National Basketball Association

NBA Odds: Best title futures bets to make now

Updated Apr. 12, 2022 1:23 p.m. ET

By Jason McIntyre
FOX Sports Betting Analyst

Only five teams can win the NBA title if we're being completely candid.

The Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks are the obvious choices, as they’ve consistently been the two best teams all season after meeting in the 2021 Finals.

Then we've got Miami. The Heat should not be disregarded, as they are a No. 1 seed and the last team to beat the Bucks in a playoff series (2020 bubble postseason).

Finally, there's Dallas and Brooklyn. These are the two other squads that can win the 2022 title. You’ll probably disagree, but let’s have some fun and dive in.

First, let's discuss the two betting favorites, the Suns and the Bucks. Read that again. The Suns and the Bucks are the betting favorites. However, they are not a part of my current best futures bets for the title.

Phoenix Suns: +275 at FOX Bet

The Suns are considerable favorites for a reason. They’ve been utterly dominant all season. Phoenix is by far the best clutch-time offense in the NBA, with a rating of 34.9. Milwaukee is a distant second (15.9).

The Suns rank third in offensive efficiency and third in defense. What’s not to love? The biggest concern is Chris Paul, who turns 37 in May and has a history of playoff injuries. There’s no discernible weakness, but I don’t advocate betting them here. It’s not a great bet at this number; they were +1400 in the preseason. You’re buying the Suns at the top of the market. Don’t do that. Now, if the Suns fall behind in a series, and you get a better number, that is when I would jump in.

Milwaukee Bucks: +500 at FOX Bet

Big guy Brook Lopez only played 11 games, and with him out, the Bucks went through a midseason malaise. They tumbled in the defensive stats, finishing 14th in that category.

The defending champs aren’t a great bet at this number because to win the NBA Finals, they’ll have a difficult road ahead. They'll have to dispatch the Bulls and then either Brooklyn or Boston. After that, they'll likely face Miami and then probably Phoenix in the Finals. They also won’t have home-court advantage in the final two rounds, but they have Giannis, who had my MVP vote this season.

Now, here are my best NBA title bets to make now, with odds courtesy of FOX Bet.

Brooklyn Nets: +650 at FOX Bet

The Nets are the most interesting team in the playoffs. They were NBA favorites in the preseason (+230), but that was with James Harden before his blockbuster trade to Philly. The Nets have since added Ben Simmons — who has yet to play a game — and Seth Curry.

It’s safe to toss out the ghastly regular-season numbers — 13th in offense efficiency, 15th in defense — and instead focus on the emergence of role players like Bruce Brown and Kessler Edwards.

There will be a Goran Dragic playoff game where he goes for 20 in a win, and Patty Mills will have a moment, too.

With Boston missing its rim protector, Brooklyn will be favored to advance if the Nets get the 7th seed, which then sets up a rematch with the Bucks. I’m not betting against a healthy Kevin Durant.

Miami Heat: +1000 at FOX Bet

The Heat were +3500 to win the title in the preseason, tied with the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta made the Play-In; the Heat have the No. 1 seed.

I expect the Heat to roll the Play-In opponent, and then they’ll face an exhausted opponent in a Raptors team that will beat the Sixers. Side note: I’ll be looking to bet unders in that series.

The Heat will have home-court advantage against the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, and matchup-wise, they’ll be in the mix to pull the upset. They’re the best 3-point shooting team in the league and fifth in free throw percentage. At this number, Miami is worth the sprinkle.

Dallas Mavericks: +3000 at FOX Bet

The Mavericks are here for one reason: Luka Doncic. He won’t win the MVP, but he’s the best player in the NBA because he makes all of his teammates immensely better.

Luka played without another All-Star on his squad and carried Dallas to 52 wins, including going 20-7 down the stretch. Their first-round opponent in Utah has lost seven of 11, and there’s a lot of smoke surrounding their coach Quin Snyder and the potential breakup of their stars, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Disclaimer: If Luka’s calf strain is serious, the Mavericks are toast; otherwise, they should handle Utah and then get ready for a date with the Suns. The Mavs went 0-3 against Phoenix during the season with three single-digit losses, but Phoenix hasn’t faced Dallas with Spencer Dinwiddie yet.

Some pizza money on Dallas to win the title enables you to openly root for the Mavericks and watch Luka Doncic, the best show in the NBA. But, again, stay tuned for Luka injury updates.

Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports betting analyst, and he also writes about the NFL and NBA Draft. He joined FS1 in 2016 and has appeared on every show on the network. In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. He had a gambling podcast for FOX, "Coming Up Winners," in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving at FOX, he created the website The Big Lead, which he sold in 2010.

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