Germantas Kneita
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At long last, the NBA playoffs are here. And while the entire field is yet to be decided, there are a number of great selections for the first round and outright picks, including to win the NBA Championship. I have broken down my favorite 4 NBA futures bets for the postseason below. So without waiting any further, let’s jump right into them. But remember that you can also check out our NBA picks for every play-in game and every NBA playoff matchup.
NBA Championship winner odds
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
- Boston Celtics +160
- Denver Nuggets +280
- Los Angeles Clippers +1200
- Milwaukee Bucks +1500
- Oklahoma City Thunder +1600
- Dallas Mavericks +1600
- Phoenix Suns +1900
- Los Angeles Lakers +2500
- Minnesota Timberwolves +2500
- New York Knicks +4000
- Cleveland Cavaliers +6000
- Indiana Pacers +10000
- Orlando Magic +20000
NBA Championship Winner best bet: LA Clippers (+1200)
The Clippers should have a real shot this year and definitely deserve love as an NBA Championship pick. They have elite wings, an elite playmaker in James Harden, firepower off the bench in Norman Powell and big bodies in Ivica Zubac and Mason Plumlee. On paper, they match up well with everyone, from the Suns to the Celtics. While the Celtics are outright favorites, they could potentially have to cross paths with elite bigs in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Those are battles I doubt that Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford could be down for, especially with their respective injury troubles and age.
The favorites in the West are the defending champion Nuggets. But their paths could cross with many elite wing scorers. But having lost Bruce Brown since their title run, they could come up short of great 3-and-D options at that position. That could set it all up for a surprise package like the Clippers to come out on top.
Division of NBA Championship Winner: Pacific Division (+450)
The only division to have every single one of their teams involved in the postseason is the Pacific Division. While the Golden State Warriors have been eliminated at the hands of the Sacramento Kings, there is enough talent in the division to cause any team in the league issues. If either LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard or Stephen Curry caught fire during these playoffs and took their team all the way, it would not be a huge surprise.
As mentioned above, the Clippers are dangerous. If they can navigate past the Mavericks and avoid injuries, they have the lineup that could cause major matchup issues for both conference favorites in the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics. With so many horses in the race, and with 3 former finals MVPs in the mix, this is a great value selection.
To Win First Round Series: Milwaukee Bucks over Indiana Pacers (-110)
The Indiana Pacers won 4 of 5 games against the Milwaukee Bucks during the regular season but it does not mean they will be able to win 4 more games here. Now that we are in the NBA playoffs, experience could play a major factor, and the Bucks have that in abundance. There is talk that Giannis might miss some action due to a calf strain, but I do wonder how much of that is mind games at this point. Even if he does, the first 2 games are in Milwaukee. If they can come out on top in at least 1 and he returns, it could spell trouble for the Pacers. This is also when Damian Lillard normally comes to life. With Tyrese Haliburton seemingly taking a dip in form in both points and assists per game since the start of 2024, an uptick in production from Lillard could be enough to sway the series.
Dallas Mavericks vs LA Clippers Most Points in Series: Kyrie Irving (+550)
In games between the Mavericks and the Clippers this season, only Luka Doncic averages more points per game than Kyrie Irving. So, seeing Irving 4th on this list tied with Leonard and below Paul George does feel odd. The pair of wings for the Clippers are both terrific defenders and they could make life difficult for Doncic, who is undoubtedly going to be the focus for the defense. Irving should have an easier time going up against the likes of James Harden in the end. It also feels like the Clippers have more mouths to feed. They have more players averaging double-digits, outnumbering their Mavericks 6-5. It does therefore feel like the leading scorer will likely come from the Mavs, and the odds on a natural scorer like Irving are hard to look past.
