June 20, 2022; San Francisco, California, United States; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry poses with the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy during the Warriors Championship Parade in downtown San Francisco. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
- DraftKings offers NBA Finals Winner Specials on Conference of the Winner, Division and State
- The Western Conference is narrowly favored over the East to produce the 2023 NBA champion
- Which NBA Finals Winners Specials Offer the Best Value?
In addition to a range of NBA Finals futures markets, DraftKings offers some NBA odds specials for the 2022-23 champion. Rather than backing a specific team or endgame, these markets look at the conference, division, or state of the 2023 NBA champion.
This is a way of placing a bet on NBA championship odds even if neither individual team is attractive at their current price. Grouping teams geographically opens up more options.
For example, if you are confident that the Clippers and Warriors are the top two teams for next season, this is a means of covering both bases without placing two separate bets on the team futures.
Winners’ Specials for the NBA Finals
| Conference to win the NBA Finals | opportunities |
|---|---|
| Western Conference | -120 |
| east conference | +100 |
| Division to win the NBA Finals | opportunities |
| Pacific Division | +155 |
| Atlantic Division | +220 |
| central department | +600 |
| Division Southwest | +800 |
| southeast division | +1000 |
| Northwest Division | +1000 |
| State to win the NBA Finals | opportunities |
| Set up | -155 |
| California | +200 |
| new York | +1100 |
| Florida | +1200 |
| Texas | +1700 |
Odds as of August 5th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Use this DraftKings Sportsbook promo code before you bet.
Analysis of the NBA Finals winning specials
The Western Conference has won 15 of the 23 NBA Finals since the turn of the century, contributing to the narrow lead in the conference market. In recent seasons, however, it’s been something of a catch-up for the Eastern Conference, with two titles in the last four years. The East has title favorites Boston Celtics and a healthy Milwaukee Bucks that lifted the 2021 Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Of the two, supporting the Eastern Conference is the better choice to bring out the champion. The East may not have as many competitors as the West, but it’s possible that the Celtics and Bucks will be the two strongest teams next season. Of course, lately it has turned out that Boston is also at the forefront of the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
Unsurprisingly, California is the clear favorite among the states to produce a champion.
The Golden State has the West’s two preseason NBA betting favorites in the Warriors and Clippers, plus the added bonus of the Lakers. While the 17-time champion is far from contesting the bet at this point, a significant trade either pre-season or mid-season is highly likely. The acquisition of Indiana’s Myles Turner and Buddy Hield would raise their ceiling, as would the landing of Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving.
It remains possible that the Lakers will make multiple moves after being linked with Eric Gordon alongside Irving, Turner and Hield.
THE WORLD NEEDS KYRIE AND LEBRON TOGETHER ON THE LAKERS 🔥pic.twitter.com/WBAICwhuhx
— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) August 3, 2022
California, which has two sure title contenders and a wildcard with the Lakers, makes them worth a punt at +200. New York isn’t worth thinking about even if the Knicks land Donovan Mitchell and the Nets push it back. Betting Florida at +1200 is pointless when the Heat is +1400 and the same goes for Texas (+1700) with the Mavericks (+2000).
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Special bet on the best winner of the NBA finals
The division to win the NBA Finals market is the best bet. With the Celtics favored, the Sixers much improved and the Raptors pursued by Durant, the Atlantic Division will attract many bettors.
However, the +220 is still on the short side.
Boston is +450 to win the title and rightly so. The Sixers are still a question mark, especially when it comes to James Harden’s stamina throughout a season. Toronto, as it’s currently set up, might be a second-round team. Supporting Atlantic only makes sense if you’re confident Harden can reverse last season’s decline or Tyrese Maxey will take another leap. Or you can go all-in on the Raptors trading for Durant.
Betting on the Central is just a bet on the Bucks (Milwaukee is +750 at DraftKings, the Central is +600). The Grizzlies and Mavericks are each at +2000 for the title, and the Pelicans at +4000 – +800 in the Southwest is way too short.
Once again we return to the California Big 3, but this time we get to throw in the 2020-21 Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns. Phoenix appear to have slipped out of the Durant contest and their title window is suspected to have closed, but they are still at +1000 for the title. The Pacific put the three title favorites in the West plus a dice roll on a Lakers team featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Phoenix makes it worth taking +155 in the Pacific vs. +200 in California – this is the standout bet among NBA Finals winners specials.
- Best Bet: Pacific Division (+155)
Sam Cox
sports journalist
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie who has immersed himself in the online gaming industry over the past few years. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker and Colossus Bets to name a few. Sam lives in the UK and runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie who has immersed himself in the online gaming industry over the past few years. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker and Colossus Bets to name a few. Sam lives in the UK and runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
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