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Bet NBA Championship Series! The New York Knicks got some good news this week as star guard Jalen Brunson is out of his boot and could get some games in before the playoffs.
He sprained his right ankle a couple of weeks ago in a loss to the L.A. Lakers. While he’s not expected to appear in a game before the end of March or early April, he’s doing light shooting.
He currently ranks seventh in the NBA in scoring (26.3 points per game) and eighth in assists (7.4).
The Knicks’ chances of making a deep playoff run will improve significantly if Brunson is back at 100%.
How to Bet NBA Championship Series in MyBookie
As the NBA playoffs get closer, let’s talk about how the bracket works and how you can make this event a successful part of your sports betting.
- Oklahoma City Thunder +175
- Boston Celtics +200
- Cleveland Cavaliers +525
- L.A. Lakers +525
- Denver Nuggets +1500
- Golden State Warriors +1600
- N.Y. Knicks +3000
- Milwaukee Bucks +5000
- Memphis Grizzlies +6000
- Minnesota Timberwolves +7500
How does the NBA Championship format work?
The NBA playoff format consists of four rounds, played in a best-of-seven format. The top-ranked team has home-court advantage, including in the NBA Finals, where the team with the better record hosts its rival.
Teams Without Postseason
They have a history of “tanking,” where they intentionally underperform to improve their draft position. In 1985, the NBA introduced a lottery system to determine the draft order for non-playoff teams. This system is weighted, giving teams with worse records better odds for the first pick; initially, the worst team’s odds were only 16.7%. In 2018, this was increased to 25%, yet since the rule change, the team with the worst record has never received the first overall pick.
The league implemented a play-in tournament to discourage tanking and increase fan interest. At the end of the regular season, the seventh through tenth place teams compete for the last two playoff spots.
- 7th place hosts 8th place – winner gets the 7th seed
- 9th place hosts 10th place – winner visits the 7-8 loser to play for the 8th seed
Once all eight seeds are determined for both conferences, then bracket play begins – so if a team is going to win the NBA Championship, they’ll need to win 16 games along the way.
^How do player matchups influence the NBA Championship Series?
During the 82-game regular season, NBA teams play each team in their division four times, four times against six teams from their conference, three times against the other four and twice against the other conference. In the playoffs, they may face each other up to seven consecutive times.
The playoffs show that teams with major flaws generally do not advance. However, the relative weakness of the Eastern Conference has allowed some underperforming teams to sneak in that would not have qualified in the Western Conference.
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Teams often require two or three superstars to succeed in the playoffs, but matchups play a crucial role as well. The Dallas Mavericks, who reached the West Finals three years ago, avoided facing a dominant center like the Denver Nuggets; without a strong rim presence, they would have struggled. Although they improved their interior game by adding centers last season, they faced the Boston Celtics, who boasted three elite scorers – Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Jayson Tatum – compared to the Mavericks’ two, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, leading to the Celtics’ easy series victory.
The NBA playoffs feature iconic rivalries, most notably between Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson of the L.A. Lakers, which began in the 1979 NCAA finals. Their fierce competition continued in the NBA, where they faced off three times in the Finals, each supported by strong teams, embodying an era of star-driven matchups.
In today’s NBA playoff sports betting, focus on NET rating and efficiency metrics, as well as which teams have their scorers performing well. Tim Hardaway Jr. of Dallas set a franchise record with five threes in Game 4 of the Finals last year, but his playoff performance largely consisted of missed shots and limited playtime. The Mavericks famously won a Finals game by over 50 points yet failed to clinch the series, largely due to inconsistent scoring from Hardaway and other secondary players like P.J. Washington.
^Bet NBA Championship Series provided by Xbet
How do defensive and offensive efficiency affect the NBA Championship Series?
In the playoffs, offensive efficiency decreases, as does the number of possessions a team will have per game. Defensive efficiency increases.
Why do these changes happen?
The intensity of games increases during the postseason, resulting in key players resting less compared to the regular season’s 82-game stretch, where “load management” is common. Defensive effort tends to be stronger in the playoffs, partly due to mental focus and the caliber of the opponent; for instance, the Boston Celtics may not exert as much defensive effort against the Washington Wizards as they would against the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading to potentially higher offensive scores to secure wins.
In the playoffs, possessions become crucial, leading to fewer turnovers as teams with better ball security face off. This results in less fast-break chances and longer possessions that consume the shot clock. Consequently, teams with higher offensive and defensive efficiencies tend to excel under increased pressure.
^What are the best betting strategies for the NBA Championship Series?
One interesting strategy is to bet on teams that have been blown out in a playoff game. In the NBA, it is observed that when a team feels they can’t win, their bench comes in early, and things get out of hand. In the next game, the team that got crushed tries harder. In 27 seasons, there were 26 games where a team lost by 30 or more points.
Betting on the team to win the next game against the spread yielded success 15 times (57.7%). Teams losing by 29 or 30 points covered the spread in seven out of nine instances in subsequent games. It’s crucial to consider other factors, especially if teams are evenly matched. Monitoring games for early concessions can indicate a higher likelihood of covering in the following matchup.
^Bet NBA Championship Series: Can I bet on the series winner?
Each series will feature a set of odds to advance. In the first round, you might see odds like this: hypothetical 1-seed Boston might have -300 odds (or even shorter) to advance against hypothetical 8-seed Atlanta, who might have +500 odds to advance. You’d put down $300 to win $100 on Boston, while you’d only put down $100 to win $500 on Atlanta.
^How do I bet on series prop bets?
Most series prop bets involve picking an exact number of games in the series. NBA postseason series run between four and seven games, depending on how long it takes one of the two teams to win four contests. So going back to that Boston-Atlanta series, I’d expect the shortest odds to come with Boston winning in five games. Games 3 and 4 of that series would take place in Atlanta, and the Hawks’ pride, fan base and competitive parity will likely spur them to win one of those games, as the Celtics may feel like they have the series in hand. But each outcome (Boston to win in 4 games, Boston in 5, Boston in 6, Boston in 7, Atlanta in 7, Atlanta in 6, Atlanta in 5, or Atlanta in 4) will each come with its own moneyline.
^How do I analyze player performance in the NBA Championship Series?
Examine metrics like plus/minus to assess a player’s overall contribution during games, focusing on scoring, distribution, and defense. Consider their scoring potential over 48 minutes and evaluate their shooting performance—are they unusually cold? This may indicate readiness for a breakout game or a slump caused by pressure. Additionally, analyzing game film is essential. Observe the player’s body language and confidence on the court, as these non-statistical factors significantly influence their impact in playoff scenarios.
^Which methods do I use to analyze and predict game-to-game adjustments?
Coaches’ post-game statements reveal much about team dynamics. If a coach criticizes player effort, it can signal the end of the series for that team. Conversely, optimistic remarks usually boost team confidence.
Some coaches excel at in-series adjustments; for example, Doc Rivers, despite winning an NBA title in 2006, often struggles with this. In contrast, Erik Spoelstra is well-regarded for his adjustments, even if his teams haven’t secured recent championships.
^How do I use expert analysis and predictions for the NBA Championship Series?
Remember that there are different levels of “expert analysis.” It’s hard to say just how much preparation Stephen A. Smith does before going on rants on ESPN. ESPN’s Zach Lowe, though, does a lot of solid work and brings in deep dives into the stats at times.
He also knows a lot about factors involving individual players. Monica McNutt, JJ Redick, and Ben Taylor are also experts whose work you should consult as part of your betting research.
^Shai reclaims the top spot as the Thunder clinch the No. 1 seed out West
— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2025
Read @Powell2daPeople’s complete NBA App #KiaMVP Ladder breakdown on the NBA App ahead of tonight’s 10-game slate!
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