Apr 14, 2025, 02:01 PM ET
The 2024-25 NBA playoffs start Tuesday with the play-in match, and the primary spherical begins on Saturday, with the winners of each and every best-of-seven collection advancing to the convention semifinals.
So what are the bets to make sooner than the playoffs get rolling? And what groups stand out as doubtlessly undervalued and overpassed?
Listed below are NBA having a bet mavens Andre Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander with the bets and groups they have got their eyes on.
Odds are as of e-newsletter time. For essentially the most up-to-date odds, discuss with ESPN BET
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For those who made just one wager previous to the playoffs beginning, what wouldn’t it be?
Oklahoma Town Thunder to win the NBA Championship (+170): I predicted the Thunder would win all of it sooner than the season began and not anything I noticed over the past 5 months has modified my thoughts. They are younger. They are gifted. They are wholesome. And they are as deep as any workforce taking part in within the postseason. They have got been running as much as this problem for the remaining 5 years and the long run is now. OKC’s 2nd unit is as excellent as half of the league’s starters. — Alexander
Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA Championship (+1400): When everyone seems to be locked in, particularly LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Lakers are a difficult workforce to overcome. Los Angeles has the fourth-best odds to win the championship, and taking into consideration the playoff monitor document of each stars, I am backing them. — Moody
Editor’s Choices
2 Comparable
Donovan Mitchell to win Jap Convention Finals MVP (+275): The Cavaliers are, individually, a minimum of co-favorites with the Celtics to win the convention. And the argument will also be made that they will have to be favorites through themselves with the inside track that Jaylen Brown is coping with a knee damage and Kristaps Porzingis hasn’t performed greater than 4 consecutive video games because the starting of February. If the Cavs win the Jap Convention Finals, it could be as a result of Mitchell led the way in which … in particular in opposition to the Celtics. In his remaining 10 video games in opposition to the Celtics, Mitchell has averaged 33.7 PPG on 49.0 FG% and 40.9 3P%. — Snellings
California is the NBA Championship Successful State (+1000): This can be a distinctive attitude and a a laugh play put in combination through oddsmakers. The basis this is that I used to be wholly inspired with the end through all 3 of those California contenders. The Clippers’ end to the season printed Kawhi Leonard’s persistence along with his frame seems to have paid off, whilst James Harden is legitimately concerned about third-team All-NBA discussions. The Warriors come what may glance solely unhealthy once more, whilst they face a play-in state of affairs. The Lakers in the meantime, abruptly have gobs of introduction in each transition and the half-court. The Lakers on my own have name odds of +1400 and the Warriors have the third-shortest convention name odds, so this a laugh wager creates extra paths to payoff. — McCormick
Boston Celtics to win the NBA championship (+180): Certain, the Cavaliers had the simpler steady season, however there’s a excellent reason the Celtics have persistently boasted higher odds for the playoffs. They have got carried out it sooner than, and till the Celtics get knocked off, even at low odds, having a bet the Celtics turns out smart. — Karabell
What is your favourite long-shot wager?
The mix of Luka Doncic and LeBron James determine to make the Lakers a difficult out within the playoffs. Adam Hagy/NBAE by means of Getty Pictures
Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA championship (+1400): This one is attractive to me. Any workforce that includes LeBron and Luka can’t be taken frivolously, and whilst they misplaced the protection of Anthony Davis, they have got two of the most efficient “quarterbacks” within the league. Austin Reaves has taken his recreation to some other degree, and Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith can assist stay issues actual inside of. The Lakers are not deep sufficient to win all of it on paper, however Doncic and LeBron have karma running on their aspect. — Alexander
Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA championship (+600): All of my darkhorse championship favorites are within the West, however there are simply too many to wager on anybody particularly. In the meantime, the Cavaliers are considered one of best two groups within the East with a reliable probability to win, and the one of the 2 that may qualify as a long-shot wager. The Cavaliers are a 64-win workforce with a +9.5 PPG reasonable scoring margin, marks that correlate with groups in a position to successful a championship. And the opposite energy within the East, the Celtics, have damage problems to a couple in their excellent avid gamers. At 6-1 odds, the Cavs are a protracted shot totally in a position to successful the championship. — Snellings
NBA Playoff Problem
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Lakers to make the NBA Finals (+600): I wish to state that It’s not that i am keen on the Lakers. This mentioned, I truthfully see contending possible in a workforce that has this degree of playmaking. The protection should align in ways in which best Voltron may hope, however the recipe for locating buckets in tight video games is actually provide amid what’s a troublesome Western box to learn previous the younger Thunder. — McCormick
Denver Nuggets to win the NBA championship (+3000): Base line, the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic firing off nightly triple-doubles, so now not certain it issues who calls the timeouts and the inbound performs. That is an skilled roster, and the strange, overdue firing of the top trainer best serves to inspire the avid gamers. Do not be shocked if Jokic carries them the entire manner. — Karabell
Out of the 3 giant favorites to win the championship — OKC, Boston and Cleveland — which is the most efficient one to wager on?
Cleveland Cavaliers: The street to the NBA Finals is not as daunting within the Jap Convention, and this Cleveland workforce completed the steady season ranked first in offensive ranking and 8th in defensive ranking. Donovan Mitchell may be anticipated to be in a position for the Cavaliers’ playoff run, regardless of lacking the remaining 4 video games of the steady season with a sprained ankle. Cleveland has good enough intensity and shoots the ball nicely, has All-Megastar guards and elite, defensive-minded bigs in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. — Moody
Cavaliers: However best on account of the chances. I nonetheless assume a Thunder-Celtics Finals is pending, however it’s arduous to win giant cash with the favorites. To reply to the direct query, of the Large 3, the Cavaliers are the workforce to wager on. — Karabell
Oklahoma Town Thunder: We’ve not observed a workforce with this degree of offensive and defensive stability because the high San Antonio Spurs. Sure, the Warriors’ dynasty ceaselessly sustained elite defensive rankings, but in addition depended on a novel undersized demon named to deal with more than one roles. The Thunder workforce does not practice dominant protection according to a novel drive, however quite a collective of duration, athleticism, adolescence, toughness, and did we point out duration or adolescence? I simply to find that groups that maintain the extent of dominance the Thunder have when at complete energy ceaselessly have the opportunity to complete the process. The Celtics and Cavaliers are nice groups, but I imagine this Thunder team is ready to set a wholly new benchmark within the league. — McCormick
Which workforce do you assume is undervalued heading into the playoffs?
New York Knicks: New York is an afterthought within the East at the back of the Cavaliers and Celtics, and it is sensible taking into consideration the Knicks are 0-8 in opposition to each groups this season. However with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Cities and different ability round them, this workforce has the prospective to overcome somebody in a playoff collection. The Knicks have the third-best odds to win the East at +1000. The remaining two No. 3 seeds to achieve the Finals, the Warriors in 2022 and the Greenbacks in 2021, each gained the championship. — Moody
LA Clippers: The Clippers have quietly performed nicely all season whilst placing a number of All-Stars at the courtroom at one time. Kawhi Leonard has had a dream (and wholesome) season, Norman Powell has come into his personal, Harden is rolling, Ivica Zubac is an under-the-radar ability and Kris Dunn is a defensive specialist. Derrick Jones Jr. is helping company issues up off the bench and the Clippers is usually a Cinderella tale if Harden displays up for the playoffs for as soon as. — Alexander
Milwaukee Greenbacks: In all probability Giannis Antetokounmpo and friends are out within the first spherical. That may now not be a marvel. Or possibly Damian Lillard returns in Spherical 1 and the Greenbacks make a run, then knock off the highest East groups. Would that be sudden? The chances say so, however guy, the ones are fats odds to wager on. — Karabell
For those who needed to wager on a Finals MVP at the moment, who’re you having a bet on?
Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+2800): A large number of eyes are at the Thunder, Celtics, and Cavaliers and their respective superstars as Finals MVP applicants. However seeing those odds on a participant like Doncic, who carried the Mavericks to the Finals remaining yr, is simply too excellent to cross up. If the Lakers cross the entire manner, Doncic can be a significant reason. He is averaged 30.9 issues, 9.4 rebounds, and eight.0 assists in line with recreation in his playoff occupation. — Moody
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma Town Thunder (+175): Whilst Jokic has had a fantastic season, turning into the primary middle to ever reasonable a triple-double, Gilgeous-Alexander will have to win the regular-season MVP according to OKC’s league-best 68-win season and his ridiculous stat strains. The Finals MVP will have to come from the workforce who wins all of it, and because I believe slightly assured that the Thunder are going to be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy, he is the one participant at the Thunder in a position to successful the MVP award. — Alexander
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics (+1600): Brown did not simply earn NBA Finals MVP honors remaining season, as he additionally took the award within the Jap Finals. In all probability the chances are a little bit muted because of a knee damage, however maximum avid gamers are most definitely coping with one thing. Those Celtics have already carried out it. Brown has already carried out it. Let’s now not overthink issues. — Karabell
Are there every other bets you favor?
Jalen Inexperienced and the younger Rockets have an id as a workforce that runs the ground and performs protection. Alex Slitz/Getty Pictures
Houston Rockets to win the championship (+8000): If I had a spare $100 to throw on a sleeper, I would put it at the Rockets — the No. 2 seed within the West — to win all of it (or the West: +2500). They are younger and appear to be the place the Thunder had been a season or two in the past. Ime Udoka is a smart trainer, they have got remarkable younger avid gamers like Jalen Inexperienced, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith, and the veteran Fred VanVleet, who should step up his recreation for the playoffs. They play protection, can rating on somebody and are well-coached, and the chances lead them to an overly attractive play as a sleeper play. — Alexander
California is the NBA Championship Successful State (+1000): This wager stuck my consideration since the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, and Kings are all within the postseason. The Lakers are essentially the most professional contenders on this team, however the postseason is filled with surprises. The Warriors, just like the Lakers, have championship pedigree. — Moody
