Updated 2018 NBA Championship Odds – April 30th

The Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets jumped out to 1-0 series leads in their Western Conference semifinal tilts against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz, respectively. The Warriors won by 22, and the Rockets won by 14, indicating that the underdogs definitely have their work cut out for them. Boston and Cleveland advanced in Game Seven over the Bucks and the Pacers, respectively, and the struggles that each team had in their first rounds are a big reason in their trip down the odds ladder. Take a look at our NBA championship betting perspectives on each of the eight teams left.

Updated 2018 NBA Championship Odds – April 30th

• Golden State Warriors 4-5
• Houston Rockets 17-10
• Philadelphia 76ers 8-1
• Toronto Raptors 12-1
• Cleveland Cavaliers 22-1
• Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans 100-1

Cleveland got 45 points from LeBron James in Game Seven against Indiana, and it was thanks to a 31-19 first period that the Cavaliers were able to hold on late. The series took a physical toll on James, as he played 43 minutes, including the first 35 of the game before heading to the locker room with leg cramps. The Cavs also got 15 points and 10 boards from Tristan Thompson, and Kevin Love drained four shots from downtown, but this team will only go as far as LeBron takes them. They escaped an Indiana team with just one star in Victor Oladipo. Can they make it past Toronto? They do have a mental edge, given their history in the playoffs last year, but can LeBron carry the team again? No team has been hotter since January 22 since the Utah Jazz, and they showed that once again in a 4-2 series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Jazz defense shut down Oklahoma City’s three top players in Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony (who had just two assists in the entire series), but they didn’t know what to do against James Harden, who put up 41 points and combined with Chris Paul for 34 points in the first half against the Jazz. Should the Jazz really be at 100-1 odds right now? They got 21 points apiece from Donovan Mitchell and Jae Crowder, and they had to play without starting point guard Ricky Rubio (left hamstring strain). He put up 14 points per game in the first round, and if he can return for Game Two, it will be interesting to see how things turn out. I don’t see the Jazz winning this series right now, but with Rubio it becomes much more interesting. Golden State gave up 34 points to New Orleans in the first quarter of their series opener, but then they found another gear in the second, going on a 68-40 run over the second and third quarters combined to put away the Pelicans. New Orleans was able to shut down the Trail Blazers, but Portland didn’t have a force inside like Golden State’s Draymond Green. So even without Stephen Curry, it’s hard to see the Warriors having much trouble against the Pelicans and Anthony Davis. How about those Toronto Raptors? Can they knock the Cleveland Cavalier monkey off their backs? They dispatched a game Washington team in six games — including a Game Six in that ended a franchise streak in which they had never won a postseason game on the road when trailing at the half, a streak that had reached 23 games. However, Kyle Lowry had a 24-point night, and the Toronto bench came alive, outscoring the Washington reserves 21-6 and outrebounding them 15-3 in the second half. Lowry and DeMar DeRozan had decent performances in the opening round series, but they will need to be in top form for the Raptors to end Cleveland’s dominance of them. The most intriguing team in the playoffs remains the Philadelphia 76ers, who enter their second-round series against Boston with the most rest after eliminating the Miami Heat in five games last Tuesday. It’s hard to believe that Philadelphia had a ten-win season just two years ago — and now they’re in the East semifinals. Both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are firing on all cylinders, and the arrival of Markelle Fultz has added some more offensive depth to the team. The series opens in Boston on Monday night, and it will be interesting to see how the Sixers deal with the added pressure of the second round.