NBA Playoffs Betting 2024

In this NBA playoffs betting article, we’ll take you through the current top teams with the best playoff prospects, what to look out for when placing your NBA playoff bets, and share the bets with the best value. 

The 2023-24 NBA Playoffs started on 20 April.

Interestingly, the team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the youngest team in league history to win the Western Conference. This lack of experience was evident in the series’ first game against the Pellicans, which was won by just two points, even though the home team looks much more talented on paper. 

The NBA playoffs are one of the most anticipated events of the basketball year. Regarding the most important battles, the game is very different from the regular season—the defense is much more challenging, and every attack has more importance. 

Many of the first games in the first round ended with a lower total than the bookmakers gave, so this NBA playoffs bet is worth paying attention to. The NBA playoffs last almost two months in total, so there is no shortage of action. And every team wants considerable NBA odds to make playoffs.

The first round features a few of the most intriguing pairings: Clippers—Mavericks and Timberwolves—Suns. The Pelicans could also surprise if they can take advantage of the Thunder’s lack of experience. 

The Clippers and Timberwolves won the series’ first game quite convincingly, but the series has the potential to extend to a seventh game. It would not be surprising if all the other NBA games were not easy for the teams. 

The Mavericks played a tragic second half, scoring just 8 points, but showed signs of recovery in the second half, and we can expect anything to happen in this series. 

From a NBA playoffs betting point of view, these are the most challenging series to predict, with a lot of value in the underdogs—the teams without home court advantage have the best NBA playoffs odds of advancing to the next round. 

Celtics – Heat

The Celtics have an excellent chance to win this series 4-0. The Celtics won the first game in Boston 114:94. It would not be surprising if all the games were won by double digits.

The Celtics are playing their best game in the league and have the motivation to make up for last year, while the Heat are playing without Jimmy Butler, who will miss the first round due to injury. 

The odds for NBA playoffs of the Celtics winning the series 4-0 are 1.60. Although the odds on NBA playoffs are not high, they have a lot of value. When the series moves to Miami, it is recommended to pick the Celtics to win both games. 

Cavaliers – Magic

This might seem like an exciting series, but the Cavaliers are the clear favorite. We saw that in the first game, when the Cavs, playing with their key players, left no chance. 

The Magic have a big problem – their entire roster comprises young, inexperienced players. At the same time, their key players like to score from the penalty box, where the Cavs have the talent to stop them. 

NBA playoff series odds of 2.15 are currently given for the Cavaliers to win the series with a -2.5 advantage. This bet on NBA playoff series is worth considering because the Cavs can win at least one game in Orlando, close the series 4-1 at home, or even win it 4-0. 

Catching a Cavs win in Orlando can be risky as it is unclear whether the Cavs will win the first game or the second, but you can protect yourself by simply taking the series lead. 

Nuggets – Lakers

Based on the names, this might look like one of the most exciting pairings, but based on the score, it would not be a surprise if the series ended 4-0 or 4-1. The Nuggets have won 9 games in a row against the Lakers, including last year’s Conference Finals when they won 4-0. 

The Nuggets are already up 1-0 and are given NBA playoffs betting odds of 1.85 to win the series with a -2.5 advantage. There is a good chance that Los Angeles will win at least once, in which case they would close the series at home. This is a very similar situation to the Cavs-Magic series.

The second round will be a competitive series. Of note is Thunder—Clippers/Mavericks. The Thunder should get past the Pelicans, but the second round seems to be the ceiling for this team so far. 

However, remember that this is the youngest team in the league. We already saw a lot of difficulties in the first game against the Pelicans. Jonas Valanciunas managed to grab 20 rebounds – the Thunder’s frontcourt is very weak, and the further we go, the more the other teams will take advantage of it. 

The Clippers with Ivica Zubac exploited the holes in the Mavericks’ defense, so there is no doubt that Chet Holmgren would be on the attack.

Even though these teams don’t have many centers, the NBA predicts that defensive problems will arise when James Harden, Paul George, Luka Doncic, and Kyrie Irving are in the penalty box. 

The Thunder will likely be considered NBA playoffs favorites against one of these teams in the second round, and this is certainly worth taking advantage of when placing your NBA playoff best bets with betting companies. 

Both the Clippers and the Mavericks have more experience, and although they will not have home-court advantage, they can knock off the Thunder’s youth, for whom the second round of the playoffs will already be a great achievement. 

The Celtics-Cavaliers series is not very intriguing in the Eastern Conference, but the next semi-final could be much more enjoyable. Suppose the 76ers don’t have a healthy Embiid, and the Knicks advance to the next round. In that case, it will be exciting to see how a team with a relatively small rotation can pull off another series without one of their leaders, Julius Randle. 

There is a good chance that the second round will be against the Bucks, whom they have already beaten several times this season. However, this team is on a whole different level in the playoffs. Damian Lillard is an entirely different player in the playoffs than in the regular season. 

If the Bucks have a healthy Giannis Antetokounmpo back, it is worth going with this team, no matter the opponent: the 76ers or the Knicks.

The Eastern Conference Finals could be where the Celtics finally get a more severe opponent and thus start their real road to championship rings. The Knicks, Bucks, or 76ers may come up against them, but the favorite would still be the Boston club. 

The Knicks would be the favorite because they do not have a solid front line and have many mediocre players on the back line. Jrue Holiday is the perfect player to stop Jalen Brunson. The 76ers, with Joel Embiid, can give problems to the Celtics’ relatively weak front line. The Bucks seem to be the most balanced team. 

There should be much more action in the Western Conference Finals than in the East. However, if the Nuggets get past the Timberwolves/Suns, they can beat the Clippers, Mavericks, or Thunder.

The Clippers could be the most dangerous if they have a healthy Kawhi Leonard. This team has a broad rotation, with talented players at every position. The front line is a bit weak, and it would be a problem to stop Jokic, but the Mavericks and the Thunder would certainly have more problems stopping Jokic. 

As a result, the Nuggets seem to be the most unlikely opponent for the Timberwolves, who have both Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns on the front line. 

NBA basketball has been highly competitive lately—four years, four different champions, three Western teams, with the Bucks winning once. Boston was in the Finals in 2022 and came very close to it last year, but it fell to the Heat in Game 7. 

There is little intrigue in the East this year, while the Nuggets, Clippers, Mavericks, and Suns are the standout teams in the Western Conference. 

• Boston Celtics to win the Eastern Conference – 1.40 odds
• Boston Celtics NBA Champions – 2.23 odds
• Jayson Tatum Eastern Conference MVP – 1.90 odds
• Boston Celtics to beat Nuggets in NBA Finals – 5.00 odds

The Boston Celtics are the clear favorites in the Eastern Conference. The team had the best record in the regular season, and not much will change in the playoffs. The main rivals have many problems, so the Celtics can only expect the biggest competition in the NBA Finals. 

The Celtics will likely play against the Cavaliers in the second round. This series should last up to five games—the Cavs have too little talent on offense to attack Boston’s defense. Yes, the Cavs would have an advantage on the front line, but the Celtics have a big plus everywhere else. 

The Bucks, 76ers, or Knicks would likely be waiting in the conference finals. 

The Bucks look like the team that could cause the most problems. The Bucks are currently playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he should recover quickly and be able to play at the end of the first round if needed. 

The 76ers have a problem with Joel Embiid, who, although he played in the first game against the Knicks, is likely to miss the second game. If the Knicks make it to the conference semi-finals, it will be very difficult for this team to attack the Celtics, as they have little talent on offense, and only good defense will not be enough.

The Celtics are the most balanced team of the season, ranking first in offense and third in defense. There is a reason for these numbers: Most of the roster has been playing together for years, and key players have NBA Finals experience.

The team has been boosted this summer by adding Jrue Holiday, an excellent defensive player, and Kristaps Porzingis, who, most importantly, has stayed healthy while showing a fantastic game. 

From the point of view of the basketball betting sites, the Celtics are a confidence boost in any series. Whether it’s the Eastern Conference or the NBA Finals, this team deserves a title this year, and it’s definitely worth going all the way with the Celtics, especially when it comes to Boston. 

• Denver Nuggets to win the Western Conference – 2.25 odds
• Nikola Jokic Western Conference MVP – 2.37 odds

The Western Conference is much more competitive than the Eastern Conference, but the Nuggets proved last year that they were champions for a reason. 

It’s a team that has been built up over several years and designed to give every player a role. There have been almost no roster changes, which means that the team can get on with its work. Defending a championship is harder than winning one, but the Nuggets have a chance. 

The Nuggets will face the Suns/Timberwolves in the second round and the Clippers/Mavericks in the conference finals. All teams have their pluses and minuses, but the Nuggets stand out because they are similar to the Celtics in terms of balance —fifth in offense and eighth in defense. 

Looking at the NBA Finals, the Celtics would have a plus here, even more so because they should go into the Finals less tired. It wouldn’t be surprising if there weren’t a long series, except in the conference finals. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have a tough road ahead from the second round.