Betting

The Celtics Are Once Again the Favorites to Win the NBA Finals

Well that didn’t take long.

Following Boston’s dominant win on Saturday afternoon and Milwaukee’s loss to Miami (and the potential loss of their star), the Celtics are once again the favorites to win the NBA Finals according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Here are the updated odds:

Odds to Win 2023 NBA Finals

Boston Celtics                                +270

Milwaukee Bucks                          +320

Phoenix Suns                                 +500

Philadelphia 76ers                        +900

Denver Nuggets                             +950

Golden State Warriors               +1000

Los Angeles Lakers                     +1600

The Celtics ran through Atlanta like a hot knife through butter on Saturday, winning 112-99 behind 29 points and 12 rebounds from Jaylen Brown.

Jayson Tatum and Derrick White were forces on the offensive end as well with 24+ points each, and Marcus Smart put up a stat sheet of 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Boston held star point guard Trae Young to just 16 points on 5-18 shooting  (1-5 from three). Dejounte Murray was the Hawks leading scorer, but he too struggled, shooting 0-6 from behind the arc. The Celtics hold a 1-0 series lead.

Meanwhile, things aren’t looking so hot for Giannis and the once-Finals favorite Bucks. The Greek Freak left Sundays game with a lower back contusion, but there is “optimism surrounding [his] availability for Game 2” on Wednesday, according to Shams Charania.

Miami took full advantage of the Antetokounmpo-less Bucks, winning game one by a score of 130-117. Jimmy Butler scored 35 points and tallied 11 assists, Bam Adebayo scored 22 and grabbed 9 boards, and Kevin Love scored 18 points off the bench, going 4-7 from the three-point line.

Khris Middleton put home 33 points for the Bucks, but it wasn’t enough. The Heat hold a 1-0 series lead.

So as such, Boston now holds the cards, according to oddsmakers at FanDuel, with a league-leading +270 odds to win the NBA Finals. Game two of the Celtics vs. Hawks series tips off on Tuesday at 7pm from the TD Garden.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CelticsCLNS for the latest up-to-date Celtics news!

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Mike Kadlick

Mike is a Patriots reporter with experience in radio, podcasting, and writing. Follow him on Twitter @mikekadlick.

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