Celtics are betting favorites to win NBA championship after All-Star break

Seeking their first title since 2008, the Boston Celtics remain the favorites to win the NBA Championship this season.

Heading into the second half of the season, the Celtics own the best record in the league at 43-12, which is a four-game improvement for Boston through 55 contests compared to last year when they fell one game short of the Finals.

Boston is listed at +230 at FanDuel, followed by defending-champion Denver at +440, and the red-hot Clippers at +500.

Odds via FanDuel (as of Feb. 20)

The Clippers owned an 8-10 record a month after acquiring James Harden in a trade with Philadelphia, but they went on to win 28 of their next 35 games to vault to the top of the Pacific Division at the All-Star break.

The Milwaukee Bucks were the top seed in the Eastern Conference last season before losing to eventual conference champion Miami in the first round.

In spite of a midseason coaching change to Doc Rivers, the Bucks still possess the fourth-highest odds to win the NBA title, although they currently sit behind the Celtics and Cavaliers – and just a game and a half ahead of the Knicks – in the Western Conference standings.

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Out West, past the Nuggets and Clippers, the Phoenix Suns can be a threat in the postseason as long as they stay healthy. The Suns – currently 14/1 odds to win the title – closed out the first half on a 14-4 run. Not coincidentally, it coincided with their Big Three – Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal – all being healthy together for the first time.

The Cavaliers’ odds to win the title are 25/1 even though they have won 18 of their last 20 games and lead the Central by 2.5 games over Milwaukee.

The top two teams in the Western Conference ahead of the Clippers and Nuggets – Minnesota and Oklahoma City – have put together terrific first halves and are both 25/1.

Time will tell if they can keep up their winning ways and manage to advance three rounds to the NBA Finals. If we learned anything from last season, it’s certainly possible as the Heat got to the Finals through the play-in game.

The Clippers are worth a strong look because of their talent and depth, and if the Bucks can stay healthy for the stretch run and learn to show defensive intensity under Doc Rivers, they will be a team to keep an eye on to make a run toward June.

The 76ers, at 30/1 to win the title, are a wild card. They looked like a contender before Joel Embiid’s knee injury. If all things go well with his post-surgery recovery, the reigning MVP could return to the court in late March or early April, two to three weeks before the start of the playoffs.

Philadelphia is currently fifth in a crowded Eastern Conference and fading quickly after losing nine of their last 12 games going into the All-Star break. Embiid’s return would help for a final playoff push and make for an interesting potential first-round matchup for a team like Cleveland or Milwaukee.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.