NBA Finals 2019: Championship Odds and Predictions for Remaining Teams
Six teams come into Sunday with NBA Finals aspirations.
Once the conference finals matchups are set, four franchises will be left with the chance to qualify for the league's championship series.
The two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors are the clear-cut favorites to win the NBA Finals, while the Milwaukee Bucks have the best odds out of the Eastern Conference.
The other four teams still alive have longer championship odds, and whichever two make it out of Sunday's Game 7s will likely keep the long odds given how well Golden State and Milwaukee have played in the first two rounds.
NBA Championship Odds
Prediction
Golden State over Milwaukee
After the display the Golden State Warriors put on in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinal, it is going to be hard to bet against them winning the NBA Finals once again.
Stephen Curry pulled himself out of a shooting slump by scoring 33 points in the second half, while Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala both knocked down five or more shots from three-point range.
Because Kevin Durant rightfully dominated the spotlight before he got hurt, some of us forgot that this is a team that won titles before Durant got to Golden State.
The potential return of Durant makes Steve Kerr's team even more of a title favorite after Friday, but in the case that he does not return, the Warriors should be just fine.
That can't be said about any of the other teams still in contention for a championship.
If you took away the top postseason scorer from the other five franchises still alive in the postseason, there would be a major drop off in production.
The biggest advantage Golden State carries is title-winning experience. The Warriors have seen almost everything in their four consecutive NBA Finals appearances.
The veteran squad will be prepared for anything that is thrown at it by its Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals opponents, which is why it is easy to bet on it.
Milwaukee enters the Eastern Conference Finals as the most rested team in the NBA.
The Bucks clinched their semifinal series against Boston Celtics on Wednesday, and they will not return to the hardwood until Wednesday to face either the Toronto Raptors or Philadelphia 76ers.
In the nine games they have played in the postseason, the Bucks have looked like the best challenger to the Warriors out of the East.
Not only has Giannis Antetokounmpo featured in a starring role, but the Bucks have received contributions from all parts of their roster.
Milwaukee's well-rounded squad could give the Warriors trouble in a seven-game series, but that will come down to how the Bucks manage their defensive assignments versus a roster chock-full of superstars.
The Bucks still have good value at +200 (wager $100 to win $200), and they are well worth the bet if you believe someone other the Warriors will go home with the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from NBA.com.
