The exacta bet, originating from horse racing, is highly regarded due to its prestige and potentially large payouts for correctly predicting both the winner and runner-up.
This type of wager is so integral to horse racing that the exacta results are announced with the same importance as the race outcome itself.
Recently, sportsbooks have recognized the appeal of exacta bets for sports enthusiasts, offering it as an alternative to traditional futures. Instead of just betting on the Super Bowl or Stanley Cup winner months in advance, you can now place an exacta bet, requiring you to predict both the winner and the second-place finisher.
These bets can add excitement and offer better value when standard options are limited. For instance, while the Boston Celtics are favored to win the NBA championship again, their relatively low odds (+200) might not be as appealing given the long playoff journey. A more strategic approach could be to wait for the NBA Finals matchup and bet on the series price.
However, an NBA Finals exacta bet predicting the top two teams could yield a significant return compared to a straightforward futures bet. Here`s our 2025 NBA Finals exacta wager:
NBA Finals Exacta Pick: Celtics over Lakers (+1600)
We anticipate the Celtics returning to the Finals, possibly facing a strong challenge from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The value in this bet comes from picking the Los Angeles Lakers to emerge from the Western Conference. We are betting against the top-seeded Thunder and second-seeded Houston Rockets due to their potential playoff inexperience. The addition of Luka Doncic to the Lakers, who led the Mavericks to the Finals last year, makes Los Angeles a formidable playoff team. He complements LeBron James perfectly. While James may not be able to carry a team single-handedly anymore, he is still a crucial part of a potentially dominant playoff backcourt. If the Lakers` supporting players perform consistently, a renewed classic rivalry in the NBA Finals is a realistic possibility.
Jasper Hawthorne