With conference finals matchups still to be decided, and championship dreams within reach, let's dive into the updated NBA playoff picture and odds as we progress towards the NBA Finals.
NBA Playoff Picture
Eastern Conference Favorite: Boston Celtics -850 To win Conference
Boston has been the most dominant team in the NBA this season. Their 64 wins and 122.2 offensive rating both pace the Association.
Jayson Tatum (+200 NBA Finals MVP favorite) is smack dab in the middle of his prime and ready to banish the ghosts of playoff past. Many prognosticators shook their heads when Brad Stevens traded for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Now, those moves look like masterstrokes for the NBA Championship favorites.
The Celtics are undoubtedly the team to beat as they chase their NBA record 18th Championship banner. Joe Mazzula's team have run roughshod through Miami and Cleveland, losing a combined two games. Boston leads the NBA playoffs with a +11.3 point differential. They're also first in 3-point percentage differential (+3.8), rebounding differential (+9.1), and blocks per game differential (+3).
Contender: New York Knicks +900 to Win Conference
After sending the Philadelphia 76ers home in six games, the Knicks look like true Eastern Conference contenders.
Jalen Brunson (+2600 to win NBA Finals MVP) has been fantastic. But, it's contributions from guys like Josh Hart, who's averaged an uncanny 21.5 points and 14 rebounds per game that vault the Knicks into championship contenders. He played all 48 minutes the other night, but if Hart and the other New York role players can keep this up, the men from the Mecca could finally be poised for a deep playoff run.
Western Conference Favorite: Denver Nuggets +125 To Win Conference
After losing the first two games of their second round series against Minnesota, the Denver Nuggets were as high as +970 underdogs to win the Western Conference. Hope you jumped in at those odds.
Jokic and the Nuggets are alive and well. The Joker wasn't about to go down without a fight. An uncanny Game 5 performance 40 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists on 68% shooting with no turnovers led Denver to victory. He'll have to follow up with another legacy defining performance in Game 7 to cash this bet.
Contender: Dallas Mavericks +130 to Win Conference
After a first round Game 1 blowout loss to the Clippers, many wrote off the Dallas Mavericks in this year's playoffs.
That was a grievous mistake. Since the NBA Trade Deadline, the Mavs are fourth in defensive rating and 12th in total rebounding. Over the past 15 games, Dallas has led the Association in defensive rating. Luka & Kyrie have transformed the Mavericks fortunes in a little over a season together.
Luka has been unconscious this season, averaging an uncanny 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per night. He's my favorite value bet to win NBA Finals MVP. The Mavs front office has finally surrounded Doncic with a supporting cast good enough to win in the playoffs.
The questions of how Luka and all-world guard Kyrie Irving would gel have been dispelled. Jason Kidd's squad whalloped the Clippers in Game 5 and 6 before doing the same to the young Oklahoma City Thunder to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
There's a reason the Mavericks are my favorite NBA Championship sleeper.
How to Bet on the NBA Playoffs
Now that you've chosen a few teams to make the postseason, you might want to look into other playoff futures and NBA Finals bets -- no worries, because we've got a wealth of information for you to browse through. Handicappers can use our daily NBA Computer Picks to aid in their quest to beat the books. Make sure you place your futures sooner than later, as the closer we get to the end of the regular season, the tighter the odds get.
