Potential NBA Championship Matchups Before the Playoffs

The NBA regular season is winding down, with the playoff picture coming into clearer focus on a daily basis. With that playoff picture getting more clear with each game, championship favorites have emerged from each conference.

Here, we look at who the NBA betting lines in each conference are and what the most likely NBA Finals matchups will be as the season gets set to shift toward the playoffs.

Potential NBA Championship Matchups Before Starting the Playoffs

Eastern Conference Championship Odds

In the Eastern Conference, there are three teams that have broken away from the pack in terms of their NBA Finals odds. The Milwaukee Bucks are the favorites to win the East, as they have the best record in the conference entering the stretch run. Joining them are the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, both of whom are more than capable of beating the East’s top seed in a best-of-seven series.

Milwaukee and Boston have the upper hand going into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, by virtue of having won the East in recent seasons. Philadelphia has a ton of talent, including MVP favorite Joel Embiid, but they have yet to advance to the conference final round with their current nucleus. That could be a huge factor as these three teams look to hold off the rest of the competition.

NBA Conference Lines | Bet NBA Eastern Conference Championship to Win
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Western Conference Championship Odds

In the Western Conference, things are much wider open, as there are five teams that are inside of +1000 odds to advance to the NBA Finals. The current favorite to do so is the Phoenix Suns, who earned that distinction by bringing in Kevin Durant to join Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton in their starting lineup. But there are several viable contenders there, with the Suns vying for a conference title.

The Denver Nuggets lead that group of other contenders, as they have had the best record in the Western Conference for much of this season. Joining them are the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers. If any of these teams can peak at the right time, they could upset the Suns and make it to the NBA Finals to face the champion of the Eastern Conference.

NBA Conference Lines | Bet NBA Western Conference Championship to Win
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Most Likely NBA Finals Matchups

Based on the current conference championship odds in the NBA, the most likely NBA Finals matchup appears to be a rematch between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns from the 2021 Finals. But without there being a clear favorite in either conference, we could easily see some other matchups instead. A Finals matchup between the Celtics and Warriors for the second straight year is more than possible, as are matchups between Finals newcomers like the 76ers and Nuggets or Clippers.

What will ultimately determine how things go in the playoffs this year is the health of every team competing. Injuries to key players on any of these teams could derail their title hopes, while elevating the chances of the competitors around them. Keeping an eye on the injury reports for each team throughout the playoff push will be vital for basketball bettors down the stretch.

NBA Playoffs Lines | Bet NBA Finals to Win
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2022-2023 Season League Standings

2023 Eastern Conference Standings

Rank	Name	W	L	CONF
01	c – Milwaukee Bucks	55	22	32-16
02	x – Boston Celtics	53	24	31-17
03	x – Philadelphia 76ers	50	26	30-16
04	x – Cleveland Cavaliers	48	29	31-16
05	New York Knicks	44	33	29-19
06	Brooklyn Nets	41	35	27-21
07	Miami Heat	40	37	21-27
08	Atlanta Hawks	38	38	24-23
09	Toronto Raptors	38	38	23-23
10	Chicago Bulls	36	40	25-23
11	Washington Wizards	34	42	20-27
12	Indiana Pacers	33	44	23-25
13	Orlando Magic	32	44	18-28
14	o – Charlotte Hornets	26	51	14-34
15	o – Detroit Pistons	16	60	7-40

2023 Western Conference Standings

Rank	Name	W	L	CONF
01	nw – Denver Nuggets	51	25	32-14
02	sw –Memphis Grizzlies	48	28	28-20
03	x – Sacramento Kings	46	30	30-16
04	Phoenix Suns	41	35	26-20
05	Los Angeles Clippers	41	36	24-23
06	Golden State Warriors	40	37	26-21
07	New Orleans Pelicans	39	38	27-21
08	Minnesota Timberwolves	39	38	27-21
09	Los Angeles Lakers	38	38	22-24
10	Oklahoma City Thunder	38	39	23-25
11	Dallas Mavericks	37	40	27-23
12	Utah Jazz	36	40	23-25
13	Portland Trail Blazers	32	44	22-24
14	o – San Antonio Spurs	19	57	7-39
15	o – Houston Rockets	18	59	11-39