How Oddsmakers View Celtics’ Chances Of Winning 2023 NBA Championship

The Boston Celtics were quick to point out after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals that their future looks bright despite the obvious sting of the present.

The Celtics fell two wins short of their ultimate goal — losing in six games to the Warriors after beating the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference playoffs — but they remain both young and talented, led by a pair of evolving All-Stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

It wouldn’t be shocking if Boston makes noise during the 2022-23 campaign, and such is reflected on the NBA championship futures market, where the C’s sit near the top of the betting board.

Here are the Celtics’ 2023 NBA title odds at several sportsbooks*:

Bet365: +550
DraftKings Sportsbook: +600
Caesars Sportsbook: +600
PointsBet: +600
FOX Bet: +600
FanDuel: +650
BetMGM: +650

*as of Friday, June 17

Most sportsbooks have installed the Warriors as NBA title favorites going into next season. Makes sense, as Golden State has advanced to six of the last eight NBA Finals, winning on four occasions. The Dubs basically have been excellent whenever they’ve been healthy, and there’s no reason to think they won’t once again contend in the Western Conference in 2023.

That said, the Celtics actually are co-favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, joining the Warriors, Nets and Los Angeles Clippers at +600.

Same for PointsBet, where the Celtics, Warriors and Clippers have +600 odds to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2023, just ahead of the Nets at +700.

Obviously, it’ll take a lot for the Celtics to return to basketball’s biggest stage. Nothing is guaranteed, and losing in the NBA Finals sometimes creates even more physical and mental hurdles for the future.

But optimism in Boston justifiably is much higher than it was before the 2021-22 season, and oddsmakers therefore must account for the possibility of the Celtics becoming a trendy pick to get over the hump in 2023.