The 2024 NBA Finals will start on Thursday in what seems like FOREVER since we last saw action. The Boston Celtics (-210), the team with the NBA’s best regular-season record at 64-18 and a record of 12-2 this postseason (although only 7-7 against the spread), are favored over the Dallas Mavericks (+175). It’s the first time that the Celtics have been favorites in the NBA Finals coming into the series since 1986.
Despite that, one bettor in Illinois at Caesars Sportsbook wagered $80,000 on the Mavericks to win the series at +180 odds. The bet would win $144,000 and is the largest reported wager at a legal sportsbook so far.
Notable #NBA bet:
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) June 2, 2024
One bettor at @CaesarsSports in Illinois wagered $80,000 on the Dallas Mavericks (+180) to win the #NBAFinals.
Bet would win $144K#MFFL
While there haven’t been any other series bets that big at other books, it certainly appears that the public is backing Dallas at larger books. At BetMGM, 85% of the bets and 80% of the money wagered is on the Mavs to win the series, and the odds have stayed at +180.
The NBA Finals begin Thursday, June 1 on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Celtics are 6.5-point home favorites with a total of 214.5.
At DraftKings, 73% of bets and 66% of handle are on Mavs +6.5, and at BetMGM it's 74% of bets and 65% of handle. So, the public is definitely backing Dallas to cover early on. No line movement from the opener at BetMGM; it opened Celtics -6 at DraftKings.
See our full matchup and picks here.
