the matter here is that Oklahoma City and Minnesota are the top contenders out West. For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards is a superstar and he's going to want to remind people of how great he can be with the ball in his hands, while impressing head coach Chris Finch.
"Re-establishing our identity," Finch said on his early-season goals in a recent interview. "That was a huge part of our success and we can’t forget about that. Assessing where our guys stand physically. We had four guys in the Olympics; so figuring out how we manage those guys. There has been enough of a break since the Olympics, compared to some World Cups, where there is just a week turnaround."
LA. drip💧 pic.twitter.com/njQyh5eWVF
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 23, 2024
Meanwhile for the Thunder, similar to Minnesota, they're loaded with young talent. Chet Holmgren is a stud on both ends of the floor, there's no question about that. Last season, though, OKC had the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but they weren't able to go on the deep postseason run fans were hoping for. The Mavs ended up winning the conference and they went on to lose to Boston in the Finals.
As things stand, the Thunder hold +650 NBA Finals betting odds and +350 odds to win the Western Conference, while the Timberwolves are behind them at +450 for the conference 'ship. This is going to be a season-long battle, as one of those two teams figures to capture the No. 1 seed for when the postseason arrives. We're still rocking with the Celtics to win the NBA Finals, but the Thunder are our pick to win the Western Conference next spring.
There are other contenders for the NBA Finals title this season
While the focus is on Boston, Minnesota and OKC right now, there are other contenders for the NBA Finals title this season. Most notably, the Nuggets are a squad out West to keep a close eye on. Nikola Jokic remains a contender to win MVP every year. Jokic is a sharpshooter and he can also make a big-time impact around the glass too. With Jokic being such a stud, Denver is going to be ready to make a ton of noise this year. Keep in mind they won the NBA Finals title two seasons ago.
Elsewhere, the Knicks, 76ers and Mavericks also have talented rosters and were all quite impressive in the playoffs last campaign. The Knicks pulled off a trade to bring in Karl-Anthony Towns, which still has people talking. With Jalen Brunson being such a standout, the hope is that Towns will prove to be the missing piece for this team. We'll have to wait and see how everything goes down, but this is surely going to be a memorable NBA season for everyone to enjoy all the way until things end next June.
