Thunder's NBA Championship Odds Surging After Sweeping Pelicans

Are they too young? Do they lack experience? Are they going to get bounced round one?

Those were questions that were asked about the Oklahoma City Thunder -- the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference -- entering the playoffs this season. The West's top regular season team was given very little respect as a contender, but it quickly shifted that narrative in round one.

OKC swept the New Orleans Pelicans, showcasing why it was one of the top defensive teams in the league during the regular season to move to the second round.

The Thunder are still awaiting their next opponent (the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers-Dallas Mavericks series), but oddsmakers are already moving their odds to win the title.

OKC opened the season at +8500, and it was still above +1000 to win the title entering the playoffs. Now? Well, the Thunder are +850 at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the Finals.

Thunder Odds to Win the NBA Finals

OKC is now third in the odds (behind Denver and Boston) to win the title this season. It also fits a key criteria from the last 25-plus years of NBA basketball.

Every single team that won the title since the 1996-97 season was a top eight team in the league in net rating during the regular season. OKC finished in the No. 2 spot this season.

Now, this doesn't guarantee the Thunder make the Finals, but being on the opposite side of the bracket as Denver is certainly helpful. Plus, OKC is going to have a major rest advantage in the second round over the Clippers or Mavs.

Thunder Odds to Win the Western Conference

While the Finals are certainly in play for the Thunder, I think the best bet for them may be to win the West at +300.

Denver and Minnesota are matching up in the other second-round series in the West, and those teams split their games in the regular season. After watching Minnesota dismantle Phoenix in the first round, I'm not as sold on the Nuggets crusing to the Western Conference Final as these odds suggest.

Denver saw three guards -- Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson -- all get banged up in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers. If even one of them doesn't hold up, it could spell trouble for Michael Malone's group.

As for the Thunder, they have the "easier" matchup in the second round, although either Dallas or Los Angeles is a tough draw. Still, the Thunder are guranteed home court through the West playoffs, and they went 33-8 at Paycom Center in the regular season.

This is a favorable price for OKC given the current landscape of the West.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.