Best NBA Finals Betting Offers
We rank the top NBA Finals betting offers and deliver expert betting tips on the entire NBA postseason.
Best NBA Finals Betting Offers
- Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, DC, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.
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Must be 21+ to play. T&Cs apply. - 3
Must be 21+ to participate. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, IL, IA, KY, LA, NJ, NC, OH, PA, TN and VA). Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ). Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Deposit required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bets wager excluded from returns. New Customer only. T&Cs Apply. - Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets INSTANTLY + Over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket
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Must be 21+ to play. T&Cs apply.
Above, we’ve designed a quick comparison tool to help you find the best NBA Finals betting site.
You can select up to three betting sites from the list above and click Add to Compare to compare their offers, features, payment methods, and more side-by-side.
If you’re unsure which online site suits you, this tool can help you quickly spot the right fit. Give it a try and see how the options stack up.
Note that betting offers vary based on your location.
How We Test and Rate NBA Finals Betting Sites & Offers
We at Gambling.com have decades of combined experience testing and reviewing sports betting sites. After years of analyzing sites and reviewing feedback from real bettors, we’ve seen firsthand what makes or breaks a great betting site. Our goal is to connect you with books that aren’t just safe but offer great odds and a smooth experience from sign-up to payout.
Our team of industry-leading experts grades each of the betting sites they review on a scale of one to 10 across 10 different categories that we deem to be most important to sports bettors. To determine these scores, we don’t just sit behind a screen and rate sites—we test them, compare them, and really dig into the user experience to see how they stack up. Our process ensures we only recommend betting sites that meet our high standards.
We are committed to promoting responsible gambling. That’s why we only review fully licensed operators and offer tools and resources that address responsible betting practices.
Types of NBA Finals Wagers
Moneyline
Bettors can wager on moneylines for individual games or the entire series.
Moneylines are based on positive and negative figures, with a negative number indicating how much money you must wager on the favorite to win $100, and a positive number indicating how you’d win with a successful $100 bet.
For example, if Golden State has a moneyline of -200, you’d need to bet $200 to win $100. Conversely, if they were the underdog at +230, a $100 bet would return $230.
For most bettors outside the U.S., these moneyline odds convert to other formats: -200 equals 1.50 in decimal odds or 1/2 in fractional odds, while +230 translates to 3.30 in decimal or 23/10 in fractional. Different regions may display odds differently, but the payout principles remain the same.
Point Spread & Totals
NBA betting sites use a point spread to set lines for each game of the NBA Finals. Bookmakers also establish an over/under total for each matchup.
Quarters
Betting sites also offer the opportunity to bet on who will lead after each quarter, at halftime, and through three quarters, and make in-play (live) bets.
Prop Bets
In addition to standard wagers, NBA Finals betting sites offer a wide variety of prop bets, some of which are unique to the postseason. For instance, bettors can wager who will win the series’ Most Valuable Player award.
Available props for the NBA Finals vary from site to site and year. Here are some of the props featured in previous years:
- Will there be a game-winning shot at the buzzer, an ejection, or a suspension?
- What will be the highest margin of victory?
- Will there be an overtime game?
- Will the series go four, five, six, or seven games?
Prop bets on most major players’ scoring, assists, and/or rebounds are typically available, as are head-to-head propositions between opposing players.
When betting the series's length, remember that four-game sweeps are atypical, occurring in just nine of the first 72 NBA Finals, while the most common series length has been six games (26 of 72). Five- and seven-game series happen roughly with the same frequency, each about 25% of the time.
Tips for Betting on the NBA Playoffs & NBA Finals
Buy the Hype Around No. 1 Seeds
The rise of so-called "superteams" in the NBA (squads with three or more stars) has led to fairly predictable results in the NBA Finals. The No. 1 seeds have won 52 titles, 74.3% of all championships since 1947. From 2013-2024, a No. 1 seed or betting favorite has won the NBA title in every season but four.
The only seasons in which a No. 1 seed didn’t win during that span were 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, and 2021-22.
Led by Steph Curry, the Warriors were the number three seed when they defeated the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Finals.
The year before, the Milwaukee Bucks were also the number 3 seeds when they surprised the basketball world by ascending to the championship, where they defeated the Phoenix Suns in the first Finals since 2010 to have neither of the league’s biggest superstars, Curry nor James, competing.
In the '17-'18 season, the Warriors battled injuries during the regular season and finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. However, they were still -1075 to beat the Cavaliers, which they did.
In 2019, the Toronto Raptors stunned the Warriors in six games to win their first-ever NBA Championship. They were the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed and a +230 underdog heading into the Finals.
The only other underdog to win the title since 2013 is Cleveland (+180) in the 2015-2016 season. That Cavaliers team was the only squad to win an NBA Finals after trailing three games to 1.
Only 10 No. 2 seeds have won NBA Titles, the last being the 2012 Miami Heat. Through the 2024 season, only nine No. 3 seeds, one No. 4 seed, and one No. 6 seed have won the title. No five, seven, or eight seeds have ever done so.
In-Series Comebacks Are Memorable, but Rare
While anything can happen in the NBA Playoffs, historical trends seem to predetermine outcomes strongly—something to keep in mind when betting on them.
The most glaring example is that no team that has lost the first three games of a series has ever come back to win that series.
This feat has been accomplished in other sports leagues but never in the NBA, which leads to many non-elimination games garnering "must-win" distinctions. Only three teams in NBA history have returned from being down 3-0 to force Game 7, and that's only happened once (in 1951).
However, in the NBA's history, 11 teams have returned from 3-1 deficits, and four won the NBA Championship. The most recent accomplishment of this feat came in 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors, marking the first time a team had ever blown a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
While this event serves as a warning, it's important to remember that such comebacks are extremely rare and, in many instances, not worth betting on.
Sign Up with Multiple NBA Finals Betting Sites
NBA Finals betting sites compete for market share throughout the regular NBA season and especially during the NBA playoffs, offering attractive bonuses, promotions, and contests. You should consider signing up with multiple sportsbooks for the following reasons:
- You can unlock various welcome offers.
- You can shop for the best odds different NBA sportsbooks offer for each game.
- You can access ongoing bonuses made available to existing customers.
However, to ensure you are betting legally, we recommend only using the NBA betting sites listed at the top of this page.
More NBA Betting Strategy Guides from Gambling.com
How Do the NBA Finals Work?
The NBA Finals culminate a two-month playoff season after an 82-game regular season and are a favorite among top betting markets worldwide.
NBA Playoffs Format
The NBA is split into two 15-team conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, with 29 teams in the United States and one in Canada. The top eight teams in each conference make the playoffs and are seeded 1 through 8, creating a bracket. Teams advance along that bracket and are not reseeded.
Therefore, in the conference semifinals, the 1-8 matchup winner meets the 4-5 winner, and the 2-7 winner meets the 3-6 winner.
All rounds are best-of-7 series, with the team with the better record hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. In the NBA Finals, the conference champion with the better record gets home-court advantage.
Importance of Seeding
Over 70% of NBA champions have been No. 1 seeds, who earned their seeding by having the best record in their respective conference in the regular season. Long shots rarely appear in the NBA Finals, let alone win them. Still, the best-of-7 series does provide tremendous betting opportunities.
Beginning with the 2015-16 season, the NBA started to seed its playoff teams by overall records within each conference rather than by rewarding division winners. Previously, the division winners received the top three seeds, even if a non-division winner had a better record than one of the division winners.
NBA Finals Winners Since 2010
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | (1) Thunder | (4) Pacers | 4-3 |
| 2024 | (1) Celtics | (5) Mavericks | 4-1 |
| 2023 | (1) Nuggets | (8) Heat | 4-1 |
| 2022 | (3) Warriors | (2) Celtics | 4-2 |
| 2021 | (3) Bucks | (2) Suns | 4-2 |
| 2020 | (1) Lakers | (5) Heat | 4-2 |
| 2019 | (2) Raptors | (1) Warriors | 4-2 |
| 2018 | (2) Warriors | (4) Cavaliers | 4-0 |
| 2017 | (1) Warriors | (2) Cavaliers | 4-1 |
| 2016 | (1) Cavailers | (1) Warriors | 4-3 |
| 2015 | (1) Warriors | (2) Cavaliers | 4-2 |
| 2014 | (1) Spurs | (2) Heat | 4-1 |
| 2013 | (1) Heat | (2) Spurs | 4-3 |
| 2012 | (2) Heat | (2) Thunder | 4-1 |
| 2011 | (3) Mavericks | (2) Heat | 4-2 |
| 2010 | (1) Lakers | (4) Celtics | 4-3 |
The Boston Celtics have the most Finals titles in NBA history, with 18.
Responsible Gambling with NBA Finals Betting Sites
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NBA betting sites must follow strict protocols to spot, prevent, and reduce gambling-related harm. These aren't optional measures; they're legal requirements and essential safeguards that protect vulnerable players from developing problematic habits.
We always keep these requirements in mind whenever we review and rate a betting site, and we only partner with licensed operators that adhere to legal standards. Moreover, all betting sites we review here have responsible gambling tools and resources to help you stay in control of your betting.
