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2020-21 NBA Championship Last-Minute Predictions: Milwaukee Bucks Finally Ready to Break Title Curse?
Basketball is back as the 2020-21 season gets ready to open its doors Tuesday (Dec. 21), with questions flying back and forth over who will be next to lift the NBA championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers are highly favored to defend their crown and win back-to-back titles for the sixth time in their history. New Jersey residents can find the defending champions at +275 odds at Unibet, while rivals the Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks once again follow not far behind, each priced at +550 ahead of this season’s tip-off.
The Bucks may be listed at double the Lakers’ price, but that doesn’t mean they have half the chance at gold. Milwaukee have accomplished their main goal this off-season in retaining the services of two-time Most Valuable Player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who recently signed the biggest contract in NBA history:
With Giannis' new $228M contract, he will be making $11.6K a minute for the next five years 😲 pic.twitter.com/ZvLxUY7k8C
— ESPN (@espn) December 17, 2020
Giannis has been a major driving force in Milwaukee these past three years in particular, but the franchise’s issue has been piecing together a Championship-caliber team around him. The Bucks traded to sign Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans and add some star material at point guard in November, a move that instantly helps their chances of making it to their first NBA Finals since 1974:
After acquiring Jrue Holiday, the Bucks have 3 of the top 10 players in Real Plus-Minus from last season. pic.twitter.com/I7xDZ7doac
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 17, 2020
Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks to win 2021 NBA Finals
Milwaukee will win the Central Division for a third season running and should be nailed on to sweep the Eastern Conference, too. While their talent is well-known by now, the franchise was humbled following a Conference semi-final loss to eventual runners-up the Miami Heat last season, and the move for Holiday signals the intention to return with more feeling in 2021.
The Bucks lost all three of their pre-season games, which of course means they’re going to launch another run at the Championship this year. On a more serious note, while the warm-up results may provide some barometer of the team’s development during this shortened off-season, by no means should it be treated as a sign of what’s to come over the campaign.
Back-to-back post-season disappointments will have galvanized this roster in some ways, an experience that can often turn players into more menacing figures in the long run. Giannis has the look of one such star ready to make up for past failings, and the team surrounding him now is better equipped to keep pace with their talisman.
2021 NBA Championship Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: +275
Los Angeles Clippers: +550
Milwaukee Bucks: +550
Brooklyn Nets: +600
Boston Celtics: +1500
Miami Heat: +1500
Denver Nuggets: +2000
Philadelphia 76ers: +2000
Dallas Mavericks: +2200
Toronto Raptors: +2500
Golden State Warriors: +3000
Portland Trail Blazers: +3500
Utah Jazz: +3500
Houston Rockets: +6000
Phoenix Suns: +6000
New Orleans Pelicans: +7000
Atlanta Hawks: +10000
Indiana Pacers: +10000
Washington Wizards: +12000
Memphis Grizzlies: +15000
Orlando Magic: +15000
San Antonio Spurs: +15000
Charlotte Hornets: +20000
Chicago Bulls: +20000
Minnesota Timberwolves: +20000
Sacramento Kings: +20000
Cleveland Cavaliers: +50000
Detroit Pistons +50000
New York Knicks: +50000
Oklahoma City Thunder: +50000
Odds via Unibet NJ