The Mavericks are a historic long shot to reach the 2024 NBA Finals.
Dallas opened at +2500, becoming just the eighth team in the last 40 years to reach the Finals with odds of 25/1 or better to win at the start of the season. According to SportsOddsHistory.com:.
The Mavericks, who missed the playoffs last season, were clearly not among the favorites to win the championship before the season began, and were ranked ninth in odds to win the championship at BetMGM Sportsbook, along with the Cavaliers and Grizzlies.
A Dallas championship would go down as one of the most unexpected in NBA history.
If the Mavericks can beat the Celtics, they will become the second-biggest preseason long shot to win the title since at least 1985, behind the 2015 Warriors, who opened the season at +2800.
The 2011 Mavericks, led by Dirk Nowitzki, were the second-biggest longshot to win the title during that span with preseason odds of +2000.
Just a few months ago, Dallas’ chances looked even grimmer than they did at the start of the season.
At one point midway through the season, the Mavericks’ chances of winning the championship nearly doubled in the eyes of sportsbooks.
Due to a mid-winter slump, their odds to win the championship dropped to +4800 (12th best in basketball) on February 1st.
However, the season has improved with the trade deadline acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
The Mavericks fell to 26-23 at the start of February, but thanks to the efforts of their new players, they posted a 24-9 record at the end of the season and once again emerged as a championship contender.
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Meanwhile, the Celtics have been one of the favorites to win the championship for most of the season.
They had the best odds to win the championship, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks, at +400, and quickly established themselves as the favorites within the first few weeks of the season.
On DraftKings, Boston started the Finals as a moderate -210 favorite over Dallas, who was +180.
