The Miami Heat may have gutted their roster for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the betting community absolutely loves the move.
The Heat went from 30/1 to 18/1 to win the NBA Finals on BetMGM after acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade that sent out a relatively modest group of players.
Miami traded Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, and three first-round picks for Antetokounmpo and center Bobby Portis.
The Heat also moved from 12/1 to +650 to win the Eastern Conference, behind the Knicks (+275) and Celtics (+240).
Favorite status in the East for the Celtics is at least a little surprising, considering the Knicks just wrapped up one of the most dominant postseason runs in NBA history en route to an NBA title.
2027 NBA Finals odds Post Giannis Trade
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Thunder | +260 |
| Spurs | +260 |
| Celtics | +650 |
| Knicks | +750 |
| Heat | 18/1 |
| Pistons | 25/1 |
| Nuggets | 25/1 |
| Lakers | 25/1 |
| Timberwolves | 30/1 |
| Cavaliers | 40/1 |
Meanwhile, the fully-healthy Celtics ran out of gas in the first round of the playoffs, blowing a 3-1 lead to the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
The Thunder and Spurs are co-favorites to win the 2027 NBA Finals at +260 each, while the Celtics are +650 and the Knicks +750.
The Heat have the fifth-best odds in the entire NBA to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy around this time next year.
Betting on the NBA?
Pat Riley did his magic to acquire a big-time star, but the rest of the roster will need an insane amount of work to last the full 82 games and then a two-month-long playoff window.
The Heat roster currently consists of Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Nikola Jovic as contributors to the pairing of Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.