NBA Championship 2020 Odds: Which Teams Have the Best Shot at the Title?

As a longtime sports analyst with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, I’ve always found championship odds discussions fascinating—not just for the numbers, but for the stories they tell about team chemistry, momentum, and sometimes, pure luck. When I think about the 2020 NBA season, halted abruptly by the pandemic and later resumed in the Orlando bubble, it’s impossible not to reflect on how unpredictability became the norm. I remember tuning into various sports events during that period, and one that stood out was the grand opening of a billiards hall, where world-class players like Django Bustamante, Jeffrey de Luna, Ronnie Alcano, and Rubilen Amit gathered. It struck me then how competition—whether on the basketball court or the pool table—thrives on a mix of skill, composure, and the ability to perform under pressure. That’s exactly what separated the contenders from the pretenders in the 2020 NBA title race.

Let’s dive into the odds as they stood around March 2020, before the season suspension. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, were the clear favorites, with odds hovering around +200 according to most major sportsbooks. Having covered LeBron’s career since his Miami days, I’ve always believed in his ability to elevate a team when it matters most. The Lakers’ defensive prowess and veteran experience made them a formidable force, and personally, I thought they were undervalued even at those odds. Then you had the Milwaukee Bucks, sitting at roughly +300, thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP-caliber season. Statistically, they dominated the regular season with a net rating of over 10 points per 100 possessions, but I’ve always been skeptical of regular-season success translating directly to the playoffs. The pressure in the bubble was a different beast, and as we saw later, Milwaukee stumbled when it counted.

The LA Clippers weren’t far behind, with odds around +350, and on paper, they looked unstoppable—Kawhi Leonard and Paul George forming a two-way nightmare for opponents. But here’s where my personal bias kicks in: I’ve never fully trusted the Clippers’ depth and chemistry. Watching them felt like seeing a star-studded cast that hadn’t quite jelled, similar to how some talented pool players might struggle in team events despite individual brilliance. Speaking of which, the gathering of champions like Bustamante and Amit reminded me that teamwork often trumps raw talent. In the NBA, the Denver Nuggets embodied that spirit. Their odds were longer, maybe +1800, but Nikola Jokić’s playmaking and Jamal Murray’s bubble explosion showed how undervalued they were. I recall telling colleagues back then that Denver could be the dark horse, and boy, did they deliver memorable moments.

Other teams like the Boston Celtics (+1200) and Houston Rockets (+1600) had their moments, but inconsistencies plagued them. The Celtics had youth and Jayson Tatum’s rise, yet I felt they were a year away from true contention. As for the Rockets, their small-ball experiment was intriguing but ultimately flawed—much like relying solely on one strategy in any competitive field. Reflecting on the bubble environment, it’s clear that mental fortitude played a huge role. The hiatus allowed some teams to reset, while others lost rhythm. From my perspective, the Lakers benefited from veteran leadership, much like how seasoned players in billiards, say Ronnie Alcano, maintain calm under duress. LeBron’s playoff experience—four championships at that point—gave them an edge that odds couldn’t fully capture.

In the end, the Lakers clinched the title, beating the Miami Heat in six games. Miami, by the way, had staggering odds of +5000 early in the season, making their run one of the most thrilling underdog stories I’ve witnessed. It reinforces my belief that odds are a starting point, not the final word. As someone who’s analyzed sports for years, I’ve learned to look beyond the numbers—to chemistry, health, and those intangible factors that turn contenders into champions. The 2020 season was a testament to resilience, and just like that billiards event with Amit and de Luna, it showed that in sports, greatness often emerges when least expected.