NBA Playoff Odds: Bettors Pound Lakers, Warriors & Kings While Books Root For Bucks Championship

The 2023 NBA Playoffs get underway Saturday afternoon, and the stage has been set for an exciting eight ‘best-of-seven’ opening round battles.

Current NBA Playoff odds are listing the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks (+275) as the most probable contender for this year’s title, but the Eastern Conference’s Boston Celtics sit close behind at +340.

Despite needing a play-in game to secure their spot in the post season, LeBron James and his 7th seeded LA Lakers find themselves in the top half of hopeful contenders. Listed at +1200, the team boasts better odds than the Western Conference’s 2nd-seeded Memphis Grizzlies (+2000), with the two squads ironically paired for a first round battle.

Current NBA Championship Betting Odds Via BetOnline.Ag

• Milwaukee Bucks +275
• Boston Celtics +340
• Phoenix Suns +425
• Golden State Warriors +750
• Denver Nuggets +1000
• Philadelphia 76ers +1000
• Los Angeles Lakers +1200
• Memphis Grizzlies +2000
• Cleveland Cavaliers +4000
• Los Angeles Clippers +4000
• Sacramento Kings +5000
• New York Knicks +10000
• Miami Heat +12500
• Atlanta Hawks +20000
• Minnesota Timberwolves +20000
• Brooklyn Nets +25000

Opening weekend naturally sees a steady stream of wagers on outright title odds, but series prices, props and individual game lines make it one of the most betting friendly periods of the season.

"Our eyes will be focused on the California teams,” shared BetOnline sportsbook manager Adam Burns. “The Lakers, Warriors and Kings are our biggest liabilities in regards to outright NBA Championship winner markets. The Clippers are honestly the only California team in the running that would deliver a decent win for the book.”

Listed at +4000 to clip the nets, the Clippers winning their first ever NBA title seems a bit farfetched. However Burns was quick to point out that the Kings-Warriors series does mean that one of these liabilities is guaranteed to be out of the race by the conclusion of the opening round.

None of these California teams should be of concern if all plays out to schedule, with the odds predicting a repeat of the 2020-21 Finals between the Milwaukee and the Boston, where it took the Bucks a full seven games to clinch the title.

With the 4th best defensive rating in the league and a reliable cast of characters, Milwaukee could be just one healthy Khris Middleton away from picking their second banner in three years. It is also worth noting that the league’s best team has ultimately gone on to win the NBA title four times since 2010.

A Bucks title would be the most profitable result for the books.

Still, sportsbook managers will struggle to sleep comfortably with the Lakers still in the mix. Following their dismal start to the season, Lakers futures could be bound as low as 125-1 in November. As supported by their late-season resurgence and the ever-imposing presence of LeBron James, this is a team that can and will defy the odds on a regular occasion.

I personally see the Lakers toppling the Grizzlies in a 6-to-7 game series, but one that that leaves the team with one of their key players at less than 100%. Anthony Davis and LeBron James need to see as little action as possible to remain healthy and fresh, and every deep series run might see them pad their stats, but likely at the cost of any true title hopes.