It would be fair to say that the Warriors and Bucks, in all likelihood, will be advancing to this year’s NBA Finals– the Warriors’ fifth straight appearance and the Bucks’ first in 45 years. It would be a Finals featuring two of the league’s biggest powerhouses, and sportsbooks are already hopping on that possible matchup.

Potential odds in a Bucks-Warriors series

DraftKings Sportsbook has the odds in a Bucks-Warriors series, as expected, favoring the Warriors at -225, with the Bucks being a +180. When converted to implied probabilities, that equates to the Warriors having a roughly 69% chance of winning the series, as opposed to around 35% for the Bucks (the difference is the juice).

Yet when we take a look at FiveThirtyEight’s projections, they currently give the Warriors a 65% chance against whomever comes out of the Eastern Conference. So in essence, the Warriors are slightly more expensive than actual expectations.

Current NBA Finals look ahead lines have betters heavy on the Bucks

With that being said, DraftKings Sportsbook recently opened up betting for the hypothetical series, and here is where things currently stand:

Potential Warriors vs Bucks Finals Matchup
Team
% of Handle
% of Bets
Warriors
3%
11%
Bucks
97%
89%
   (Bets void if series does not occur)

As you can see, an overwhelming majority of bets and the handle have gone towards the Bucks, and understandably so. For one, the Warriors are slated to be heavy favorites no matter who they face, so it would be a no-brainer to place money on their opponent being that the Warriors would a pretty expensive bet. Plus, it’s not as though the Bucks have absolutely no chance at making the series competitive. The two teams split their two regular season match ups, and Milwaukee has been on an absolute tear these playoffs, winning ten of of twelve these playoffs while boasting one of the most unstoppable players in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo along with a very versatile lineup around him.


The Warriors should, in all likelihood, prove to be too much for whichever team is given the dubious honor of having to take them on in the Finals. But don’t be surprised if the Milwaukee Bucks make it at the very least an interesting series.

You can get up to a $500 free bet at DraftKings here.