Newly-crowned MVP LeBron James has his Miami Heat sitting as the title favorites on the NBA futures at the sportsbooks as they begin their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers.
The Heat brushed aside the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, needing just five games to clinch that best-of-seven set; Miami won Game 5 and paid off as big series favorites on the NBA betting lines with a 106-94 home win last Wednesday night.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were the first team to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, but that hasn't put them atop the latest odds to win the NBA championship at the sportsbooks.
The Thunder took care of business against the defending-champion Dallas Mavericks in their first-round series, sweeping Dirk Nowitzki and company in four games.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat are the title favorites at the sportsbooks as the first round of the NBA playoffs get underway.
The Heat open the playoffs at 21/10 on the odds to win the NBA title, with the Chicago Bulls second on that list at 7/2 odds. The Oklahoma City Thunder round out the top contenders at 15/4 odds.
It's down to the wire in the NBA with most of the league's playoff spots already locked up heading into the final days of the regular season. In the Western Conference one playoff berth remains up for grabs, with two teams left in the hunt – Utah and Phoenix.
The NBA's Eastern Conference playoff picture has almost been set, while the Western Conference has a logjam of teams seeking the last available spots in the postseason as betting action heats up this week at the sportsbooks.
Wednesday night NBA betting action will be furious, with 28 of the league’s 30 teams on the menu. Phoenix, Houston, and Utah are all fighting for the final Western Conference playoff spot, with Dallas trying to stay ahead of them and out of the bottom seed.
It’s an exciting time for NBA betting fans with teams jostling for position in the standings, and this week’s wagering menu has a healthy offering of key matchups.
The red-hot Houston Rockets are in sixth place in the Western Conference, but must be wary of several teams; on Wednesday they face one of those teams in the Utah Jazz.
A pair of teams looking to move into playoff positions in the Western Conference will meet on the hardwood on Wednesday night as the Phoenix Suns take on the Utah Jazz in an NBA betting matchup.
The Jazz will be a home favorite on the NBA lines for the contest, but it’s the Suns who have won six straight head-to-head – including three straight in Utah.
The playoff races are in high gear, and many key NBA betting matchups between now and the end of the week could result in teams changing positions as they jockey for postseason berths in both conferences.
New York has built up a cushion, putting some distance between them and Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and they have another key matchup against high-powered Orlando on Wednesday.
Things are different in New York under interim Head Coach Mike Woodson, but one can’t argue with five straight victories in his debut for the Knicks.
New York is looking to hang onto the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks face a tough task on the road Wednesday against the division-leading Philadelphia 76ers.
Philly holds a slim lead over the Celtics for the Atlantic division, while the Knicks need a win to stay in the hunt and gain ground on the 76ers, who will be a home favorite in this contest.
The Indiana Pacers have been struggling lately, and they'll tip off in a key NBA betting matchup on Wednesday night at home against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia defeated Indiana by 10 points in their first encounter of the season, and the Sixers are winners of four of the last five head-to-head between the teams. The Pacers will be a likely small home favorite at Bovada up against a shaky Sixers team that's on the road.