Golden State remains one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship this season after a dominating 4-1 series win over the Denver Nuggets. FanDuel is posting the Warriors at +300, trailing only last year’s championship runners-up, the Phoenix Suns, at +290.
OddsTrader will break down what you need to know about this year’s NBA Championship. Remember to line shop for the best NBA odds during each game of the NBA Playoffs.
OddsTrader’s Betting Edge
- Phoenix has defeated Dallas in their last nine meetings, including all three this season, and covered in seven of those contests.
- Golden State has not had an easy time of it with Memphis this season, losing three of their four regular-season meetings by an average of 13 points per game.
- Celtics have played like a team possessed, winning 28 of their last 35 regular-season contests, a stunning .800-win percentage.
- Boston and Milwaukee split their four-game regular-season series with the home team winning on all four occasions.
- Heat and 76ers split their season series at two games apiece but the Heat are lethal from beyond the arc, ranking tops in the league in 3-point shooting at nearly 38 percent.
Here you’ll find the odds for each of the NBA teams in the Conference Semifinals. All odds are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
| Team | Odds |
| Phoenix Suns | +290 |
| Golden State Warriors | +300 |
| Boston Celtics | +420 |
| Miami Heat | +480 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +850 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +1200 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +2000 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +2700 |
The Contenders
Phoenix Suns (+290)
- Western Conference Regular Season Champions
- Pacific Division Champions
The Suns shined brightly during the regular season, amassing a sparkling 64-18 record, the best in franchise history, and dusting their nearest rivals, the Memphis Grizzlies, by a full eight games in the standings. The talented triumvirate of Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Ayton leads the way but Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder are indispensable pieces of the Suns’ starting five puzzle.
What was supposed to be a first-round cakewalk over the eighth-seeded Pelicans, turned into a six-game struggle after a 115-109 win in New Orleans clinched their 4-2 series victory. Devin Booker had missed Games 2 and 3 with a mild hamstring injury but he appears fit and ready to roll against the Mavericks in the second round.
Speaking of the Mavericks, Phoenix has defeated Dallas in their last nine meetings, including all three this season, and covered in seven of those contests.
Golden State Warriors (+300)
The Warriors have arguably the best player on the planet in Steph Curry and he has not disappointed in the postseason, averaging 28 points per game in the Round 1 series against the Nuggets. Golden State dominated their sixth-seeded opponents, winning four of the five games by an average of over 11 points per game.
Next up for the Warriors is the Cinderella team of the NBA this season, the Memphis Grizzlies. Golden State has not had an easy time with Memphis this season, losing three of their four regular-season meetings by an average of 13 points per game.
But they will get the first two games at home, where the Warriors were a dominating 31-10 at the Oracle Arena.
Boston Celtics (+400)
- Atlantic Division Champions
On January 21st, the Celtics bowed to the Trail Blazers, 109-105, which sent the Green to a 23-24 record on what had become a spectacularly disappointing season. But something clicked after that game and the Celtics have since played like a team possessed, winning 28 of their last 35 regular-season contests, a stunning .800-win percentage.
And to prove their new-found mojo was hardly a fluke; the Shamrocks went on to sweep the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as well as the rest of the Brooklyn Nets in their first-round playoff series.
Now the Celtics will have the unenviable task of meeting the reigning NBA champion, Milwaukee Bucks, in the second round. These clubs split their four-game regular-season series with the home team winning on all four occasions. The Celtics have covered the last seven games straight games against the Bucks and will have the advantage of playing the first two contests at the TD Garden in Boston before the series shifts to Milwaukee.
Miami Heat (+480)
- Eastern Conference Regular Season Champions
- Southeast Division Champions
The Heat have done everything right. They not only won their division but also posted the best record in the Eastern Conference with a 53-29 record. Miami also won their last six games of the regular season before bowing in a meaningless road game against the Magic. Yet, they remain the fourth choice of the oddsmakers entering the second round of the playoffs.
But what little respect they have received thus far was somewhat mitigated by their impressive first-round series victory over the Atlanta Hawks in which they won four of five games. Jimmy Butler has been playing like the superstar he is in averaging a staggering 30.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game against Atlanta.
Miami will now take on the preseason favorites to win the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers, in the second round. These teams split their season series at two games apiece but the Heat are lethal from beyond the arc, ranking tops in the league in 3-point shooting at nearly 38 percent.
Milwaukee Bucks (+850)
- Central Division Champions
It’s not often we see a defending NBA champion as the fifth choice to win the title entering the second round of the playoffs but here we are. The Bucks have a force of nature in the paint with The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo, battering the glass and averaging 13.4 boards per game in the first round against the Bulls.
Speaking of which, the Bucks left little doubt as to who was the best team in that series, defeating Chicago, 4-1, winning by an average margin of over 19 points per game. The only hiccup occurred in Game 2 when they were upset at home, 114-110, as Milwaukee had no answer to the riddle that was DeMar DeRozan, who lit them up for 41 points in the loss.
The Bucks will now travel to Boston to face the hottest team on the planet and will have to contend with a pair of young guns approaching the peak of their powers in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Although they dropped the first two of four regular-season games against the Celtics, they returned the favor and won the final two games in Milwaukee.
Memphis Grizzlies (+1200)
- Southwest Division Champions
For a team that had to play its way into the first round of the playoffs as the No. 8 seed and was used as cannon fodder for the Utah Jazz where they bowed out in a 4-1 series defeat last year, the Grizzlies have come out of nowhere to claim the Southwest Division and delivered the second-best record in the league, trailing only Phoenix.
Fortunately for Memphis, their burgeoning superstar, 22-year-old Ja Morant, recovered from a late-season knee injury just in time for the playoffs. He and Desmond Bane produced much of the offense in Memphis’ 4-2 series win over the Timberwolves with Morant averaging 21.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 10.5 assists in those six games.
But the Grizzlies’ second-round opponent won’t be nearly as easy when they tip-off against the Golden State Warriors. Nevertheless, Memphis matches up well against the Warriors, winning and covering in three of their four regular-season contests this season.
Dallas Mavericks (+2000)
The Mavericks have made their bones this season on defense, allowing just 104.7 points per game during the regular season, second only to the Boston Celtics. Dallas ended the 2021-2022 regular season campaign with a 52-30 record and was an impressive 29-12 at home.
Luka Doncic is the straw that stirs the drink in Dallas but the Mavericks had to play their first three games against Utah in the opening round of the playoffs without him. Doncic was suffering from a calf strain that put him on the shelf but his teammates responded by winning two of those three contests.
When the Slovenian Sensation returned in Game 4, the Jazz prevailed with a one-point victory. But the Jazz would be silenced after that as Doncic dropped 33 points in a 102-77 Game 5 blowout before he sealed the deal with 24 points in the Mavs’ 98-96 series ender.
Dallas will now tangle with last year’s Western Conference champs, the Phoenix Suns, and it won’t be easy for them as Phoenix boasts an excellent defense against Dallas’ pedestrian offense. The Suns have owned the Mavs in recent memory, beating them in nine consecutive games including all three this season.
Philadelphia 76ers (+2700)
It wasn’t a bad season for the 76ers, it just wasn’t as impressive as many of the pundits predicted entering the year. Joel Embiid has been one shining star, with many believing he will edge last year’s MVP Award winner, Nikola Jokić, to cop the honor this season. After a protracted tug-of-war with embattled power forward, Ben Simmons, the team found a trade partner in Brooklyn and acquired the disgruntled James Harden.
The Sixers were having their way over their first-round opponents from Toronto, jumping to a 3-0 lead in the series, before the Raptors stormed back and won the next two games. However, Joel Embiid and James Harden made sure this series would not go to a seventh and deciding game when they put the clamps on the Raps and their foot on the gas in a 132-97 Game 6 blowout.
Philadelphia draws the Eastern Conference regular-season champions in this one and it is a team they are familiar with after facing the Heat four times this season. These clubs have split the season series and if the 76ers are to prevail, they will have to continue punishing teams at the charity stripe where they are ranked first in the league, connecting on over 82 percent of their free-throw attempts.
Round 2 Schedules
Bucks vs. Celtics
- Game 1: Sunday, May 1 (at Boston) – 01:00 PM EDT
- Game 2: Tuesday, May 3 (at Boston) – 07:00 PM EDT
- Game 3: Saturday, May 7 (at Milwaukee) – 03:30 PM EDT
- Game 4: Monday, May 9 (at Milwaukee) – 07:30 PM EDT
- Game 5: Wednesday, May 11 (at Boston) – TBD
- Game 6: Friday, May 13 (at Milwaukee) – TBD
- Game 7: Sunday, May 15 (at Boston) – TBD
Warriors vs. Grizzlies
- Game 1: Sunday, May 1 (at Memphis) – 03:30 PM EDT
- Game 2: Tuesday, May 3 (at Memphis) – 09:30 PM EDT
- Game 3: Saturday, May 7 (at Golden State) – 08:30 PM EDT
- Game 4: Monday, May 9 (at Golden State) – 10:00 PM EDT
- Game 5: Wednesday, May 11 (at Memphis) – TBD
- Game 6: Friday, May 13 (at Golden State) – TBD
- Game 7: Monday, May 16 (at Memphis) – TBD
76ers vs. Heat
- Game 1: Monday, May 2 (at Miami) – 07:30 PM ET
- Game 2: Wednesday, May 4 (at Miami) – 07:30 PM ET
- Game 3: Friday, May 6 (at Philadelphia) – 07:00 PM ET
- Game 4: Sunday, May 8 (at Philadelphia) – 08:00 PM ET
- Game 5: Tuesday, May 10 (at Miami) – TBD
- Game 6: Thursday, May 12 (at Philadelphia) – TBD
- Game 7: Sunday, May 15 (at Miami) TBD
Mavericks vs. Suns
- Game 1: Monday, May 2 (at Phoenix) – 10:00 PM EDT
- Game 2: Wednesday, May 4 (at Phoenix) – 10:00 PM EDT
- Game 3: Friday, May 6 (at Dallas) – 09:30 PM EDT
- Game 4: Sunday, May 8 (at Dallas) – 03:30 PM EDT
- Game 5: Tuesday, May 10 (at Phoenix) – TBD
- Game 6: Thursday, May 12 (at Dallas) – TBD
- Game 7: Sunday, May 15 (at Phoenix) – TBD
Props & Bonuses
You can find a list of prop bets at all of the best U.S. Licensed online sportsbooks found right here at OddsTrader.
Online sportsbooks like BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, PointsBet, Bet365, Unibet, SugarHouse, BetRivers, SBK, MaximBet, and DraftKings all offer props like “Who Will Win the NBA Playoff MVP Award” and futures to win the NBA title as well as generous signup bonuses.
Shop for Odds
If you want to compare the various NBA odds then click on the link and you will see the point spreads, moneylines, and totals at all of the best books in the industry.
NBA Power Rankings
Getting keen insight into how each of the playoff teams stacks up is easy when you check out the OddsTrader NBA Power Rankings page. Here you will see the average line, the power line suggested by OddsTrader’s AI algorithms, and the Bettor’s Edge which is the difference between the two.
NBA Computer Picks
If you go to the OddsTrader NBA Computer Picks section you can see what the OT algorithms project and how the results compare to those predictions.
NBA Betting FAQ’s
Question: Where can I go to make a bet on the NBA playoffs?
Answer: The best online sportsbooks are the safest online sportsbooks, which are those licensed in jurisdictions where online sports betting is legal in the United States. The top-rated books are BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, PointsBet, Bet365, Unibet, SugarHouse, BetRivers, SBK, MaximBet, and DraftKings.
Question: What types of bets are popular with NBA basketball?
Answer: The most popular bet is the point spread bet where the underdog is getting points or the favorite is giving points. However, moneylines, where no point spread is involved have grown increasingly popular, as have over/under or total bets where bettors can wager over or under on the combined total of the two teams in that game.
Question: Do I have to bet a lot?
Answer: No, the minimum bet is as low as $1 and accounts can be funded with as little as $10 at many of the books across the nation.
