For savvy bettors, our NBA Finals Historical Series odds can offer a roadmap to spotting patterns and getting ahead of the market as the best of the Eastern and Western Conference battle it out for the Larry O'Brien trophy.
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NBA Finals Historical Series Betting
Now, it hasn't been a clean sweep since 2014 for the Western Conference champions capturing the NBA crown, but as we can plainly see here, oddsmakers have been infatuated with the best of the West by favoring them in 11 of the last 12 NBA Finals. Boston broke a trend of 10 consecutive Western team's favored to lift the Larry O'Brien last season.
The biggest discrepancy came in 2017 when the Golden State Warriors were an overwhelming -2000 favorite to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Golden State ultimately winning that series in five games.
| Year | Western Conference Champion | Odds | Eastern Conference Champion | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Oklahoma City Thunder | -750 | Indiana Pacers | +530 |
| 2024 | Dallas Mavericks | +185 | Boston Celtics | -225 |
| 2023 | Denver Nuggets | -430 | Miami Heat | +330 |
| 2022 | Golden State Warriors | -190 | Boston Celtics | +280 |
| 2021 | Phoenix Suns | -200 | Milwaukee Bucks | +165 |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Lakers | -330 | Miami Heat | +265 |
| 2019 | Golden State Warriors | -280 | Toronto Raptors | +175 |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors | -167 | Cleveland Cavaliers | +1100 |
| 2017 | Golden State Warriors | -2000 | Cleveland Cavaliers | +1000 |
| 2016 | Golden State Warriors | -200 | Cleveland Cavaliers | +162 |
| 2015 | Golden State Warriors | -190 | Cleveland Cavaliers | +170 |
| 2014 | San Antonio Spurs | -125 | Miami Heat | +105 |
NBA Finals Game 1 Betting Trends
Kicking off a series with a home victory doesn't always tell the tale of how it will ultimately unfold, but it's as good a start as any if you're looking to win four of seven. However, the losing team in Game 1 has come back to win the series in three of the last five years. So, failing to take Game 1 isn't the end.
The home side has been favored to take Game 1 each of the last 12 years, and have gone 9-3 ATS.
| Year | Home Team | Game 1 Final Score | Home Team Spread | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 111-110 Pacers over Thunder | Thunder -9 | Pacers Cover (Underdogs) |
| 2024 | Boston Celtics | 107-89 Celtics over Mavericks | Celtics -6.5 | Celtics Cover (Favorites) |
| 2023 | Denver Nuggets | 104-93 Nuggets over Heat | Nuggets -9 | Nuggets Cover (Favorites) |
| 2022 | Golden State Warriors | 120-98 Celtics over Warriors | Warriors -3.5 | Celtics Cover (Underdogs) |
| 2021 | Phoenix Suns | 118-105 Suns over Bucks | Suns -6 | Suns Cover (Favorites) |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Lakers | 116-98 Lakers over Heat | Lakers -5 | Lakers Cover (Favorites) |
| 2019 | Toronto Raptors | 118-109 Raptors over Warriors | Raptors -1.5 | Raptors Cover (Favorites) |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors | 124-114 Warriors over Cavaliers | Warriors -12 | Cavaliers Cover (Underdogs) |
| 2017 | Golden State Warriors | 113-91 Warriors over Cavaliers | Warriors -7.5 | Warriors Cover (Favorites) |
| 2016 | Golden State Warriors | 104-89 Warriors over Cavaliers | Warriors -6 | Warriors Cover (Favorites) |
| 2015 | Golden State Warriors | 108-100 Warriors over Cavaliers | Warriors -6 | Warriors Cover (Favorites) |
| 2014 | San Antonio Spurs | 110-95 Spurs over Heat | Spurs -4.5 | Spurs Cover (Favorites) |
Terms and Conditions
New customers only. Deposit min. $10. Place first bet of min $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if your bet wins.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
21+ and present in OH.
NBA Finals Total Games Betting Trends
A fun prop to bet on throughout any postseason is wagering on how long a specific series will go. Intriguingly, no NBA Finals series had gone the full seven games prior to Pacers-Thunder since the epic Warriors vs. Cavaliers Game 7 back in 2016.
In the case of the Finals, with the exception of the Warriors-Cavaliers matchup which graced us for far too long from 2015 through 2018, there was a four-year streak of the series going exactly six games prior to the Denver Nuggets beating the Heat in 2023 in just five.
| Year | Matchup | Result | Total Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | Thunder 4-3 | 7 |
| 2024 | Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks | Celtics 4-1 | 5 |
| 2023 | Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets | Nuggets 4-1 | 5 |
| 2022 | Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors | Warriors 4-2 | 6 |
| 2021 | Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks | Bucks 4-2 | 6 |
| 2020 | Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers | Lakers 4-2 | 6 |
| 2019 | Toronto Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors | Raptors 4-2 | 6 |
| 2018 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors | Warriors 4-0 | 4 |
| 2017 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors | Warriors 4-1 | 5 |
| 2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors | Cavaliers 4-3 | 7 |
| 2015 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors | Warriors 4-2 | 6 |
| 2014 | Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs | Spurs 4-1 | 5 |
