The NBA Playoffs are in full swing as the conference semifinals began this past weekend, highlighted by the Timberwolves and Nuggets opening the action. The first round brought surprises, including the eliminations of the Bucks and the Clippers.
With that said, here’s a look at the updated 2024 NBA Championship odds and the schedule for this week!
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 Longshots | The Underdogs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics +110 | Timberwolves +500 | Mavericks +900 | Pacers +5500 |
| Nuggets +450 | Thunder + 800 | Knicks +1000 | Cavaliers +7000 |
NBA Playoffs Matchups
Monday, May 6th
- Game 1: Pacers at Knicks – Monday, May 6 at 07:30 PM (TNT)
- Game 2: Timberwolves at Nuggets – Monday, May 6 at 10:00 PM (TNT)
Tuesday, May 7th
- Game 1: Cavaliers at Celtics – Tuesday, May 7 at 07:00 PM (TNT)
- Game 1: Mavericks at Thunder – Tuesday, May 7 at 09:30 PM (TNT)
Wednesday, May 8th
- Game 2: Pacers at Knicks – Wednesday, May 8 at 08:00 PM (TNT)
Thursday, May 9th
- Game 2: Cavaliers at Celtics – Thursday, May 9 at 07:00 PM (ESPN)
- Game 2: Mavericks at Thunder – Thursday, May 9 at 09:30 PM (ESPN)
Friday, May 10th
- Game 3: Knicks at Pacers – Friday, May 10 at 07:00 PM (ESPN)
- Game 3: Nuggets at Timberwolves – Friday, May 10 at 09:30 PM (ESPN)
Saturday, May 11th
- Game 3: Thunder at Mavericks – Saturday, May 11 at 03:30 PM (ABC)
- Game 3: Celtics at Cavaliers – Saturday, May 11 at 08:30 PM (ABC)
Sunday, May 12th
- Game 4: Knicks at Pacers – Sunday, May 12 at 03:30 PM (ABC)
- Game 4: Nuggets at Timberwolves – Sunday, May 12 at 08:00 PM (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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics -300 | |||
| Knicks +320 | |||
| Pacers +1400 | |||
| Cavaliers +1800 |
The Boston Celtics dominated the NBA this season and clinched the #1 seed ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference. Boston will have a home-court advantage. 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.
Meanwhile, don’t forget about the Indiana Pacers, who already won the Eastern Conference during the In-Season Tournament.
#1 Celtics vs. #4 Cavaliers – Series tied 0-0
- Game 1: Cavaliers at Celtics – Tuesday, May 7 at 07:00 PM (TNT)
- Game 2: Cavaliers at Celtics – Thursday, May 9 at 07:00 PM (ESPN)
- Game 3: Celtics at Cavaliers – Saturday, May 11 at 08:30 PM (ABC)
- Game 4: Celtics at Cavaliers – Monday, May 13 at 07:00 PM (TNT)
- Game 5: Cavaliers at Celtics – Wednesday, May 15 at TBD (TNT) *
- Game 6: Celtics at Cavaliers – Friday, May 17 at TBD (ESPN) *
- Game 7: Cavaliers at Celtics – Sunday, May 19 at TBD (TBD) *
- Game 7: Cavaliers at Celtics – Sunday, May 19 at TBD (TBD) *
All times Eastern Standard Time. * = If necessary
#2 Knicks vs. #6 Pacers – Series tied 0-0
- Game 1: Pacers at Knicks – Monday, May 6 at 07:30 PM (TNT)
- Game 2: Pacers at Knicks – Wednesday, May 8 at 08:00 PM (TNT)
- Game 3: Knicks at Pacers – Friday, May 10 at 07:00 PM (ESPN)
- Game 4: Knicks at Pacers – Sunday, May 12 at 03:30 PM (ABC)
- Game 5: Pacers at Knicks – Tuesday, May 14 at TBD (TNT) *
- Game 6: Knicks at Pacers – Friday, May 17 at TBD (ESPN)
- Game 7: Pacers at Knicks – Sunday, May 19 at TBD (TBD)
All times Eastern Standard Time. * = If necessary
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuggets +210 | |||
| Timberwolves +210 | |||
| Thunder +325 | |||
| Mavericks +350 |
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.
#1 Thunder vs. #5 Mavericks – Series tied 0-0
- Game 1: Mavericks at Thunder – Tuesday, May 7 09:30 PM (TNT)
- Game 2: Mavericks at Thunder – Thursday, May 9 at 09:30 PM (ESPN)
- Game 3: Thunder at Mavericks – Saturday, May 11 at 03:30 PM (ABC)
- Game 4: Thunder at Mavericks – Monday, May 13 at 09:30 PM (TNT)
- Game 5: Mavericks at Thunder – Wednesday, May 15 at TBD (TNT) *
- Game 6: Thunder at Mavericks – Saturday, May 18 at 08:30 PM (ESPN)
- Game 7: Mavericks at Thunder – Monday, May 20 at 08:30 PM (TNT)
All times Eastern Standard Time. * = If necessary
#2 Nuggets vs. #3 Timberwolves – MIN leads 1-0
- Game 1: Timberwolves 106 – Nuggets 99
- Game 2: Timberwolves at Nuggets – Monday, May 6 at 10:00 PM (TNT)
- Game 3: Nuggets at Timberwolves – Friday, May 10 at 09:30 PM (ESPN)
- Game 4: Nuggets at Timberwolves – Sunday, May 12 at 08:00 PM (TNT)
- Game 5: Timberwolves at Nuggets – Tuesday, May 14 at TBD (TNT) *
- Game 6: Nuggets at Timberwolves – Thursday, May 16 at 08:30 (ESPN)
- Game 7: Timberwolves at Nuggets – Sunday, May 19 at TBD (TBD)
All times Eastern Standard Time. * = If necessary
*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.
