The NBA season has barely started, but the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics have already established themselves as early favorites to dominate their respective conferences and potentially face off in the Finals in 2025.
As we enter our second month of action, the prospect of an OKC-Boston matchup remains deliciously close, with a taste of what awaits us Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in Oklahoma City.
Picture this: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going head-to-head with Jayson Tatum, and the wing duel pitting Jalen Williams against Jaylen Brown. And let’s not forget the mascots – Rumble the Bison tackling the iconic Lucky the Leprechaun. It’s every basketball lover’s dream!
Despite some hiccups in recent weeks—the famous victory sickness that many champions face—the Celtics remain heavily favored to reclaim the Eastern Conference title. FanDuel places their odds at -105, leaving the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers far behind at +470 and +550, respectively. In other words, a $100 bet on the Celtics pays $95, while the same bet on the Knicks can return an incredible $470.
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In the West, the Thunder are aiming to secure the conference title, with odds at +160 to reach the finals. The reigning Western Conference champions, the Dallas Mavericks, are at +650, while the Denver Nuggets are close behind at +700.
If you are considering betting on the potential final matchup, a bet on an OKC-Boston matchup would net you +400. A repeat of the Dallas-Boston head-to-head would be the next partnership predicted at +1300.
Three months of basketball await us, but let’s allow ourselves a little fantasy: a clash between the basketball capital, Boston, which has an impressive 18 titles, and the Thunder, a franchise barely two decades old.
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Boston’s rich history, founded nearly three centuries before the state of Oklahoma, brings exciting intrigue, especially with Thunder GM Sam Presti having roots just 20 miles from the heart of Boston in Concord. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also hails from nearby Leominster, Massachusetts.
Presti and Thunder vice president of basketball operations Rob Hennigan are both graduates of Emerson College near Boston Common, while their former college coach, Hank Smith, is now a scout for Oklahoma City.
Funnily enough, the Thunder might actually have more ties to Boston than the Celtics do to Oklahoma City. Still, Celtics stalwart Al Horford holds a special place in the hearts of Oklahoma fans, having spent a brief but memorable time there during a difficult rebuilding phase. His presence during the disastrous 2020-21 season, when the Paycom Center was empty due to COVID protocols, left an indelible mark.
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Fast forward to today, and the 38-year-old center has already accomplished the unthinkable by winning a title three seasons after returning to Boston. On the horizon looms the possibility of facing several of his former teammates from the Thunder team that won only 22 games last season in a thrilling finale.
But before we get carried away with our dreams of this series, we have a gripping matchup to savor this Sunday—a tantalizing taste of a potential epic seven-game showdown.
If only we could be so lucky.
