After a unique 2023-24 NBA regular season that featured the debut of the In-Season Tournament and LeBron James becoming the first player to score 40,000 career points, the NBA Playoffs are officially underway.
Over the next two months, 16 teams (eight from each conference) will fight to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA champions. The postseason features four rounds, culminating in the NBA Finals, which start on June 6.
You can fill out an NBA Playoff bracket for some extra skin in the game.
You can also wager on NBA futures like which teams will win their conference or go all the way.
With the NBA Playoffs underway, here’s a look at the remaining postseason teams along with their championship odds.
All odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Subject to change.
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics
Key Stat: Set an NBA record by winning 10 games by 30-plus points.
The Celtics are the clear-cut betting favorite, and for good reason. Boston finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA (64-18) and was one of two teams to finish top five in both offensive (second)and defensive rating (fifth).
The Celtics won the Eastern Conference by 14 games and have been able to coast over the past two months, getting plenty of rest and staying healthy ahead of the playoffs.
With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Prozingis, Boston has the most talented starting five in the NBA and a strong bench behind them. They’re athletic, shoot the ball well and have the size and strength to match up with anyone.
That said, there are still some concerns with this team. While Tatum was excellent in the regular season, he went 1-for-7 on tying or go-ahead shots inside the final 10 seconds of games this season. The Celtics also need to prove they can get over the hump after consistently falling short in the playoffs over the last 15 years.
Still, Boston is favored to win the Eastern Conference at -300 at FanDuel and has the best championship odds at +100. If the Celtics win, it will be their 18th title and first since 2008, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in NBA history.
New York Knicks
Key Stat: Ranked second in fewest opponent points per game (108.2)
Despite only getting 46 games out of Julius Randle this season before a season-ending shoulder injury, the Knicks managed to secure the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed behind a career year from Jalen Brunson, who is looking more and more like a superstar.
Brunson took his game to new heights this year, averaging a career-high 28.7 points per game and making his first All-Star team. He also got some help via a midseason trade for OG Anunoby, an elite wing defender who helped fill the void left by Randle.
New York recently got center Mitchell Robinson back from injury while enjoying career years from Josh Hart (9.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG) and Donte DiVincenzo (15.5 PPG, 40% 3-point percentage).
Even so, there’s still some concern about the Knicks’ depth, as Randle’s injury means they don’t have a second shot creator beyond Brunson. New York also plays at the slowest pace in the league, which can work in the regular season but doesn’t always work well in the playoffs against high-octane offenses.
While the Knicks earned the No. 2 seed, FanDuel isn’t high on their postseason chances. New York is +320 to win the Eastern Conference and +1000 to win the Finals.
If the Knicks win the Finals, it will be their third NBA championship and first since 1973.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Key Stat: Worst record since the All-Star Break (12-17) of any playoff team.
The Cavs have a legitimate star in Donovan Mitchell and a talented frontcourt in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, but neither of them can space the floor, putting extra pressure on shooters like Dean Wade and Sam Merrill to knock down their shots. That said, who knows if those two will see the floor, as coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been inconsistent with his rotations this year.
Darius Garland has the ability to take over games, but his smaller size makes him a liability on defense.
FanDuel has Cleveland at +3000 to win the Eastern Conference and +10000 to win the Finals. If the Cavs win it all, it would be their second championship and first without LeBron James.
Indiana Pacers
Key Stat: Led the NBA in scoring at 123.3 points per game.
There’s no denying the Pacers are fun to watch. Their run-and-gun offense led the NBA in scoring this year while ranking second in pace.
With budding superstar Tyrese Haliburton and talented big man Myles Turner, Indiana has a one-two punch that can go against anyone.
That said, things aren’t as rosy as they once were for the Pacers. After averaging 23.6 PPG and 12.5 APG in his first 33 games of the year, Haliburton hasn’t been the same since suffering a hamstring injury, averaging just 16.8 PPG and 9.3 APG in his last 35 games.
Halliburton is still dynamic but doesn’t look like the explosive player he was at the beginning of the season. While Turner and midseason acquisition Pascal Siakam are good, they can’t carry the load offensively in the same way that Haliburton does.
Indy also struggles on defense, ranking 27th in points allowed and 24th in defensive rating.
The Pacers are flawed and will be hard-pressed to get out of the East. FanDuel has Indiana at +1300 odds to win the Eastern Conference and +5000 to win the Finals.
If the Pacers win, it will be the franchise’s first championship.
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder
Key Stat: Youngest team in NBA history (23.9 average age) to be a No. 1 seed
After going 40-42 and missing the playoffs last year, the Thunder stormed to the best record in the Western Conference this season at 57-25. They were outstanding on both sides of the ball, ranking top-five in both offensive (third) and defensive rating (fourth).
Oklahoma City is loaded with young talent, as its top seven players in average minutes are all 25 or younger. That includes MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the NBA in steals and made free throws while averaging 30.1 points per game.
The Thunder feature one of the most potent offenses in the NBA, ranking third in scoring. They play fast (eighth in pace) and led the league in several key categories, including 3-point percentage, steals and blocks.
Oklahoma City struggles on the boards, however, ranking 27th in total rebounds per game and 29th in offensive rebounds per game. Nobody on the team averaged more than eight boards per game.
That could be an issue against a bigger team or if the Thunder’s shots stop falling. Their lack of playoff experience could also hurt them in big moments, especially against more seasoned teams.
The oddsmakers seem to agree, giving OKC +750 championship odds and +270 odds to win the West at FanDuel despite its No. 1 seed status.
Oklahoma City is aiming for its first title since the franchise moved to OKC from Seattle in 2008. Formerly the SuperSonics, the franchise won only one championship out west in 1979.
Denver Nuggets
Key Stat: Tied a franchise record with 57 regular-season wins.
The defending champs are looking to repeat this year after winning their first title in franchise history last year.
The Nuggets return mostly the same roster from last season, including Nikola Jokic, who is favored to win his third MVP award after averaging a near-triple double this season (26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists). He leads an efficient offensive attack that ranked fourth in field goal percentage, third in assists and fifth in turnovers.
Denver is strong defensively as well, rating top 10 in numerous categories. The Nuggets are balanced on both ends of the floor and do almost everything well, from passing and shooting to rebounding and defending.
Denver can beat teams in a number of ways, and Jokic is a matchup nightmare. The Nuggets paced themselves during the regular season and ultimately settled for the No. 2 seed, but their key players are healthy and battle-tested from last year.
Ball Arena is a tough environment for opponents, too, as Denver went 33-8 there during the regular season. It’s going to be difficult for any team to get past the Nuggets in a seven-game series.
Not surprisingly, Denver is favored to win the Western Conference at +220 on FanDuel and has the second-best championship odds at +500 behind the Celtics.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Key Stat: Led the NBA in defensive rating and fewest points allowed.
The Timberwolves battled for the No. 1 seed in the West all season long but ultimately fell just short, losing two of their final three games to finish at 56-26 – one game behind the Nuggets and Thunder.
Despite the disappointing finish, it was still Minnesota’s best season in decades with the most wins since Kevin Garnett’s 2003-04 Timberwolves (58).
Minnesota boasts arguably the NBA’s best frontcourt with Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Gobert averaged a double-double while Towns was the team’s second-leading scorer at 21.8 points per game behind Anthony Edwards (25.9 points per game).
With those two protecting the paint, it’s not surprising that the Timberwolves led the NBA in both defensive rating and fewest points per game allowed. They also ranked fifth in blocks, fifth in defensive rebounds and sixth in steals.
Offensively, Minnesota can score down low with its bigs or on the perimeter, ranking third in 3-point percentage. Edwards is only 22, but Gobert (31), Towns (28) and Mike Conley (36) provide veteran leadership.
The Timberwolves’ lack of playoff experience could be a problem, especially given their turnover issues (22nd). Their lackluster finish to the regular season also left a bitter taste in their fans’ mouths and may be a sign of things to come.
Despite ranking third in net rating (+6.6), Minnesota has +600 title odds and +210 odds to win the West, making the Wolves a potentially good value play to win their first championship in franchise history.
Dallas Mavericks
Key Stat: Luka Doncic created the most points per game in NBA history this season (57.2).
After a sluggish start, the Mavericks turned it on after the NBA Trade Deadline, going 24-9 from Feb. 5 onward to reach 50 wins and take the No. 5 seed. Spurred by the acquisition of P.J. Washington, Dallas ranked as one of the league’s best defensive teams after the All-Star Break.
The Mavericks’ backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving might be the best in the league. Doncic paced the NBA in scoring at 33.9 points per game while also averaging 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Irving settled into his role as Doncic’s wingman in his first full season in Texas, averaging 25.1 points, 5.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Beyond them, however, Dallas’ supporting cast isn’t particularly frightening, especially in the frontcourt. Washington, Tim Hardaway Jr., Daniel Gafford and others are all solid role players, but nobody else on the team averaged 15 points per game. To make matters worse, Doncic and Irving are suspect defenders who can be exposed on the perimeter.
While the Mavericks played well down the stretch, their success may be hard to replicate in the postseason. They’re one of the worst free-throw-shooting teams in the NBA (27th in percentage) and rank 24th in steals, deficiencies that could cost them in close games. Dallas also doesn’t get a lot of easy buckets (29th in 2-pointers attempted), preferring to jack up threes instead (second in 3-point attempts).
Oddsmakers are relatively bullish on the Mavs, who are +1100 to win it all and +370 to win the West. Dallas is seeking its second championship in franchise history and first since 2011.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
