Looking for the best odds and expert predictions on the second and most exciting part of any NBA season? Check out our NBA Finals betting guide for all that and more!
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NBA Finals Tournament Structure
It is fair to say that through the years the NBA Finals structure has been complicated, but the structure is probably as simple now as it has ever been.
Eight teams from each Conference go into the bracket for the NBA Finals. The top six in each Conference automatically qualify for the postseason, with the teams ranked 7-10 entering a ‘Play In’ tournament for the final two spots in each Conference draw.
The eight teams in each Conference bracket are placed into the draw based on their seeding, with the highest seed meeting the lowest seed in the first round. Second plays seven, third plays six, and fourth meets five. Those seedings are determined on the win percentage of each team throughout the 82-game regular season.
Each tie is the best of seven matches. That means whenever a team gets to four wins, they go through to the next round. Each round is played in a hosting method of 2-2-1-1-1, which means that the higher seed has home court advantage in matches one, two, five and seven, while the lower seed has it in games three, four and six. The first team to four in the overall final wins the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
In addition to the 82 matches that each team play in the regular season, the overall NBA Finals champions could have to play another 28 games in order to win the title, or if they deliver a clean sweep in each of the series they play, they could get it done in as few as 16 Finals matches.
The Milwaukee Bucks were the winners of the title in 2021. They beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 to become the champions.
NBA Finals Betting
The NBA Finals are incredibly exciting. This is where the division winners and play-off qualifiers meet in a series of matches to determine who will be crowned the champions of that season and lift the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy.
Although the regular NBA season is full of fantastic play and offers many opportunities for betting, when the NBA Finals come around, there is a feeling the competition goes up a notch with the best meeting the best… and much higher stakes in play.
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With so many markets to get stuck into, whether in each of the individual matches, the best of seven ties, or the futures betting and outright markets, punters have plenty to embark on over the two-month period, where they can enjoy the final stages of the most followed basketball league in the world.
NBA Finals Odds
There are plenty of odds around for the NBA Finals. The Phoenix Suns were the initial favourites to win the 2022 title, however, after recent performances, that honour is now bestowed upon the Golden State Warriors, as you may see in the table below.
*odds subject to change
NBA Finals MVP Odds
One of the more popular markets for NBA Finals betting is the MVP winner. The best players in the NBA are always battling it out for this title. This award is given to the Most Valuable Player across the NBA Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo won the award in 2021, while previous winners include LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Koby Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and the great Michael Jordan.
The odds for the 2022 NBA Finals MVP currently stand as follows:
NBA Finals 2022 Predictions
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Warriors Are the Heavy Favourites
Golden State Warriors are the favourites to emulate the Milwaukee Bucks and win the title. They last won the title back in 2018, but with Steph Curry in their ranks and performing as well as ever, he could be the one to take the title back to San Francisco. They are the highest seeds left in the Western Conference and are the rightful favourites to be the last team standing.
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How About the Celtics?
Could the Boston Celtics win title number 18? They haven’t won the NBA Finals since 2008, so you could certainly argue that a win is due, and everyone in Massachusetts will be hoping that this is the year that Jayson Tatum and co. bring the Larry O’Brien back to TD Garden. They are two series wins away from what would be a historic Championship for one of the greatest franchises in NBA history.
NBA Finals 2022 Picks and Best Bets
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Golden State Warriors Are the Team to Beat Golden State Warriors look to be the team to beat, and a bet on them is the recommended way forward for the NBA Finals betting 2022. Steph Curry is a superstar of the sport and he could crown a wonderful career with another NBA title.
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Golden State vs Boston Celtics Series to Go to Over 5.5 Games Golden State may have swept past Dallas by winning 4 games to 1 but we expect the final series to go to at least 5 games. Boston have showed they've got the stamina to go 7 games, especially since both their last two fixtures ended 4-3 in their favour. They struggled when playing at the TD Garden against Miami, but they'll surely be approaching these finals in a different way after those matches. They also have a favourable head-to-head record against the Golden State Warriors, which is worth keeping in mind.
Popular NBA Finals Betting Markets
If you are going to bet on the NBA Finals, you need to make sure you know what you are betting on. There are many different markets – from the Championship and Conference winners to the MVP, some of which are more popular than others.
This table not only highlights a few of the markets on offer, but also exactly what you are betting on when you place a bet on any of these NBA Finals betting options.
Series Betting | Bet which team will win a series against the other team and advance to the next round |
NBA Championship | Bet who will win the championship |
NBA Eastern Conference Winner | Bet who will win the Eastern Conference |
NBA Eastern Conference Finals Exact Result | Bet which team will beat which in the conference finals |
NBA Western Conference Winner | Bet who will win the Western Conference |
NBA Western Conference Finals Exact Result | Bet which team will beat which in the conference finals |
NBA Finalists | Bet who the finalists will be |
NBA Draft Markets | Bet who will be Number 1 Overall Pick |
NBA Finals MVP Odds | Bet who the MVP in the finals will be |
NBA Finals 2022 Journey
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16 teams started out on the NBA Finals 2022 journey. The top seeds in the Eastern Conference were the Miami Heat, with the Boston Celtics behind them as the second seeds. The other division winners were the Milwaukee Bucks, the defending champions, and they entered the Finals as the third seeds.
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The other three automatic qualifiers from the Eastern Conference were the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and the Chicago Bulls. The Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks were the two teams who made it through from the ‘Play In’ competition.
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Phoenix Suns, last year's finalists, had the best regular season record which means that, not only were they the top seeds in the Western Conference, but should they make the overall final, they would have home court advantage in four of the matches.
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Memphis Grizzlies and the Utah Jazz were the other division winners, although the Jazz are just the fifth seeds. Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets were the other automatic qualifiers. The two ‘Play In’ winners were the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New Orleans Pelicans.
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Home court advantage was a strong one in the first round of the NBA Finals 2022. Incredibly, the top four seeds in both Conferences all made it through to the Conference semi-finals which is a pretty rare situation.
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That wasn’t the case in the semi-finals, however, as although the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics confirmed their top seedings in the Eastern Conference, it was the third and fourth seeded Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks who made it through to the Western Conference final.
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After 5 matches, the Golden State Warriors won the tie by 4 games to 1 and proceeded to the final.
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Boston Celtics managed to edge past Miami Heat after 7 games, with some great performances from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown among others.
History of the NBA Finals
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The NBA Finals is quite a new term for the end of season competition. It used to be the NBA Playoffs but the name got changed to bring a bigger profile to the event as basketball (like all American sports), chase the headlines with the likes of baseball and NFL.
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The NBA is always tinkering with the shape of the finals and this naturally affects the markets available for NBA Finals betting. When the playoffs were devised in 1947, just the top three teams in each division qualified for them, with the winners heading straight into the semi-finals and the other four sides battling in the other half of the draw.
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Just two years later, the first change was made with the top four from each division, now known as a Conference, qualifying for the finals as the event was brought more into line to what we see in 2022.
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Teams have gradually been added to make the event a much bigger competition right up to the modern day, where we have 16 teams – eight sides from each Conference. In that time, the amount of matches has also fluctuated from best of five series to what we have today.
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More recently a ‘Play In’ tournament has been devised, where four teams in each Conference play off for the last two spots in the finals, adding further incentives for teams to do well in the regular campaign.
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The NBA Finals is quite a new term for the end of season competition. It used to be the NBA Playoffs but the name got changed to bring a bigger profile to the event as basketball (like all American sports), chase the headlines with the likes of baseball and NFL.
-
The NBA is always tinkering with the shape of the finals and this naturally affects the markets available for NBA Finals betting. When the playoffs were devised in 1947, just the top three teams in each division qualified for them, with the winners heading straight into the semi-finals and the other four sides battling in the other half of the draw.
-
Just two years later, the first change was made with the top four from each division, now known as a Conference, qualifying for the finals as the event was brought more into line to what we see in 2022.
-
Teams have gradually been added to make the event a much bigger competition right up to the modern day, where we have 16 teams – eight sides from each Conference. In that time, the amount of matches has also fluctuated from best of five series to what we have today.
-
More recently a ‘Play In’ tournament has been devised, where four teams in each Conference play off for the last two spots in the finals, adding further incentives for teams to do well in the regular campaign.
FAQ
Yes you can bet on the NBA series. You can bet on the winner of the series, the score at the end of that series, as well as on each match within that series and all of the regular markets available for NBA matches.
The Golden State Warriors are the team who are favoured by the bookmakers to win the 2022 NBA Finals. One of the reasons for that is the Western Conference have home court advantage in the Championship series, which would see the Warriors at home in Game 7 should the series go that far.
One of the Golden State Warriors or Boston Celtics will win the NBA Finals 2022. The Warriors are the favourites, but the Celtics are looking to win the title for the 18th time.
Yes, the NBA Finals is a 7-game series. Games one and two will be at the home of the Western Conference final winner, while three and four will be hosted by the Eastern Conference final winner. Game five will go back to the Western winners and if a Game six is needed, that will be at the home court of the Eastern winners. The Western final winners would host Game seven if it is required.
The Final begins on June 2 and should it go that far, Game 7 would be on June 19.
There is still so much that can happen, but the best bet for NBA Finals 2022 is for the Golden State Warriors to win the Larry O’Brien Championship. They have won the title three times recently and have plenty of players who know how to win the finals. In Steph Curry, they have arguably the best player in the sport on their side, and although they are the favourites to win the title, they look the most likely champions.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
The NBA Finals is always a wonderful conclusion to any NBA season. The Finals are at their best when the leading seeds make it all the way through to the end of the competition, but that isn't always the case. In fact, sometimes, as is happening in 2022, teams who aren’t notorious winners of the title get their chance in the spotlight and the opportunity to create a wonderful story of their own.
Whichever combination of the teams reach the NBA Championship series, the potential seven matches will be sure to light up the month of June, as we crown another NBA champion in what could be a dramatic series and a great one for NBA Finals betting.