Oddsmaker sets Heat, Spurs as title favorites with 2014 NBA playoffs set to open
LeBron James (center) and the Heat are favored to win their third straight title. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)
Are we headed for a sequel to one of the greatest Finals in NBA history?
Oddsmaking service Bovada.LV has set the Heat and Spurs as the top two favorites to win the 2014 title, one year after Miami prevailed over San Antonio in an epic, seven-game Finals.
The back-to-back champion Heat opened the 2013-14 season as the top title favorite and they have not been dislodged, despite winning 54 games this season, 12 fewer than last year. Their title odds remain at 2/1, exactly where they opened in the preseason, and they are 2/3 favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Miami is seeking its third straight title and its fourth overall in franchise history, and will begin its first-round series against Charlotte on Sunday.
San Antonio, meanwhile, holds 3/1 odds to win the 2014 title, which would be the franchise's first since 2007, after posting a league-best 62 wins. The Spurs, who are in pursuit of the fifth title in franchise history, are 3/2 favorites to win the Western Conference, and will open their first-round series against the Mavericks on Sunday.
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After Miami and San Antonio, Oklahoma City (4/1), Indiana (5/1) and the L.A. Clippers (9/1) round out the top five title favorites.
For comparison's sake, Miami entered the 2013 playoffs as 2/3 favorites, while San Antonio had 10/1 odds.
A full list of odds for the 16 playoff teams compared to their preseason odds is below.
Odds to win 2014 NBA Championship
Miami Heat -- Current: 2/1 | Preseason: 2/1
San Antonio Spurs -- Current: 3/1 | Preseason: 12/1
Oklahoma City Thunder -- Current: 4/1 | Preseason: 8/1
Indiana Pacers -- Current: 6/1 | Preseason: 10/1
Los Angeles Clippers -- Current: 9/1 | Preseason: 9/1
Houston Rockets -- Current: 20/1 | Preseason: 10/1
Brooklyn Nets -- Current: 25/1 | Preseason: 10/1
Golden State Warriors -- Current: 28/1 | Preseason: 16/1
Chicago Bulls -- Current: 40/1 | Preseason: 8/1
Portland Trail Blazers -- Current: 40/1 | Preseason: 150/1
Dallas Mavericks -- Current: 66/1 | Preseason: 50/1
Memphis Grizzlies -- Current: 66/1 | Preseason: 28/1
Toronto Raptors -- Current: 66/1 | Preseason: 150/1
Washington Wizards -- Current: 150/1 | Preseason: 100/1
Atlanta Hawks -- Current: 250/1 | Preseason: 150/1
Charlotte Bobcats -- Current: 250/1 | Preseason: 500/1