Early June is not only the start of summer, but also when the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup are played to crown a champion in basketball and hockey, respectively.
The playoffs for these sports begin in April, with eight teams qualifying for each, although the NBA has a new play-in tournament giving the chance for the ninth and 10th-place teams to qualify.
While there are always a number of betting opportunities at the BetMGM online sportsbook, there are some specific to the final in each sport.
NBA Championship Winner
This market is available all year long, but it picks up during the playoffs as it becomes more clear who has the best chance to win. All a bettor does is select which team will win the NBA championship.
The odds change throughout the season, so it sometimes makes sense to bet a team early before their odds change and get shorter.
For example, in the 2024-25 NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were +950 at the start of the season, meaning a $100 bet would win $1,050, including the $100 stake. Going into the Western Conference Finals, their odds were +165, meaning a $100 bet would win $265, including stake.
But, betting this market during the playoffs gives bettors a better view of which teams have the best chance to win.
Stanley Cup Winner
This is exactly the same as the NBA championship winner, but for hockey.
The same logic applies where the odds change a ton throughout the year, so it could make sense to get in on a team early before their odds change.
For example, the Edmonton Oilers were +1000 at the start of the season, meaning a $100 bet would win $1,100, including the $100 stake. Going into the Western Conference Finals, their odds were +240, meaning a $100 bet would win $340, including stake.
NBA Finals MVP
This market is selecting who will be the NBA Finals MVP, awarded to the best player during the NBA Finals.
It follows a similar logic to the NBA championship market since it is available all year. But the majority of the action comes in once the two teams in the NBA Finals are known.
The best players have the shortest odds and are the favorites, but the superstars don’t always win.
In 2024, when the Celtics won the NBA title, Jaylen Brown was the MVP and he had +600 odds going into the series. Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum was -120.
Conn Smythe Award
The Conn Smythe is the same thing as the MVP of the Final, but it is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general manager, and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The logic is the same as the NBA Finals MVP, as even though it is available for the majority of the season, the bulk of the action comes in once the two final teams are known.
Series Will End in Exactly How Many Games?
This market is available for both sports, but it is not available until the two teams are known. It’s simple: regardless of which team wins, how many games will be played?
Both are best-of-seven, so it’s either four, five, six or seven games.
Sweeps are very rare, so four games typically have the longest odds, with five and six games typically being the shortest, before seven games are a little longer.
For the NBA, it might look something like this:
- Four games: +625
- Five games: +250
- Six games: +200
- Seven games: +275
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