2024 NBA Playoffs Odds - NBA Betting Lines

2024 NBA Playoffs Betting Online

The 2024 NBA Playoffs are set to get underway. The Boston Celtics had the top record in the NBA and they begin as the favorites to win the title. The Oklahoma City Thunder claimed the top seed in the Western Conference, but the Thunder are not the second choice in NBA Playoff odds. That honor goes to the defending NBA Champion Denver Nuggets who begin the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the West. After the top two of the Celtics and Nuggets, it is a crapshoot, with all other teams listed at double-digit odds.

The No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference is the New York Knicks but they are not among the top contenders to win the title. They are behind the Milwaukee Bucks who begin as the No. 3 seed in the East. Seeded No. 4 through No. 6 are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers. The play-in teams in the Eastern Conference are the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. The rest of the seeded teams in the West are the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. The play-in teams in the Western Conference are the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.

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NBA Championship Betting Odds

*Odds as of Monday, April 22, 11:00 AM ET

Eastern Conference First Round

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Miami Heat

BOS Leads 1-0

A healthy Jimmy Butler would have made for an entertaining series. Unfortunately, an MCL injury suffered during the first quarter of Miami's play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers will leave Butler sidelined for several weeks. Terry Rozier's neck ailment also puts a damper on this series, as he missed the whole play-in tournament as well as the finish of the regular season. As good as Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jacquez Jr. and others are, Miami is down too many people against this strong Celtics club. Boston has Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis.

Adebayo is the Heat's most crucial player with Butler injured. Adebayo, the team's top rebounder, defensive stalwart, and gifted passer, will have to score at least 20 points every game and cover all the voids left by Butler's absence. Throughout this series, Porzingis' three-point shooting will be crucial in keeping Adebayo out of the post and wearing down Miami's fifth-ranked defense. Porzingis shot 7 of 14 (50 percent) from outside the arc in three games this season against the Heat.

(2) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers

NYK Leads 1-0

When Joel Embiid is healthy for the 76ers this season they went 31-8. When OG Anunoby was starting for the Knicks, they were 20-3. The biggest influence on this series might come from Embiid's health. Even though Embiid made a comeback a few weeks ago after suffering a meniscus injury, he isn't nearly in MVP form. That was demonstrated in the first play-in game against the Miami Heat, as he shot 6-of-17 for 23 points.

Although Embiid is the most important player to watch individually, the series may be decided by the Jalen Brunson-Tyrese Maxey battle. If Brunson can’t have big games for the Knicks they are in real trouble. At the same time if Embiid continues to play like he did against the Heat, then Maxey will have to be the man for Philly on some nights throughout this series. The 76ers will have a great opportunity if Maxey can outscore Brunson in the series, or at least keep it close.

(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6) Indiana Pacers

MIL Leads 1-0

The Bucks avoided the Philadelphia 76ers and were rewarded with a more advantageous matchup with the Indiana Pacers, thus their drop from the second to the third seed proved to be fortunate. The unfavorable report? It might not matter who the opponent is if Giannis Antetokounmpo is not available. This series is scheduled to start without the two-time MVP due to a calf ailment, which might sideline him for two to four weeks. Indiana is very balanced in scoring, led by Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton.

Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard has demonstrated that he is capable of leading a club in the postseason, but he is currently coping with nagging groin and abductor strains. Earlier in the season, the Bucks, even with a healthy roster, had trouble beating Indiana. This series might end quickly if Lillard isn't close to 100% and Antetokounmpo isn't able to play.

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Orlando Magic

CLE Leads 1-0

* If Necessary

Two youthful clubs trying to make a name for themselves in the Eastern Conference should engage in a defensive, low-scoring series matchup. Despite being the No. 4 seed and having home-court advantage, Cleveland lost in five games to the New York Knicks in the playoffs last year, and it is looking to improve on that terrible performance. It's crucial to start the series at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse because Orlando was only 18–23 away from home.

Jalen Suggs will be working hard to contain Donovan Mitchell, who claims to be fully healthy after missing 16 of the previous 26 games due to a weak knee. Darius Garland will be counted on to assist in dismantling the formidable Magic defense. In the three games he's played against Orlando this season, Garland averaged 26.7 points and 8.0 assists; if the Cavs are to win, he must achieve similar results. In this series, Mitchell is the best player, although Paolo Banchero might be close behind. The first-year forward in his second season is the center of attention for a Magic offense that depends entirely on his output. In 46 victories this season, Banchero shot 49.3 percent overall and 40.7 percent from three, while in 34 losses, he only shot 41.0 percent from the field and 27.4 percent from deep.

Western Conference First Round

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans

OKC Leads 1-0

The Thunder raised their banner atop the Western Conference standings at the end of the season with a five-game winning streak. Since OKC finished 33-8 overall at home, securing a No. 1 seed ensured them homecourt advantage at least until the NBA Finals. OKC has a big advantage in rest here because the Thunder receive six full days off while New Orleans just gets one.

Due to a hamstring injury sustained during the play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Zion Williamson won't even be reevaluated for another two weeks, making Brandon Ingram the most crucial player for New Orleans. The 26-year-old is currently recovering from a knee ailment that kept him out of his last 13 games during the regular season.  Williams, who has established himself as the Thunder's primary backup scorer behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, ought to play defensive minutes against Trey Murphy III and Ingram. Williams' performance is particularly more vital if Gilgeous-Alexander performs poorly against New Orleans, as he did during the regular season (25.0 points on 44.3 percent shooting and 25.0 percent from three).

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers

DEN Leads 1-0

Although the Lakers are 0-8 in their last eight games with the Nuggets, this is a better club than the one that Denver defeated handily a season ago. The starting lineup for Los Angeles, which consists of D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, finished the season going 18-6 in their last 24 games.

Though the Nuggets' large frontcourt prevents the Lakers from bullying them, Denver has the mental edge considering how the previous postseason played out. We'll see if Davis plays more of a free safety role with Hachimura getting the assignment again, or if Lakers head coach Darvin Ham puts him in one-on-one matchups against the two-time MVP. Naturally, it might not make a difference because Jokic has dominated the Lakers against all opponents. Jokic will carry over his perfect 3-0 regular season record versus the Lakers, when he scored 29.3 points, grabbed 12.1 rebounds, and dished out 9.0 assists on 55.2 percent shooting.

(3) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (6) Phoenix Suns

MIN Leads 1-0

Considering that Phoenix is all in after trading for Bradley Beal and Minnesota has spent almost the whole season at the top of the West rankings, a first-round departure would be a disaster for both clubs. This offseason, both teams are aiming for the second apron, so there won't be many opportunities to improve the rosters moving forward. The Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal have an offensive rating of 123.3 while sharing the floor (95th percentile), therefore it's an offensive vs defensive matchup. At 108.4, Minnesota's defense—led by Defensive Player of the Year favorite Rudy Gobert—was unquestionably the best in the NBA.

Both Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker, who have almost similar scoring statistics in their early postseason histories (Edwards at 28.1 points per game and Booker at 28.0), have been outstanding. These players are among the top eight scorers in NBA postseason history. Edwards will need to put on another outstanding display to stay up with Booker, Durant, Beal, and company in the first round, even though he was outstanding in that matchup against the Denver Nuggets a season ago. In the postseason, Booker has to be both a facilitator and a scorer.

(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks

LAC Leads 1-0

* If Necessary

The Clippers' postseason success or failure appears to be determined annually by the health of its best players. This season is no exception, as Kawhi Leonard is still sidelined due to a knee injury as of April. Los Angeles's All-Star forward will be necessary to defeat the Mavs, who have won 12 of their past 15 games. For the third time in five seasons, these teams are playing each other in the playoffs.

Throughout his three postseason runs, Luka Doncic has led the NBA in playoff scoring average three times and is currently ranked second all-time, only behind Michael Jordan (32.5 points per game versus Jordan's 33.5). It will take a team effort to slow him down, even if George might get into a lot of one-on-one situations.

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