The NBA's championship chase has narrowed to the elite eight teams, with conference semifinals action delivering early surprises that have shifted the betting landscape.
In the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers have stunned the basketball world by taking a 1-0 series lead over the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pacers' upset victory came with Cleveland missing All-Star point guard Darius Garland, who has been sidelined for three straight games with a toe injury. Despite this setback, oddsmakers still favor the Cavaliers at -210 to win the series, with the Pacers listed as +175 underdogs.
The other Eastern matchup features the defending champion Boston Celtics, who dominated the New York Knicks in their regular-season meetings, sweeping all four contests. The betting markets reflect this dominance, with Boston installed as heavy -800 favorites to advance, while the Knicks face long +550 odds to pull off the upset.
Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder—owners of the league's best regular-season record—prepare to battle the Denver Nuggets, the most recent Western Conference team to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy. After splitting their regular-season series 2-2, the Thunder enter as substantial -700 favorites, with Denver at +500 to advance.
Perhaps the most intriguing Western Conference storyline involves the lower seeds, as the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves face the seventh-seeded Golden State Warriors. The Wolves shocked many by eliminating the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in just five games, while the Warriors engineered their own upset by knocking off the second-seeded Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Houston's home floor. According to Statbet analysis, this marks the first time since 2018 that a conference semifinal features both a sixth and seventh seed, highlighting the unpredictable nature of this year's playoffs.
The unusual bracket construction guarantees that either Minnesota or Golden State will reach the conference finals, where they'll meet either Oklahoma City or Denver. The Timberwolves enter as slight -170 favorites in their series despite Golden State winning three of four regular-season matchups between the teams.
As the playoffs progress, these odds will continue to fluctuate based on game results, injuries, and team performances in what has already been an unpredictable postseason.
