The 2021 NBA Finals are here, and sports fans everywhere should be in store for a great series. Those in the Mountain State can bet on all of the action between the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks at West Virginia sportsbooks.
The Finals begin on Tuesday night, and there is injury drama surrounding Game 1. After hyperextending his knee in the previous series, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful for the opener.
The Bucks defeated Atlanta in six games despite playing the last two without their star. While they were able to escape the series with the Hawks and a hurt Trae Young, the Bucks will need Antetokounmpo to win it all.
Phoenix advanced to its first NBA Finals since 1993 by beating the Clippers in six games. Los Angeles was without one of its leaders in Kawhi Leonard, and the Suns were able to take advantage.
Even though Paul George helped win a few games, the Suns’ Chris Paul and Devin Booker proved to be too much.
Let’s examine all of the odds available at WV online sportsbooks and take a deeper look at this year’s NBA Finals.
2021 NBA Finals Odds At WV Sportsbooks
Suns-Bucks Betting Preview
The Suns are favored heading into the first game, but that should be expected with the Bucks’ best player probably sidelined. Giannis’ status for the rest of the series is also unknown, though, and something bettors should account for.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook WV, Phoenix is laying -6.5 in the point spread in Game 1, with a moneyline of -265. The Bucks are shown at +215 to win the game outright.
For the series, the online sportsbook lists the Suns at -200, compared to Milwaukee with odds of +165.
Although Phoenix is favored, the series odds would probably look a little different if Antetokounmpo was completely healthy. If he’s able to play and perform well early in the series, then WV sportsbooks will likely adjust these odds.
Following his injury, several Bucks stepped up to help close out Atlanta. Forward Khris Middleton scored 26 points in Game 5, then 32 in the final game of the East Finals.
The Bucks are likely to lean on his services some more, especially with Antetokounmpo not at 100%.
Guard Jrue Holiday is also producing more. He combined for 52 points in the last two contests while shooting at least 45% in both of them.
Holiday will be asked to do a lot on the defensive side of the ball as well. He’ll probably attempt to slow down Paul and his terrific play of late.
He scored 41 points to close out LA, including hitting seven shots from beyond the arc.
The Suns’ Booker looks amazing too. He’s averaging 27 points per game in the postseason and is one of the best young athletes in the league.
The NBA Finals start at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday night and are airing on ABC.
NBA Finals Betting Markets
WV sportsbooks provide lots of ways to wager on this season’s Finals in addition to taking a team future or betting on individual games.
A popular prop is to determine how many total games the series will go. At the moment, BetMGM Sportsbook WV lists the following odds for how many games the finals will have:
- Four games +700
- Five games +250
- Six games +190
- Seven games +190
The online sportsbook even gives you alternate ways to bet on the length of the series. If you’re feeling confident enough, you can pick the exact outcome, like the Bucks in six games at +450 or the Suns in a sweep at +850.
Another interesting market allows bettors to put action down on where the series will be after the first three matchups. BetMGM gives the following odds:
- Suns lead 2-1 +110
- Bucks lead 2-1 +200
- Suns lead 3-0 +325
- Bucks lead 3-0 +1400
There are even props that involve picking from a group of players. BetMGM allows bettors to take which player will record the most assists throughout the duration of the series. Options include:
- Chris Paul -200
- Jrue Holiday +165
- Devin Booker +6600
- Khris Middleton +10000
- Giannis Antetokounmpo +20000
Then there are props that consist of how the two sides will fare on the opponents’ court.
With “Home Dominance,” you can bet on whether the home team will win every tilt in the series. The online sportsbook provides odds of +1800 for this market.
On the flip side, you can take the road team to win each game, too. BetMGM has this as a long shot to occur, with odds of +20000.
The most popular prop that’s available at the majority of online books is which player will take home the MVP honors.
Right now, FanDuel Sportsbook WV posts the following odds to win the award:
- Chris Paul +155
- Devin Booker +250
- Giannis Antetokounmpo +500
- Khris Middleton +650
- Jrue Holiday +850
- Deandre Ayton +2400