The NBA Playoffs kicked off with excitement over the weekend, showing a trend where teams playing on their home court had an advantage in the first round.
On Saturday, the betting favorites, who were all playing at home, not only won their games but also covered the spread. Then, on Sunday, all the visiting teams ended up losing, although the Pelicans did manage to cover the spread despite their last-minute defeat. Not a lot has changed since Saturday but the Bucks did improve quite a bit after beating the Pacers while the Mavericks lost some ground after losing to the Clippers.
With that said, here’s a look at the updated 2024 NBA Championship odds before Game 2 in every series.
If you want more analysis on this subject, check out our YouTube video with a breakdown from expert capper Jefe Picks back in the first week of April. While you won’t find the Celtics at +190 anymore, the Clippers are paying almost double now.
OddsTrader’s Betting Edge
- Home-court advantage was a factor in Game 1 of every series as they went 8-0 SU over the weekend.
- On that note, playoff experience seems to be less important. Teams that made the playoffs last year but start this postseason on the road for Game 1 & 2 are 63-107-3 ATS in that situation since 2006, as per Brandon Anderson.
- For the third time in the last two decades, favorites won and covered the spread on the opening day of the NBA Playoffs.
NBA Championship
Below, you will find the NBA Championship odds, courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
| The Elite | The Contenders | The Pretenders |
|---|---|---|
| Celtics +120 | Lakers +3000 | Magic +25000 |
| Nuggets +270 | Suns +3300 | Heat +35000 |
| Clippers +1400 | 76ers +3300 | |
| Thunder +1400 | Cavaliers +6000 | |
| Bucks +1500 | Pacers +15000 | |
| Timberwolves +1900 | Pelicans +15000 | |
| Knicks +2000 | ||
| Mavericks +2000 |
NBA Playoffs Matchups
Monday
- Game 2: #5 Magic vs. #4 Cavaliers (CLE Leads 1-0) – 07:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 2: #7 76ers vs. #2 Knicks (NYK Leads 1-0) – 07:30 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 2: #7 Lakers vs. #2 Nuggets (DEN Leads 1-0) – 10:00 PM ET (TNT)
Tuesday
- Game 2: #6 Suns vs. #3 Timberwolves (MIN Leads 1-0) – 07:30 PM ET (TNT)
- Game 2: #6 Pacers vs. #3 Bucks (MIL Leads 1-0) – 08:30 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 2: #5 Mavericks vs. #4 Clippers (LAC Leads 1-0) – 10:00 PM ET (TNT)
Wednesday
- Game 2: #8 Heat vs. #1 Celtics (BOS Leads 1-0) – 07:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 2: #8 Pelicans vs. #1 Thunder (OK Leads 1-0)- 09:30 PM ET (TNT)
Saturday
- Game 1: #5 Magic 83 vs. #4 Cavaliers 97– 01:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 1: #6 Suns 95 vs. #3 Timberwolves 120– 03:30 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 1: #7 76ers 104 vs. #2 Knicks 111 – 06:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 1: #7 Lakers 103 vs. #2 Nuggets 114– 08:30 PM ET (TNT)
Sunday
- Game 1: #8 Heat 94 vs. #1 Celtics 114– 01:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 1: #5 Mavericks 97 vs. #4 Clippers 109 – 03:30 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 1: #6 Pacers 94 vs. #3 Bucks 109 – 07:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Game 1: #8 Pelicans 92 vs. #1 Thunder 94 – 09:30 PM ET (TNT)
Play-In Tournament Matchups
Tuesday (Western Conference)
- #8 Lakers 110 – #7 Pelicans 106 – 07:30 PM ET (TNT)
- #10 Warriors 94 – #9 Kings 118 – 09:30 PM ET (TNT)
Wednesday (Eastern Conference)
- #8 Heat 104 – #7 76ers 105 – 07:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- #10 Hawks 116 – #9 Bulls 131 – 09:30 PM ET (ESPN)
Friday
- Bulls 91 vs. Heat 112 – 07:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Kings 98 vs. Pelicans 105 – 09: 30 PM ET (TNT)
East Conference
Below, you will find the updated odds to win the Eastern Conference for each of the ten Eastern Conference squads that have made the postseason, courtesy of our top sportsbooks.
| The Elite | The Contenders | The Pretenders |
|---|---|---|
| Celtics -265 | Cavaliers +1800 | Magic +10,000 |
| Bucks +675 | Pacers +5000 | Heat +20,000 |
| Knicks +750 | ||
| 76ers +1200 |
The Boston Celtics dominated the NBA this season and clinched the #1 seed ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference. Actually, the Bucks (one of the preseason favorites) fell to the third seed after losing to Orlando on the last day of the regular season and getting leapfrogged by the Knicks. NBA fans would be shocked if the Celtics didn’t win it all. They’ve already got an implied probability greater than 50% to win the Eastern Conference.
Boston will have home-court advantage against one of the following four teams, depending on how the Play-in Tournament plays out (pun intended).
But if you’re looking for another team, not the Celtics, consider the New York Knicks. The Knicks have great value to win the Eastern Conference and had some big games against the Cavaliers and Bucks earlier this season.
I’d also think about the Philadelphia 76ers. With Joel Embiid, the 76ers are no easy out. While Philadelphia typically chokes later in the playoffs, maybe this year will be different. They’ve got a refreshed Joel Embiid, who is ultimately the best player in the NBA… when healthy.
Meanwhile, don’t forget about the Indiana Pacers, who already won the Eastern Conference during the In-Season Tournament. There’s also the Miami Heat, who found their way into the NBA Finals last season after having to play in the Play-In Tournament. The same could happen this year… if they do beat the 76ers on Tuesday.
West Conference
Below, you will find the updated odds to win the Western Conference for each of the ten Western Conference squads that have made the postseason.
| The Elite | The Contenders | The Pretenders |
|---|---|---|
| Nuggets +120 | Mavericks +950 | Lakers +1500 |
| Thunder +500 | Suns +1200 | Pelicans +8000 |
| Clippers +500 | ||
| Timberwolves +850 |
The Denver Nuggets were tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the Western Conference with one week remaining. However, by Sunday morning there was a three-way tie at the top of the Western Conference as the youngsters from Oklahoma City snatched the #1 seed… with a little help from the Mavericks. But that’s a different story.
Minnesota hasn’t had Karl-Anthony Towns available, but he will likely return for the playoffs. The T’Wolves are terrific at home and have gone 12-3 in divisional play. The Timberwolves also led the Western Conference with 37 wins in conference play. The Nuggets only have 30 wins against Western Conference opponents, while the Thunder have won 33 games against Western Conference opponents.
The Timberwolves have the best value in the Western Conference. However, you can also consider backing the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks are very streaky. They’ll win a lot and then lose a lot. But if this team starts to win a lot in the playoffs, the Mavericks could be a really tough out, especially as they’ve gotten better defensively.
Meanwhile, the Thunder are an intriguing pick. It’s just unlikely that a team of many young players can get through this type of gauntlet. And there’s also nothing wrong with taking a chance with the Lakers and Warriors. Both teams will have to play in the Play-In Tournament first, but with LeBron James and Steph Curry, you can never rule out those teams. They’re clutch in these types of moments and typically lead their teams to greatness.
*21+ Seek help with a gambling addiction at 1-800-Gambler
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
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, Bet365, Unibet, SugarHouse, BetRivers, and SBK 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 FAQs
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 Caesars, BetMGM, Bet365, Unibet, SugarHouse, BetRivers and SBK.
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.
