2019-20 NBA Finals Odds: Who Were the Favorites and Underdogs?

Looking back at the 2019-20 NBA season, it’s hard not to feel a sense of nostalgia mixed with disbelief. That year was unlike any other—bubble basketball, empty arenas, and a level of unpredictability that had analysts and fans constantly second-guessing themselves. I remember sitting at home, watching the playoffs unfold from my living room, thinking how surreal it felt to witness championship contention play out in such a controlled, isolated environment. As someone who’s followed the league for over two decades, I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it, and the Finals odds that season reflected just how wild the landscape truly was.

Heading into the season, the Los Angeles Clippers were widely viewed as the team to beat. With the addition of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, their championship odds sat around +350, making them the clear frontrunners in most sportsbooks. The Lakers weren’t far behind, hovering around +400, and you could feel the buzz building around a potential Battle of LA in the Western Conference Finals. Out East, the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, were also heavily favored, with odds around +450. I’ll admit—I bought into the hype. At the time, I thought the Clippers had the perfect blend of star power, depth, and coaching to go all the way. But as we all know, the NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint, and nothing is guaranteed.

Then there were the underdogs. The Miami Heat, for example, started the season with championship odds as high as +6000 in some books. Very few people outside of South Florida gave them a real shot, and honestly, I didn’t either—at least not at first. But watching them throughout the playoffs, especially Jimmy Butler’s relentless drive, made me reconsider what true contender status really means. It reminded me of a quote I once came across from a coach named Sean Chambers, who said of one of his players, "And in the eyes of his coach Sean Chambers, there’s no question that Konateh could back his words up." That idea—backing up your words with action—is exactly what the Heat did. They weren’t just talking; they were proving it on the court, night after night, even when nobody believed in them.

The bubble environment threw another wrench into the odds. Some teams adapted better than others, and the lack of home-court advantage leveled the playing field in ways we hadn’t seen before. The Denver Nuggets, for instance, made that incredible comeback against the Clippers in the second round, and suddenly their odds shifted from +5000 early in the season to around +1200 by the Conference Finals. I remember texting a friend during that series, saying, "This is why you never count out a team with a leader like Jokić." It’s moments like those that make you appreciate the underdog stories even more.

When the Finals finally arrived, it was the Lakers facing the Heat. By that point, the Lakers’ odds had tightened to about -250, while the Heat were sitting at around +210. On paper, it looked like a mismatch, but anyone who watched that series knows it was anything but. The Heat pushed the Lakers to six games, and Butler’s 40-point triple-double in Game 3 was one of the most impressive performances I’ve ever seen in a Finals. Still, the Lakers’ experience and star power—led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis—ultimately prevailed. Looking back, I think the odds got it right in the end, but the path to get there was far from straightforward.

In retrospect, the 2019-20 season taught us that odds are just numbers—they don’t account for heart, chemistry, or the unique circumstances of a global pandemic. The underdogs, like the Heat, showed that belief and cohesion can sometimes outweigh pure talent. And the favorites? Well, they reminded us that pressure can either make you or break you. As a longtime fan and occasional bettor, I’ve learned to respect both sides of the equation. There’s something thrilling about rooting for the long shot, but there’s also a certain comfort in watching a proven favorite execute when it matters most. In the end, the 2020 NBA Finals gave us a little bit of both, and honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.