Hope springs eternal. One day after the Miami Heat won the 2012 NBA Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers open as 50/1 odds to take the 2013 crown.

One oddsmaker sees them firmly in the NBA's middle, with the 14th best odds -- tied with the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz -- out of 30 teams. The Heat open at 11/4 favorites to repeat while the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder open at 5/1, second best odds in the league. Around the Northwest Division, the Denver Nuggets open at 30/1 and the Minnesota Timberwolves open at 75/1.

For comparison's sake, the Blazers opened at 30/1 odds to win the 2012 NBA Finals back in November 2011 and were 30/1 odds to win the 2011 Finals back in October 2010.

For entertainment and expectation-setting purposes only; courtesy of Bovada.lv.

Click through for the whole list.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Odds to win 2013 NBA Championship
Miami Heat 11/4
Oklahoma City Thunder 5/1
Chicago Bulls 6/1
Los Angeles Lakers 10/1
San Antonio Spurs 10/1
Dallas Mavericks 14/1
Los Angeles Clippers 18/1
Indiana Pacers 20/1
Boston Celtics 25/1
Memphis Grizzlies 25/1
Orlando Magic 30/1
Denver Nuggets 30/1
New York Knicks 35/1
Philadelphia 76ers 40/1
Atlanta Hawks 50/1
Houston Rockets 50/1
Portland Trail Blazers 50/1
Utah Jazz 50/1
Golden State Warriors 75/1
Milwaukee Bucks 75/1
Minnesota Timberwolves 75/1
Phoenix Suns 75/1
Brooklyn Nets 100/1
Cleveland Cavaliers 100/1
New Orleans Hornets 100/1
Sacramento Kings 100/1
Toronto Raptors 150/1
Washington Wizards 150/1
Charlotte Bobcats 200/1
Detroit Pistons 200/1