Celtics, Lakers On Top In NBA Odds

Predictably, the National Basketball Association's 2008 finalists - the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers - lead the odds for the 2008/09 NBA championship as the season gets underway.

The arch-rivals are the two best teams from both a historic perspective having won a staggering 31 of championships between them (Boston 17, LA 14) and from a current perspective, with the Celtics aiming for back-to-back after defeating the Lakers 4-2 in last year's finals.

The two teams are dead even at 7/2 for the championship at Ladbrokes. Boston is 21/20 to take the Eastern Conference title, while LA is 8/5 in the more-competitive Western Conference.

The challengers
If the odds are anything to go by, the glut of the challengers will once again come from the West, represented by six of the next eight contenders.

The Houston Rockets, 10/1, must be considered the best of the challengers. They welcome back center Yao Ming from long-term injury, and together with Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest forms a trio to rival the Celtics' Garnett, Pierce and Allen. An injury to one of the big three, however, and Houston's odds will plummet.

The New Orleans Hornets, 10/1, surprised everyone last season by beating out Houston, Dallas and San Antonio for the Southwest division title. Once again, however, they will rely too much on Chris Paul, who has established himself as the best point guard in the league.

The San Antonio Spurs, 10/1, are perennial contenders, and should again win 50+ games. But with an aging roster and the loss of guard Manu Ginobili to injury, a fifth championship since 1999 might be beyond them.

The Detroit Pistons, 10/1, should, with lack of serious competition, once again make it to the Eastern Conference finals. But they've done nothing in off-season trading to suggest they can go one better and beat the Boston Celtics to make it to the NBA finals.

Rounding out the top 10 are the Utah Jazz, 12/1, Cleveland Cavaliers, behind Lebron James and Phoenix Suns, 16/1, and Dallas Mavericks, 20/1.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing their first season since relocating from Seattle (where they were known as the Supersonics) are 250/1, while another team that knows the pains of relocation, the Memphis Grizzlies (formerly of Vancouver) are 500/1.