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Will this be the season where the Boston Celtics are able to get the monkey off their back? One of the most historic teams in NBA history, Boston hasn’t won the championship since the 2007-08 campaign. It has been more than 15 years since the Celtics have been able to celebrate in style. However, the good news for fans is that the long wait could be over, as the Celtics remain the favorites to win the NBA Finals this season. Will they get the job done?
Things have been downright sensational for the Celtics this season, as they’re 48-12 on the year. This is far and away the best record in the NBA. Entering the campaign, we had a feeling that Boston would play at a high level, but did anyone expect this? A lot of folks thought the Milwaukee Bucks would be the best team in the Eastern Conference, but Boston has made them look like they’re a step behind throughout the season.
| NBA Finals odds |  |  |  |
| Celtics to win | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Nuggets to win | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Clippers to win | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Bucks to win | +700 | +700 | +700 |
The main reason for why Boston has been so sharp is no question the strong play of Jayson Tatum. Tatum is playing with a ton of confidence, which is why he recently said he’s the best player in the NBA. He may not have the best NBA betting odds to be named MVP, but there’s no question that he belongs in the conversation. Tatum is the No. 1 scorer on the team, but Jaylen Brown has been superb as well.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Celtics hold +250 NBA betting odds to win the NBA Finals this year. Those are the best odds of all the teams out there. Boston is in a better position than Denver, Milwaukee, Phoenix, the LA Clippers and others. From our chair, we think Boston is going to keep flying for the rest of the regular season and then in the postseason. They’re our pick to win the title this year.
woke up feeling excellenttttttt ☘️ pic.twitter.com/Ky4L82UtTm
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 4, 2024
The Nuggets are hoping to prevent Boston from winning it all
While there’s a ton of hype surrounding the Celtics, the Nuggets are hoping to prevent Boston from winning it all. That’s going to be easier said than done, but Denver sure has the firepower on both sides of the ball. If these two teams go on to meet in the Finals, it will be a series to remember. Keep in mind that the Nuggets shocked the world last season when they were crowned the NBA Finals champions.
This season, Denver is 42-19 on the year and they’re of course in the hunt for the No. 1 seed out West. A main reason for that has been the strong play of Nikola Jokic, who is looking like an MVP candidate. Jokic’s odds to win NBA MVP have skyrocketed since 76ers superstar Joel Embiid went down with his knee injury. With Jokic playing so well, people all over Colorado believe that the Nuggets could repeat as the champs.
Views from above 📸 pic.twitter.com/E5dLi8PP4d
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 3, 2024
“What he’s doing in our league…he’s ripping the records apart,” Former NBA superstar Kevin Garnett recently said on the play of Jokic while with the Denver Nuggets. “They showed a stat where he’s had a triple-double on every team in the league. Right now, Joker is more dominant than Wilt Chamberlain. They got some (expletive) taking him over Shaq. They got (expletive) taking Joker over Wilt or Shaq.”
The fact that Garnett, one of the best big men in NBA history, said this about Jokic is not a surprise at all. He’s easily one of the best players in the league. He’s also a reason why Denver fans think that the Nuggets have a great chance to spoil the season for the Celtics. Only time will tell if this happens or not, but the Nuggets will 100 percent be a team to watch for the rest of the season, no doubt.
There are several other teams to watch for the NBA Finals
While the Nuggets and Celtics are grabbing all of the attention right now, keep in mind that there are several other teams to watch for the NBA Finals. The long list of course includes the Thunder, Clippers, Heat and more. With the Clippers, it has proven to be a memorable year for the LA squad. Who would have thought that the Clippers would be in a better position to make noise this postseason than LeBron James and the Lakers?
This is not something we were expecting, but James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and others are looking fantastic for the Clippers. Because of their great play, the Clippers are in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. So are the Thunder, who are receiving a monster year from Chet Holmgren.
The former first-round pick is looking pretty dang good this winter. Should the Warriors sneak into the playoffs too, then you can never rule them out from making a ton of noise. The fact of the matter is that the NBA is loaded with an unreal amount of talent. Fans can’t wait for the postseason to get here, as some upsets could be on the way.
