3 Dark Horses to Win NBA Finals (Raptors, Mavericks, Nuggets With Value)

The NBA Playoffs feel as wide-open as they've been in years. Nine different teams have odds of +1400 or shorter to win the Finals over at WynnBET Sportsbook and each has a compelling case to win it all.

Phoenix is the clear favorite at +250, but there's a jumble of teams following closely behind that could all knock off the Suns.

I'm not here to talk about those teams though - I'm here to dig deeper. With few dominant teams, the door is open for a dark horse to make a deep run in the playoffs. Will the NBA have a Bengals-like team that shocks everyone en route to the Finals?

Let's check out the three best dark horse teams to win the Larry O'Brien trophy. As always, odds are courtesy of our friends at WynnBET:

NBA Dark Horse Picks to Win the Finals

Toronto Raptors (+7500)

The Raptors are easily my favorite dark horse bet. Over the final 10 games of the season, they had the second-best net rating in the league with the best defense. They were on a tear to end the season and are the last team anyone in the Eastern Conference wants to play.

Pascal Siakam has turned into a legitimate superstar, averaging 27.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 53.2% from the field over his last 15 games. He defends every position on the floor at a high-level and is supported by playoff-hero Fred VanVleet and emerging young talent like OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes.

Throw in that they've got one of the best coaches in the league in Nick Nurse and the fact that unvaccinated players can't play in Toronto, and you've got something cooking. I'm picking the Raptors to upset the 76ers, and then they'd get a Heat team that nearly collapsed at the end of the regular season. I think Toronto makes the Eastern Conference Finals, at least, and they have unbelievable value at this number.

Dallas Mavericks (+2500)

After the team fully embraced Luka-ball following the trade deadline, the Mavericks quickly became one of the best teams in the NBA. They surged to a 52-30 record and posted the third-best net rating over their final 10 games. On the season, they have the sixth-best defensive rating and they became a top-five offense in the second-half of the year.

Over his last 20 games, Luka is averaging 30.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. He's been playing at an MVP-level, but now he has a running mate that compliments his game in Spencer Dinwiddie.

It's unfortunate that the Mavericks would play the Suns in the second round, but they're well-equipped to make it a competitive series. Phoenix excels in clutch moments, but Dallas has actually been better since acquiring Dinwiddie.

It wouldn't shock me to see Luka go nuclear and pull off the upset. The Mavs are one of the best teams around now, and they're a value at +2500.

Denver Nuggets (+2500)

I'd be remiss not to mention the likely two-time MVP in Nikola Jokic. He just had one of the best individual seasons in NBA history and somehow improved on an MVP campaign from last year.

Jokic averaged an absurd 30.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in his final 20 games of the season. He's proven he can single-handedly carry a team to a strong season and will be a nightmare for opponents to deal with.

The Nuggets get the Warriors in the first round and I think they'll win the series. Golden State has struggled through injuries all year and we don't know if Stephen Curry will even be able to play. From there, Denver would take on the Grizzlies, who they've played close and actually beat by 13 in their most recent game.

Their depth is obviously a problem, but with shorter rotations in the playoffs I think Jokic is fully capable of carrying the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals. He's too good, too unique, and too difficult to play against to ignore the possible value at +2500.

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.