NBA Championship: Boston Celtics backers dream of one more upset

Golden State Warriors are the favourites to win the NBA Championship finals but it is their opponents Boston Celtics who have provided the big betting story.

The Celtics are in the finals - which begin on Friday at 2am UK time - for the first time for 12 years and expectation is reaching fever pitch for fans of the Massachusetts team.

Boston began the season trading at around 20.019/1 on the Exchange. They encountered difficulties and drifted out to 90.089/1 in December and January. Now they are 2.427/5 with the Warriors, who are appearing in the finals for the sixth time in eight years, the favourites at 1.75/7.

On Monday the Celtics booked their place in the best of seven game finals by beating the Miami Heat 4-3 in their Easter Conference series.

Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each added 24 and all three will feature prominently in the MVP betting.

The Warriors' Stephen Curry, who has enjoyed an outstanding season for the team from San Francsico, should go off as the favourite in that market.

Golden State eliminated Dallas Mavericks 4-1 last week to clinch the Western Conference and set up a shot at a fourth NBA title in a decade.

It was an emphatic victory for the Warriors and the series correct score market for the finals offers tantalising betting options. The last three finals have all finished 4-2.

They are worthy favourites but the romantics, and those who took a punt on the Celtics earlier in the season, will be hoping it's the men in green who are celebrating at the conclusion of the finals, whether that's after game seven on 20 June or before.