The 2018 NBA Playoffs begin this weekend with a series of first round matchups. All 16 clubs vying for the Larry O’Brien Trophy are starting off with equal footing and identical records, but that won’t last long. The best—and most fortunate—teams will soon reveal themselves in these best-of-seven showdowns. Oddsmakers have just released updated championship lines for every squad in the field and you might be surprised at how they look, especially compared to the seeding that some of these teams earned after 82 regular season games.
The Golden State Warriors have steadily remained the favorite since the opening odds were first announced following their victory in 2017 NBA Finals, but they aren’t nearly as much of a lock to threepeat as they once seemed. Golden State opened at -200 to win this year’s title and went all the way to -235 at one point, meaning bettors would have to risk $2.35 to win $1. The emergence of the retooled Houston Rockets, who stayed healthier and secured the best record and top seed in the Western Conference this year, caused the Warriors’ odds to shift pretty drastically to where they currently stand at +120.
StatMuse found that the Rockets shot more three-pointers than two-pointers in 2017-18:
The Rockets are the first team in NBA history to finish a season shooting more 3s than 2s.
3,437 3PA
3,418 2PA pic.twitter.com/aJApk9Iz24— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 12, 2018
Houston is now going off at +170, sitting just behind the Dubs as the franchise Vegas believes is most likely to raise a banner as 2018 champs. The Rockets opened at 30-1 in the offseason, but steadily trended towards their current number due to a combination of excellent play from probable MVP James Harden along with new backcourt mate Chris Paul and a multitude of injuries to Golden State’s top players. Houston also has the easiest projected path to the finals—starting off the journey with a matchup against the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in 13 years—while the Warriors must travel a tougher road that begins with the plucky San Antonio Spurs and their core of battle-tested veterans in the first round.
ESPN Stats & Info highlighted the stars on the Minnesota roster during the organization’s last postseason appearance:
The @Timberwolves end the NBA’s longest active playoff drought of 13 seasons. Their last playoff appearance came in 2004, when they made it to the Western Conference Finals with a lineup that featured Kevin Garnett, Latrell Sprewell, and Sam Cassell pic.twitter.com/AM1surFp8z
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 12, 2018
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers are favored to return to the Finals for the fourth consecutive year. The Cavs are coming off a tumultuous regular season that resulted in a middling No. 4 seed in the conference, but still have LeBron James in the lineup. James has taken his Cavs and Heat teams to the Finals seven years in row and hasn’t met an equal in the conference portion of the playoffs since the Boston Celtics’ Big Three dispatched him all the way back in 2010. While the odds of Cleveland returning this year have fallen off a bit from the opening line of 3-1, the club is still the odds-on favorite in the East and likely will be for the next few years, assuming LeBron is suiting up for the franchise. The Cavs start off their postseason trek against the Indiana Pacers this weekend.
RJ Bell pointed out a concerning trend for the Cavaliers:
NOT GOOD for #Cavs …
Since playoff seeding began in the 1983-84 season:
Only one team worse than a 3rd Seed has won the NBA Finals:
1995 Houston Rockets [via @ESPN]— RJ Bell (@RJinVegas) April 12, 2018
The Toronto Raptors put together the best season in the East and earned the No. 1 seed, which earned them the second-best championship odds in the conference at 10-1 and an first round showdown with the Atlantic Division rival Washington Wizards. It’s a large improvement from the opening line of 60-1, which felt a bit low considering few teams have been a consistent contender as this one has for a few years now. It was a big jump up the odds board, but it was not as vast a difference as this next group.
The Philadelphia 76ers saw the largest improvement in their odds from the offseason to now, vaulting up from a 100-1 underdog to a respectable 25-1 to win it all—the fifth-best odds of any team in the field. The Process clearly is paying off for the Sixers, who own the third-best record in the East, and appear poised to be a regular contender in the East for as long as they can keep their young core—headlined by Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric—together and healthy. This squad still has a lot to prove during its first postseason appearance in a half decade, but could make some noise starting in the opening round against the Miami Heat.
Zack Rosenblatt noted that the Sixers boast the longest winning streak heading into the playoffs in history:
The Sixers are on a 16-game winning streak entering the playoffs. Literally no team in NBA history has done that.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) April 12, 2018
Another notable mover is the Celtics, who went from 15-1 on the open all the way down to 55-1. The team was as high as 10-1 to win a championship during the season, back when Kyrie Irving was leading the C’s on a massive winning streak, but losing the star point guard and Gordon Hayward for the season crushed any realistic shot this organization had at raising banner No. 18 this year. Despite being the No. 2 seed in the conference, Boston will have a tough time getting past the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
Check back soon, as Vegas expert Jon Price of SportsInformationTraders.com will be providing his top pick to survive the 2018 NBA Playoffs and win it all, as well as a pro handicapper’s take and prediction on each first round series. You’ll be able to get notified of that and more coverage of the upcoming NBA postseason by clicking here and hitting “Follow”. Without further adieu, here’s the full list of championship odds, playoff bracket and viewing schedule for each first round series, as well as the final regular season standings:
2018 NBA Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
| Golden State Warriors | +120 |
| Houston Rockets | +170 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +800 |
| Toronto Raptors | +1000 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +2500 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +5000 |
| Boston Celtics | +5500 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +6000 |
| Utah Jazz | +6000 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +7000 |
| Washington Wizards | +9000 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +12500 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +15000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +20000 |
| Miami Heat | +20000 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +25000 |
NBA odds courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook
2018 NBA Playoffs Bracket, Schedule And Viewing Info
Games can be live streamed via WatchESPN and WatchTNT
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 8 Washington Wizards
Game 1: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 14 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 17 at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 3: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards: April 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Game 4: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards: April 22 at 6 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 29 at TBD
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Milwaukee Bucks
Game 1: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 15 at 1 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 2: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 17 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks: April 20 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks: April 22 at 1 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 5: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 28 at TBD
No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 6 Miami Heat
Game 1: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 16 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat: April 19 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 4: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat: April 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 28 at TBD
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers
Game 1: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers: April 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 2: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers: April 18 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers: April 20 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers: April 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers April 29 at TBD
Western Conference
No. 1 Houston Rockets vs. No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves
Game 1: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 15 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 2: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 18 at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: April 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: April 23 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 29 at TBD
No. 2 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 7 San Antonio Spurs
Game 1: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 14 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 2: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs: April 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 4: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs: April 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 5: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 28 at TBD
No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 6 New Orleans Pelicans
Game 1: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 14 at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 17 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans: April 19 at 9 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 4: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans: April 21 at 5 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 28 at TBD
No. 4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 5 Utah Jazz
Game 1: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 15 at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 2: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 18 at 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 3: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz: April 21 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz: April 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 29 at TBD
*If necessary
2017-18 Regular-Season Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Toronto Raptors (59-23)
2. Boston Celtics (55-27)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (52-30)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (50-32)
5. Indiana Pacers (48-34)
6. Miami Heat (44-38)
7. Milwaukee Bucks (44-38)
8. Washington Wizards (43-39)
9. Detroit Pistons (39-43)
10. Charlotte Hornets (36-46)
11. New York Knicks (29-53)
12. Brooklyn Nets (28-54)
13. Chicago Bulls (27-55)
14. Orlando Magic (25-57)
15. Atlanta Hawks (24-58)
Western Conference
1. Houston Rockets (65-17)
2. Golden State Warriors (58-24)
3. Portland Trail Blazers (49-33)
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (48-34)
5. Utah Jazz (48-34)
6. New Orleans Pelicans (48-34)
7. San Antonio Spurs (47-35)
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (47-35)
9. Denver Nuggets (46-36)
10. Los Angeles Clippers (42-40)
11. Los Angeles Lakers (35-47)
12. Sacramento Kings (27-55)
13. Dallas Mavericks (24-58)
14. Memphis Grizzlies (22-60)
15. Phoenix Suns (21-61)
