The NBA’s post-season begins in the early hours of Wednesday, with two rounds of play-in matches taking place in each conference before the actual playoffs begin on Saturday.
The odds suggest the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers should breeze through the play-in matches and it is in the playoff series and conference winner markets where the prices make greater appeal.
ENROLL NOW in the 2024 NBA PLAYOFF PACKAGE!
The Milwaukee Bucks – NBA champions in 2021– endured a shaky finish to their campaign, losing 17 of their final 36 games, and they look vulnerable favourites against the talented Indiana Pacers.
Four of the season’s five clashes between the teams resulted in an Indiana victory and given the Bucks’ injury concerns surrounding star men Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton as well as coach Doc Rivers’ reputation as a playoff bottler, the Pacers look overpriced to take the series.
The Boston Celtics dominated the East during the regular season, topping the conference standings with a 64-18 record, but the playoffs represent an entirely different challenge and a shock could be on the cards.
The 76ers should have no issues navigating the play-in stage and they could cause issues for the Celtics in the playoffs, potentially going on to reach the finals.
Philly will be boosted by the return of Joel Embiid, who represents an awful matchup for Boston’s big men. Kristaps Porzingis is lightweight for a centre while 37-year-old Al Horford is unlikely to have the fitness to cope with Embiid over a series.
The 76ers are a big price to win the conference but coach Nick Nurse knows exactly what it takes to dispatch a super team as his Toronto Raptors beat the star-studded Warriors in the 2019 Finals, and if they can overcome the Celtics they can beat anyone in the East.
The Denver Nuggets look as strong as ever and earned four more regular-season wins than last term. Led by soon-to-be-named MVP Nikola Jokic, the reigning champions look raring to go in their title defence. With their championship-winning experience and brilliantly constructed roster, it is difficult to envisage anybody bettering them in the West, or possibly the NBA.