NBA Playoff Odds
The NBA Playoffs are the peak of basketball and the platform upon which the best compete against each other year after year. Winning four series in a row is a difficult task for even the best NBA teams, and sports bettors get to watch it all unfold.
Over recent years, we have witnessed a few incredible playoff runs with the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and the Denver Nuggets each winding up with titles. Read on for a guide to betting on the NBA Finals and playoffs in the state of Ohio.
2024 NBA Finals and Playoff odds
Here are the up-to-date odds for the NBA Finals and playoffs:
2024 NBA Finals favorites
One thing that sets basketball apart is the degree to which one player can have an outsized impact on the game. Thus the preseason favorites for the NBA title generally contain the best individual players. A big-name player changing teams can send his old team sliding down the NBA finals odds board while his new team rises. This season is no different because specific teams have higher expectations due to talented players and recent results.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics have been the top contender to win the NBA finals in 2024 all season long. The team is bolstered by stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and after falling short the last few years appear determined to capture an 18th NBA title for the storied Celts.
Minnesota Timberwolves
When Minnesota surprisingly took out the Denver Nuggets, they became a betting favorite to make the NBA Finals. Led by young phenom Anthony Edwards with big men Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns helping fill out a strong, athletic squad, the Wolves have become a top contender among the remaining teams.
Dallas Mavericks
Right now the Dallas Mavericks are behind the Celts and Wolves as a betting favorite to win a title behind their triple-threat star Luka Doncic and his talented running mate, Kyrie Irving. The Western Conference is especially tough this year, though, making advancing through to the Finals all the more of a challenge.
Cleveland Cavaliers playoff odds
The Cleveland Cavaliers were not expected to be championship contenders this season, but they proved themselves well making it to the second round of the playoffs where injuries and a tough Boston squad stopped their postseason run.
With a young nucleus led by high-scorer Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs should be highly competitive in 2024-25. Circle back here once the postseason begins and we’ll share betting odds for the Cavs to win their division, the Eastern Conference, and the NBA title.
How do NBA Playoffs odds work?
NBA playoff betting odds work much the same as they do for general NBA betting odds or any other major North American sport.
To start, you’ll need to understand the American odds format, as that is the default for the NBA playoffs across the country.
Odds in the American format will appear as either a positive number or a negative number. Positive numbers indicate how much a wager of $100 would win if correct. For example, let’s say that the Cleveland Cavaliers are +1500 to win the NBA title at DraftKings Sportsbook Ohio. You could bet $100 on them, and if they do win the title, you would win $1,500 for a total return of $1,600, including your original bet.
Negative numbers indicate how much you would need to bet to win $100. For example, let’s say that the Cavaliers have odds of -150 to make the NBA playoffs at FanDuel Sportsbook Ohio. You could then bet $150 to win $100, returning a total of $250 if they do end up making the playoffs.
Types of bets for NBA Playoffs and Finals
Sportsbooks have evolved to offer a variety of betting options. Some will have a short period between when you place the bet and when you know the results, while others will have a much more extended period. Here are the most common and popular bets during the NBA playoffs as well as at all other times of the season:
Individual game bets
Betting on individual games is common at all levels, including during the NBA playoffs. The three standard single-game wagers are the moneyline, the spread and the total, though most sportsbooks nowadays offer many more than just those three.
Series bets
Making a wager that encapsulates an entire playoff series is becoming more and more popular and is a favorite among NBA bettors when it gets to playoff time. Betting on which team is going to win the series and in how many games is common.
Prop bets
Prop bets are wagers on the smaller events in a game that often aren’t directly related to the overall game outcome. These can be things like the performance of individual players or other team statistics such as made 3-pointers.
Futures
These are bets on beg events that can be well into the future, just as the name suggests. A good example is betting on a team to win the championship far before the playoffs started. However, other futures bets include division winners, conference winners, or just betting on whether a team will make the postseason.
NBA postseason betting tips
Here are some beginner tips for betting on the NBA postseason:
1. Bet with your head and not your heart
It’s important not to bet on a specific team just because it is your favorite. Instead, place a wager on a team because you believe you have the edge over the house.
2. Don’t chase big returns
Some novice bettors can get fixated on huge potential returns and only place wagers that have big odds. Instead, focus on placing bets with a variety of odds.
3. Don’t bet while intoxicated
Veteran bettors know that gambling while intoxicated will lead to more losses as your decision-making becomes worse and worse.
How to bet on NBA Playoffs and Finals online in Ohio
Here is how you bet online for Ohio sports betting. Sportsbook apps have established themselves as an easy way for everyone to place wagers from the comfort of their home. To start, follow one of the links on this site to a sportsbook of your choice, including such top books as BetMGM Ohio and Caesars sportsbook. The link will take you directly to the sign-up page.
From there, fill out all the necessary information and complete your sign-up process. From there, navigate to the basketball page, where you will find the online NBA betting section and be able to place all the wagers we discussed.
How does a team make the NBA Playoffs?
A team makes the NBA playoffs if it finishes in the top eight teams in its conference. However, there is a new play-in tournament that makes things a little more exciting. At the end of the season, teams seeded No. 7 through No. 10 in each conference play each other in a mini-tournament to determine who gets the seventh and eighth seeds.
The teams that finished seventh and eighth during the regular season get two losses before they’re eliminated, while the teams seeded ninth and 10th need to win two games without losing to secure a spot.
From there, the playoff bracket proceeds as first vs. eighth, second vs. seventh, third vs. sixth, and fourth vs. fifth in a classic single-elimination bracket with each matchup being a best-of-seven series. Home-court advantage goes to the higher seed, and in the finals to the team with the better record.