Calendars are about to flip from January to February, which means the NBA All-Star break is just around the corner. And if the All-Star break is that close, it means the home stretch of the 2023-24 NBA season is on the horizon (league play ends April 14th).

Teams have already played more than half of their schedules, so we have a pretty good idea of who the legit contenders are. With that in mind, who might meet up in this season's NBA Finals?

Let's take a look at some of the NBA Finals matchup odds via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

NBA Finals Matchup Odds

Based on these odds, we have some clear favorites to represent both the Eastern and Western Conferences in the NBA Finals.

For the East, the Boston Celtics are the top contenders. They appear in five of the nine combinations with the shortest odds, suggesting that they are the most likely team in the NBA to make the finals. Isolated from matchups, their +310 odds to make the NBA Finals are the strongest in the league, so their grip at the top of the matchup odds market makes sense.

The Western Conference appears to be more varied. While the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers dominate the top five spots of the odds market, the West also has teams like the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Oklahoma City Thunder competing to represent the conference in the finals. With such competition on their side of the bracket, are the markets correct in identifying the Nuggets and Clippers as having the best odds to make the finals?

Let's take a quick look at each conference's top contenders, utilizing metrics from numberFire to evaluate their chances of making it to the finals.

Eastern Conference

The chart above shows some metrics for each of numberFire's top four teams from the Eastern Conference. A cursory glance backs up what we saw in the odds market -- the Celtics appear to deserve their spot as the top dogs in the East. Their offense ranks second-best in the NBA this season while their defense ranks best among the East's top four teams by numberFire's schedule-adjusted rankings. numberFire's model gives the Celtics a 28.70% chance of winning it all, so it's not too surprising that they're considered frontrunners headed into the All-Star break.

Trailing the Celtics, we have a pair of our usual suspects from the East -- the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks. The 76ers have a 1-2 record against the Celtics this year, while the Bucks have fought Boston to a 1-1 draw in their matchups so far.

The Bucks' 32-15 record ranks second-best in the East, but their 117.6 defensive efficiency rating ranks worst among the East's top contenders and 12th-worst league-wide. They're clearly hoping for a turnaround on the defensive side of things with the firing of former head coach Adrian Griffin and the hiring of Doc Rivers to run the show.

The 76ers are one of the top teams in the league, but they are a bit of a glass cannon. They are heavily reliant on the health of Joel Embiid. Embiid -- who is +450 to win the MVP, per FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA MVP odds -- has been dealing with knee issues this season. They're 3-9 in games the star has missed and will need him healthy if they aim to make the finals. Fortunately for Embiid, the All-Star break -- and a chance to recover -- is just around the corner.

The New York Knicks are a real sleeper candidate to represent the East based on numberFire's metrics, which slot the Knicks sixth overall. Since OG Anunoby joined the lineup via trade, they've rattled off a 12-2 record while keeping their foes under 110 points in all but one of those contests. Their shortest odds in this market come in at +3400 to make the finals -- versus the Nuggets -- making them an underdog compared to the East's other top teams. But New York makes for an interesting sleeper team to bet on based on their underlying metrics and general trajectory.

Western Conference

You wouldn't believe it if you just looked at the odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, but according to numberFire's metrics, the Thunder are the team to beat in the West. Their young core has stayed healthy for most of the year, allowing them to develop into a well-rounded team. Their offense ranks best in the West, while they're holding their own on D.

The surprise from these metrics is the Nuggets' relatively poor showing -- their nERD rating ranks worst among all of the contenders we're discussing today. The reigning champs have still earned the second-best record (33-15) in the conference, but their underlying metrics imply that they might not have as big of an advantage over their conference rivals as their +440 odds to make the finals imply.

Rounding out the West we have the Timberwolves, who have the league's best defense, and the Clippers, who have appeared to turn back the clock for some of their aging stars. They rank virtually neck-and-neck, according to numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics, which could indicate that there's less of a gap between these teams than people may think.

Notably absent from this chart are the Suns, who rank 11th-best in numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics. They've dealt with injuries throughout the season and need to tighten up defensively before they can truly compare to the West's other top teams. Still, they have enough star power on their roster that we can't fully count them out.

Bets to Target

Boston Celtics vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (+2300)

We already covered how the Celtics are deserving of their spot at the top of the East based on their play so far this year, and the Thunder's impressive breakout has them shining in the West. They're a dead heat in numberFire's overall nERD ratings, so why not bet on them to square off in the NBA Finals?

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Clippers (+900)

The Clippers have really started to gel after a rocky start to the year. After opening up with a 3-7 record, they've since surged to a 30-15 mark and have won 11 of their last 14 since the New Year. We saw them dominate the Celtics in a 115-96 win -- during the second leg of a road back-to-back, no less -- illustrating the kind of upside their squad has if their stars stay healthy.

New York Knicks vs. Denver Nuggets (+3400)

The Knicks don't appear to be getting the respect they deserve -- yet. They've been overcoming a serious injury to starting center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and recently suffered the loss of Julius Randle (dislocated shoulder), but the emergence of Jalen Brunson and the arrival of OG Anunoby have made this a team that demands respect. Playing without starters has shown that they have depth on the roster, and both Robinson and Randle could return for the playoffs. If you think this team has what it takes, consider betting on the Knicks to make the finals against some of the West's top teams before the Knicks' odds shorten.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.