NBA Playoff Future Odds: Conference Winners

The NBA season is fast approaching. Teams will report to training camp at the end of the month and the NBA schedule has preseason games beginning in October. That means it’s time to start looking at putting some money down on futures. When it comes to NBA Playoff Future Odds, there are so many options that you can bet on: team win totals, division winners, conference winners, title winners – the list goes on and on. But for the purpose of this article, we’re going to look at conference winners.

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics +250

The Boston Celtics are a safe play here. At +250 they have the shortest odds to win the Eastern Conference. However, there could be a little bit of recency bias baked into this line. The Celtics were two wins away from an NBA Championship last season and return nearly their entire roster. In fact, the Celtics actually improved their roster with the addition of Malcolm Brogdon this off-season. They definitely have what it takes to repeat as conference champions, however, when it comes to value, this isn’t the best play.

Milwaukee Bucks +330

The Milwaukee Bucks are another safe play at +300. After all, they have Giannis Antetokounmpo and any team with the Greek Freak on their roster is one that should be focused on a title run. The Bucks underperformed in the playoffs but were without their second-best play in Khris Middleton who was out with injury. If he were healthy, we believe the Bucks would have had what it take to make it past Boston and into the finals.

Philadelphia 76ers +750

Philadelphia got knocked out in the semifinals last season but struggled through injury toward the end of the season. With a healthy roster and a full year of James Harden on their squad, they should have what it takes to be a top team in the East. Plus, at +750, we’d take the Sixers as a realistic pick, with good value, to win the conference title. They got better on the defensive end with the addition of PJ Tucker and the fact that Harden took a pay cut when he signed his new contract tells us that he’s serious about competing for a title this year. Joel Embiid seems to find a way to get injured every year, but if he’s able to stay healthy, this should be a team that plays deep into May.

Western Conference

Golden State Warriors +325

The Golden State Warriors are once again the favorites to win the Western Conference. And for good reason. They won the 2022 NBA title, defeating the Boston Celtics, and have the world’s best three-point shooter on their team in Steph Curry. Not to mention their starting core of Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins are all returning. With the roster the Warriors have and Steve Kerr as their head coach, it wouldn’t be a bad bet to take the Golden State to win the West at +325 right now. However, there are a few more teams that we like with much more value on the board.

Los Angeles Clippers +330

Although the value is only slightly better, taking the Los Angeles Clippers to win the division at +330 is a good look. Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the league and he returns to the floor for the Clippers after missing all of last season with a partial ACL tear; Add Leonard back into a lineup that consists of Paul George, Nicolas Batum, Ivica Zubac, and the newly acquired John Wall and this looks like a dangerous team. The NBA playoffs standings found the Clippers in the play-in last season even without Leonard in the lineup. They lost in double-elimination, but we’re without George in the second of the two games due to Covid. If George had played in that game, LA likely would have found themselves in the playoffs. Add Leonard into that mix and we’re confident that the Clippers would have had what it takes to make a playoff run. The addition of Wall this year also makes them better at the point guard position as he’ll likely take over for Reggie Jackson. The Clippers have all the makings of a very dangerous team this coming season.

Denver Nuggets +900

The Denver Nuggets are +900 to win the West and this is our favorite NBA Playoff Future Odds play for the Western Conference. It is no surprise that when you have the back-to-back MVP on your team, your odds of making the playoffs go up significantly. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets to a playoff appearance last season despite missing two of the team’s top players. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. both missed nearly the entire season with injury but are healthy and will be back in the lineup for the start of the season. Those three on the floor together make a very dangerous trio that should be able to compete for a title this season. Their odds to win the West are a bit longer than the Warriors and Clippers because oftentimes players don’t look the same when they come back from serious injuries. However, if you ask us, they’re going to look like a three-headed monster alongside Jokic and are going to dominate the West this season. This is a great price for a team that will definitely be competing for a conference title.

Follow us on Twitter