2017 NBA Championship Odds: Warriors Have Slight Edge on LeBron, Cavaliers

Will the Golden State Warriors find a way to sign prized free agent Kevin Durant this offseason? If they do somehow pull off that move, it’s hard to imagine the Warriors being any bigger favorites than their current betting odds of +200 (bet $100 to win $200) to win their second NBA championship in three years at sportsbooks monitored at Odds Shark.

Golden State ultimately fell short of its goal of winning back-to-back titles this year after setting the record for most wins during the regular season at 73-9, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in an epic seven-game series.

The Cavaliers became the first team ever to rally back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals en route to earning the city’s first major sports championship since 1964 behind Finals MVP LeBron James.

Cleveland is right behind the Warriors at +225 to win its second consecutive title, and the expected return of James should help bolster a roster that will continue to be the best in the Eastern Conference regardless of who else joins him.

While the Warriors probably will not see their odds change dramatically this summer, that would not be the case for other teams currently pursuing Durant. The San Antonio Spurs (+750) are the third choice behind Golden State and Cleveland, but they could see their odds chopped in half if Durant signs with them.

The Los Angeles Clippers (+2000) may jump San Antonio if they land Durant, which would make them a serious threat to Golden State in the Pacific Division and the Western Conference as well.

Of course, the Oklahoma City Thunder (+850) still hope to re-sign Durant so they can continue to pair him with Russell Westbrook, and their 2017 NBA title odds would obviously plummet without him.

In the East, the Boston Celtics (+2500), Toronto Raptors (+2500), Chicago Bulls (+3300) and Miami Heat (+3300) all hope to challenge King James and the Cavs but remain long shots to win the title.

The Celtics have failed to acquire another star player so far after a mediocre draft, the Raptors need to re-sign DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls traded away Derrick Rose, and the Heat are expected to lose center Hassan Whiteside via free agency. That leaves Cleveland as the team to beat in the East yet again.