Celtics enter offseason as clear-cut favorite to repeat

The Boston Celtics, fresh off winning the franchise's 18th NBA championship, enter the offseason with some of the best sportsbook odds for a repeat title since the great Golden State teams of the late 2010s.

The Celtics are the clear-cut betting favorites to win the 2025 championship at sportsbooks around the nation. At ESPN BET, Boston is +280 for next year's title, which would be the shortest preseason title odds since the 2017-18 Warriors (-180).

The Celtics finished off the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the Finals on Monday, capping a dominating season in which they were the championship favorites from the first game of the season to the last. Boston was a betting underdog in just three games during the regular season and only twice in the playoffs.

The Celtics, Denver Nuggets (+650) and Minnesota Timberwolves (+850) are the only teams with 2025 championship odds shorter than 10-1 as of Monday at ESPN BET. Six of the last eight NBA champions had single-digit odds in the preseason, according to betting archive SportsOddsHistory.com.

The Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder are each 10-1, followed by the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, who are each 16-1.

The Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards have the longest title odds for next season at ESPN BET, each at 500-1.

Odds to win the 2025 NBA championship, as of Monday, via ESPN BET:

Celtics +280

Nuggets +650

Timberwolves +800

Mavericks +1000

Bucks +1000

Thunder +1000

Knicks +1600

76ers +1600

Clippers +2000

Warriors +2200

Cavaliers +2500

Heat +2500

Suns +2500

Pacers +3300

Lakers +3300

Grizzlies +4000

Kings +5000

Pelicans +6000

Rockets +8000

Magic +8000

Hawks +10000

Bulls +20000

Spurs +20000

Raptors +20000

Nets +50000

Hornets +50000

Pistons +50000

Trail Blazers +50000

Jazz +50000

Wizards +50000