Oddsmakers have given the nod to the Miami Heat to win the 2011 NBA Finals over the Dallas Mavericks. Tom Ziller of SB Nation summarizes:
The Miami Heat have the odds in their favor heading into the 2011 NBA Finals opposite the Dallas Mavericks. According to Bodog, the Heat are -180 to win the series, and the Mavs are +160. The most favored outcome in the series, per Bodog, is the Heat in seven (11/4), with Miami in six (13/4) right behind it.
The fact that the most likely outcomes are six and seven game Heat victories may be a result of Games 3-5 all being in Dallas, due to the 2-3-2 format. At any rate, -180 is a pretty heavy favorite. The good news for Mavs fans? While this is a wide margin, Bodog had the Heat as 17/10 favorites to win the title before the season, while the Mavericks were 20/1 underdogs.