The Playoffs of the NBA 2024-25 begin on Tuesday with the game tournament, and the first round begins on Saturday, with the winners of each series of the best of seven that advance to the semifinals of the conference.
So what are the bets before the playoffs turn? And what teams stand out as potentially undervalued and overlooked?
Here are the NBA bets of the NBA Andre Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander with the bets and equipment in which they have their eyes.
The probabilities are until the moment of publication. For the most up -to -date probabilities, visit ESPN BET
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If you only made a bet before the playoffs started, what would it be?
Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA championship (+170): I predicted that the Thunder would win everything before the season began and nothing I saw in the last five months has changed my mind. They are young. They are talented. They are healthy. And they are as deep as any team that plays in the postseason. They have been working on this challenge during the last five years and the future is now. The second OKC unit is as good as half of the headlines of the League. – Alexander
Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA championship (+1400): When everyone is locked up, especially LeBron James and Luka Doncic, Lakers are a difficult team to overcome. Los Angeles are the last chances of winning the championship, and taking into account the playoff history of both stars, I am supporting them. – Moody
Donovan Mitchell will win MVP from the Eastern Conference Finals (+275): The Cavaliers are, in my opinion, at least co-favored of the Celtics to win the conference. And it can be argued that they must be favorites with the news that Jaylen Brown is dealing with a knee injury and Kristaps Porzingis has not played more than four consecutive games since the beginning of February. If the cavs win the Eastern Conference finals, it would be because Mitchell led the way … particularly against the Celtics. In his last 10 games against the Celtics, Mitchell has averaged 33.7 ppg at 49.0 FG% and 40.9 3p%. – Snellings
California is the winning state of the NBA championship (+1000): This is a unique angle and a fun work gathered by the probabilities. The premise here is that the three California contestants impressed me completely. The end of the clippers at the season revealed that Kawhi Leonard’s patience with his body seems to have been worth it, while James Harden is legitimately involved in the discussions of All-Nba of the third team. Warriors somehow look completely dangerous again, even when they face a game scenario. Meanwhile, the Lakers have drops of creation both in the transition and on the half court. The Lakers alone are likely to +1400 title and the Warriors have the third title of the lowest conference, so this fun bet creates more paths for the reward. – McCormick
Boston Celtics to win the NBA championship (+180): Of course, the Cavaliers had the best regular season, but there is a good reason why Celtics have constantly presented better probabilities for playoffs. They have done it before, and until the Celtics are eliminated, even at low probabilities, betting on Celtics seems wise. – Karabell
What is your favorite long -term commitment?
Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA championship (+1400): This attracts me. Any team with LeBron and Luka cannot be taken lightly, and although they lost the defense of Anthony Davis, they have two of the best “field marshal” in the league. Austin Reaves has taken his game to another level, and Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith can help keep real things inside. The Lakers are not deep enough to win everything on paper, but Doncic and LeBron have Karma working on their side. – Alexander
Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA championship (+600): All my favorites of the Darkhorse Championship are in the West, but there are too many to bet on anyone in particular. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are one of the only two teams in the East with a legitimate opportunity to win, and the only ones of the two that would qualify as a long shot bet. The Cavaliers are a 64 -winning team with an average score margin of +9.5 ppg, a brand that correlates with teams capable of winning a championship. And the other power in the east, the Celtics, have injuries for some of their best players. With 6-1 probabilities, the cavs are very able to win the championship. – Snellings
The Lekers to make the NBA finals (+600): I would like to say that I am not partial for the Lakers. That said, I honestly see the accountant potential in a team that has this level of play. The defense will have to align in a way that only Voltron could expect, but the recipe to find cubes in tight games is absolutely present in the midst of what is a difficult western field to read beyond the young thunder. – McCormick
Denver Nuggets to win the NBA championship (+3000): In a nutshell, Nuggets have Nikola Jokic firing triple night elves, so I’m not sure who matters who calls waiting times and incoming plays. This is an experienced list, and the strange and late shot of the chief coach only serves to motivate the players. Don’t be surprised if Jokic takes them all the way. – Karabell
Of the three big favorites to win the championship, OKC, Boston and Cleveland, which is the best to bet?
Cleveland Cavaliers: The road to the finals of the NBA is not so discouraging at the East Conference, and this Cleveland team finished the regular season classified first in an offensive and eighth rating in the defensive qualification. Donovan Mitchell is also expected to be ready for the Cavaliers playoffs race, despite missing the last four games of the regular season with a crooked ankle. Cleveland has an adequate depth and shoots the ball well, has all-stand and large-minded feedback on Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen elite. – Moody
Cavaliers: But only for the probabilities. I still think that a Thunder-Curse final is pending, but it is difficult to earn a lot of money with the favorites. To answer the direct question, of Big 3, the Cavaliers are the team in which to bet. – Karabell
Oklahoma City Thunder: We have not seen a team with this level of offensive and defensive balance from the first San Antonio Spurs. Yes, the Warriors dynasty often held elite defensive grades, but also depended on a unique lower demon called to handle multiple roles. The Thunder team does not apply a dominant defense based on a unique force, but rather a collective of length, athletics, youth, hardness, and do we mention the duration or youth? I only find that the teams that support the level of domain that thunder have when they are in full power often find a way to finish the job. Celtics and Cavaliers are excellent teams, but I think this Thunder group is about to establish a completely new reference point in the League. – McCormick
What team do you think is undervalued in the playoffs?
New York Knicks: New York is a last moment idea in this behind the cavaliers and the Celtics, and makes sense taking into account that the Knicks are 0-8 against both teams this season. But with Jalen Brunson, the cities of Karl-Anthony and other talents around him, this team has the potential to overcome anyone in a playoff series. Knicks have the third chances of winning the east in +1000. The last two seeds No. 3 to reach the final, the Warriors in 2022 and the Bucks in 2021, both won the championship. – Moody
The clippers: The clippers have silently played the whole season while putting a lot of All-Stars on the court at the same time. Kawhi Leonard has had a sleep season (and healthy), Norman Powell has entered his account, Harden is rolling, Ivica Zubac is a talent under the radar and Kris Dunn is a defensive specialist. Derrick Jones Jr. helps to sign things from the bank and the clippers could be a Cinderella story if Harden appears for the playoffs for once. – Alexander
Milwaukee Bucks: Maybe Giannis Antetokounmpo and his friends are in the first round. That would not be a surprise. Or maybe Damian Lillard returns in Round 1 and the Bucks make a race, then eliminate the upper teams of the East. Would it be surprising? Probabilities say it, but man, those are likely to bet. – Karabell
If I had to bet on a final MVP at this time, who do you bet?
Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+2800): Many eyes are in thunder, the Celts and the gentlemen and their respective superstars as final MVP candidates. But seeing these probabilities in a player like Doncic, who took the Mavericks to the finals last year, is too good to let him pass. If the Lakers go to the end, Doncic will be an important reason. He has averaged 30.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.0 assists for play in his playoffs. – Moody
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (+175): While Jokic has had an incredible season, becoming the first center to average a triple double, Gilgeous-Alexander should win the MVP of the regular season based on the best season of 68 wins of the OKC League and its ridiculous statistics lines. The MVP of the finals should come from the team that earns everything, and since I feel quite sure that the Thunder will raise the Larry O’Brien trophy, he is the only player in the Thunder capable of winning the MVP award. – Alexander
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics (+1600): Brown not only won MVP’s honors from the NBA finals last season, since he also received the award in the East Finals. Perhaps the chances are a bit silenced due to a knee injury, but most players are probably dealing with something. These Celtics have already done it. Brown has already done it. Let’s not think too much. – Karabell
Are there other bets that you like?
Houston Rockets to win the championship (+8000): If I had a $ 100 spare to throw a sleeping, I would put it in the rocks, seed No. 2 in the West, to win everything (or west: +2500). They are young and seem to be where the Thunder were a season ago. IME UDOKA is a great coach, they have outstanding young players such as Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith, and veteran Fred Vanvleet, who will have to intensify his play for the playoffs. They play in defense, they can score in anyone and are well trained, and probabilities make them a very attractive play as a sleeping play. – Alexander
California is the winning state of the NBA championship (+1000): This bet caught my attention because the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors and Kings are in the postseason. The Lakers are the most legitimate contestants of this group, but the postseason is full of surprises. The warriors, like the Lakers, have a pedigree of the championship. – Moody
