NBA Championship Odds: Best longshot bets in top-heavy NBA

What NBA underdog could provide good value? 

There are a select few teams who are assumed to be the favorite to win the NBA title for the 2018-19 season. Is there a team that stands out as a dark horse which could be a good bet to make?

Three underdog bets:

Denver Nuggets

If you want to get really wild, bet on the Nuggets at 225/1 to win the NBA title. A full list of odds can be found at our NBA Future Odds Page. A good reason why to like Denver is due to its starting five, led by center Nikola Jokic (18.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg), 6.1 apg). The rest of its lineup isn't bad either as point guard Jamal Murray, shooting guard Gary Harris, small forward Will Barton and power forward Paul Millsap form a potent unit. Denver also signed Isaiah Thomas and if he can get past his hip injury and rediscover some of his elite form, the value for him will be huge. Denver has to compete with the best of the best in a stacked conference and it isn't likely that anyone gets past Golden State, but if you want a bet that would have a huge return the Nuggets might be your play.

Milwaukee Bucks

If a team has a player as talented as Giannis Antetokounmpo and he is still improving, chances are that squad is going to have a shot at winning a championship. Milwaukee is flawed around him, but he still has solid help in the form of Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe. The loss of power forward Jabari Parker in free agency will undoubtedly hurt, but the hope is that the Bucks can plug that gap with the likes of Ersan Ilyasova and John Henson. Guard Malcolm Brogdon is still coming into his own and is typically effective when on the floor, while the addition of center Brook Lopez via free agency should also offset the loss of Parker and his scoring ability. Milwaukee lost in a heartbreaker of a seven-game postseason first round series against Boston back in May.

Utah Jazz

Oddsmakers don't necessarily believe in the Jazz' ability to compete for a crown as they have 100/1 odds to win the NBA title. But an argument can be made that the Jazz will be much better next season after going 48-34 last season and downing Oklahoma City in six games before falling to Houston in five games. Donovan Mitchell was runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting after averaging 20.5 points per game. He still has a ceiling that hasn't been reached, so expect Mitchell to grow and improve over the next several seasons. Center Rudy Gobert turns the Jazz into a dominant defensive team when healthy, but he also is an imporant offensive piece as he was third on the roster with 13.5 points to go with 10.7 rebounds. The addition of Jae Crowder via trade brought in another level of toughness and all-around help, while small forward Joe Ingles and point guard Ricky Rubio make the Jazz a deep and talented squad. Utah has 100/1 odds to win the NBA championship.