The curtain has closed on the NBA regular season, with the dance card for the 2019 playoffs now set in stone. The teams taking part in the postseason will have a couple of days to relax before the playoffs begin in earnest on Saturday afternoon. As we look ahead to the postseason, the one thing that we need to do is forget about what went down during the 82-game schedule.
The playoffs are a different matter entirely, which is something that has been reflected in the current odds. Let’s take a look at a few of the NBA Betting favorites and talk about how they might make out when the serious basketball begins this weekend.
Updated 2019 NBA Championship Odds – April 11th Edition
The 2019 #NBAPlayoffs are set! Games begin on Saturday, April 13th. pic.twitter.com/4ERS0ZeywQ
— NBA (@NBA) 11 de abril de 2019
Golden State Warriors
- NBA Championship Odds: -230
The Warriors landed back atop the Western Conference this season and will be heading into the playoffs to defend their crown. While the odds here may not seem particularly inviting, we need to remember just how dominant this team has been in the postseason over the past few years.
Their record this season was not as good as we have been used to seeing, but you often got the feeling that this group was going through the regular season motions, just waiting for the postseason to begin. They will open up against the LA Clippers, which should be a win, but will have a tougher time than normal in a very competitive Western Conference.
Milwaukee Bucks
- NBA Championship Odds: +750
Things are a little clearer in the Eastern Conference, as there is a bit of a gap in class between the top 4 and the rest of the pack. The Bucks ended the season with the best record in the NBA, which means that they will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Given how dominant they were in their own building this season, that advantage should not be ignored. They might not have the playoff experience of some of the other top teams in the postseason, but they have the potential league MVP on board and a level of consistency this season that has been very impressive.
Toronto Raptors
- NBA Championship Odds: +950
With 58 wins on the season, the Toronto Raptors ended the year with the second-best record in the league, so it’s no real surprise that they are up among the favorites right now. It was a surprisingly good year form a Raptors team that shook things up quite a bit after a disappointing early exit from the playoffs last season. Kawhi Leonard proved to be a very good addition to the line-up, although it remains to be seen whether he will still be with Toronto next season.
That little nugget could go a couple of different ways. It may make them feel as though they have a small window of opportunity to win a championship, or perhaps it might spur them on to take advantage of having him on the team.
Houston Rockets
- NBA Championship Odds: +1200
If you are looking for a team to play at a very good price, putting your money on the Houston Rockets might not be a terrible idea. Given how this team ended the season, it’s easy to forget that they were at one point sitting second bottom in the Western Conference.
They are coming into the postseason on a fabulous run of form, and we already know that they have a legitimate game changer in James Harden. They made it all the way to the Western Conference Final last season and look like a good bet to get there again.
Rest of the Bunch
- Philadelphia 76ers +1600
- Boston Celtics +1700
- Denver Nuggets +1700
- Oklahoma City Thunder +4500
- Portland Trail Blazers +4500
- Utah Jazz +5000
- San Antonio Spurs +7000
- Indiana Pacers +7000
- Orlando Magic +10000
- Brooklyn Nets +10000
- Los Angeles Clippers +15000
- Detroit Pistons +15000
