NBA Playoffs
NBA Playoffs Betting | 2023 NBA Playoff Odds, Schedule, Teams
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a thrilling world full of high-flying dunks, buzzer-beating shots, and intense competition. It's a league where superhuman athletes are pushed to their limits to achieve the impossible on the court. They combine incredible athleticism with technical skill to create jaw-dropping moments that leave fans on the edge of their seats.
The sport truly unites fans worldwide in its high-stakes and tense atmosphere. And what better way to add to the excitement than with some betting? At Rivalry, we are passionate about basketball, and we are the MVP when it comes to NBA playoffs betting!
The NBA playoffs are just around the corner after a long 92-round regular season. Well-known players like James Harden, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry have all done their part to secure their teams places. We will have the best 2023 NBA playoffs odds at Rivalry, so you don't have to miss a second of the action!
A History of the NBA
The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It merged with the National Basket Ball League (NBL) in 1948 to create the NBA as fans know it today. The NBA began with just 11 teams, growing to now include 30 well-known and beloved teams.
The 1980s are often considered the golden age of the NBA, thanks to legendary rising star players like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and more. This brought about mass media interest, cementing the NBA's place in the hearts of fans worldwide.
Over its tenure, the NBA has seen significant changes to its rules and structure, like introducing the three-point shot. This year's NBA playoffs are the postseason tournament held after the regular season to determine the team taking home the NBA championship title for the year.
2023 NBA Playoffs: Format
The No. 7-10 seeds from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference participated in the NBA's 2023 play-in tournament in April to decide the 8-seeded positions, the final playoff spot in each of the two Conferences. The first round of playoffs then officially began on April 15, and will run until May with the Conference Finals.
All games in the NBA playoffs are played in a best-of-seven format. A series will end when one team wins four games, and then that winning team will advance to the second round of the playoffs.
- April 11-14: NBA Play-In Tournament
- April 15: NBA Playoffs begin - First round
- May 1-2: NBA Playoffs - Second round
- May 16-17: NBA Conference Finals
- June 1-18: NBA Finals
2023 NBA Playoffs: Teams
See which teams will participate in the 2023 NBA playoffs, according to their respective conference. This will be updated as the tournament continues.
Eastern Conference Seeds
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- NY Knicks
- Brooklyn Nets
- Atlanta Hawks
- Miami Heat
- Toronto Raptors (Eliminated in Play-In)
- Chicago Bulls (Eliminated in Play-In)
Eastern Conference Bracket
- 1. Milwaukee Bucks vs. 8. Miami Heat
- 2. Boston Celtics vs. 7. Atlanta Hawks
- 3. Philadelphia 76ers vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets
- 4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5. New York Knicks
Western Conference Seeds
- Denver Nuggets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Sacramento Kings
- Phoenix Suns
- LA Clippers
- Golden State Warriors
- LA Lakers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans (Eliminated in Play-In)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (Eliminated in Play-In)
Western Conference Bracket
- 1. Denver Nuggets vs. 8. Minnesota Timberwolves
- 2. Memphis Grizzlies vs 7. Los Angeles Lakers
- 3. Sacramento Kings vs. 6. Golden State Warriors
- 4. Phoenix Suns vs. 5. LA Clippers
NBA Playoffs: Schedule
Eastern Conference: First Round Series
Milwaukee Bucks (1-seed) Vs. Miami Heat (8-seed) - Miami Heat win 4-1
- Game 1: Heat 130 - Bucks 117
- Game 2: Bucks 138 - Heat 122
- Game 3: Heat 121 - Bucks 99
- Game 4: Heat 119, Bucks 114
- Game 5: Heat 128, Bucks 126
Boston Celtics (2-seed) Vs. Atlanta Hawks (7-seed) - Celtics win 4-2
- Game 1: Celtics 112, Hawks 99
- Game 2: Celtics 110, Hawks 106
- Game 3: Hawks 130, Celtics 122
- Game 4: Celtics 129, Hawks 121
- Game 5: Hawks 119, Celtics 117
- Game 6: Celtics 128, Hawks 120
Philadelphia 76ers (3-seed) Vs. Brooklyn Nets (6-seed) - 76ers win 4-0
- Game 1: 76ers 121, Nets 101
- Game 2: 76ers 96, Nets 84
- Game 3: 76ers 102, Nets 97
- Game 4: 76ers 96, Nets 88
Cleveland Cavaliers (4-seed) Vs. New York Knicks (5-seed) - Knicks win 4-1
- Game 1: Knicks 101, Cavaliers 97
- Game 2: Cavaliers 107, Knicks 90
- Game 3: Knicks 99, Cavaliers 79
- Game 4: Knicks 102, Cavaliers 93
- Game 5: Knicks 106, Cavaliers 95
* These games will only occur if necessary
Western Conference: First Round Series
Denver Nuggets (1-seed) Vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-seed) - Nuggets win 4-1
- Game 1: Nuggets 109, Timberwolves 80
- Game 2: Nuggets 122, Timberwolves 113
- Game 3: Nuggets 120, Timberwolves, 111
- Game 4: Timberwolves 114, Nuggets 108
- Game 5: Nuggets 112, Timberwolves 109
Memphis Grizzlies (2-seed) Vs. LA Lakers (7-seed) - Lakers win 4-2
- Game 1: Lakers 128, Grizzlies 112
- Game 2: Grizzlies 103, Lakers 93
- Game 3: Lakers 111, Grizzlies 101
- Game 4: Lakers 117, Grizzlies 111
- Game 5: Grizzlies 116, Lakers 99
- Game 6: Lakers 125, Grizzlies 85
Sacramento Kings (3-seed) Vs. Golden State Warriors (6-seed) - Warriors win 4-2
- Game 1: Kings 126, Warriors 123
- Game 2: Kings 114, Warriors 106
- Game 3: Warriors 114, Kings 97
- Game 4: Warriors 126, Kings 125
- Game 5: Warriors 123, Kings 116
- Game 6: Warriors 120, Kings 100
Phoenix Suns (4-seed) Vs. LA Clippers (5-seed) - Suns win 4-1
- Game 1: Clippers 115, Suns 110
- Game 2: Suns 123, Clippers 109
- Game 3: Suns 129, Clippers 124
- Game 4: Suns 112, Clippers 100
- Game 5: Suns 136, Clippers 130
* These games will only occur if necessary
Eastern Conference Semifinals
New York Knicks (5-seed) Vs. Miami Heat (8-seed) - Heat win 4-2
- Game 1: Heat 108, Knicks 101
- Game 2: Knicks 111, Heat 105
- Game 3: Heat 105, Knicks 86
- Game 4: Heat 109, Knicks, 101
- Game 5: Knicks 112, Heat 103
- Game 6: Heat 96, Knicks 92
Philadelphia 76ers (3-seed) Vs. Boston Celtics (2-seed) - Celtics win 4-3
- Game 1: 76ers 119, Celtics 115
- Game 2: Celtics 121, 76ers 87
- Game 3: Celtics 114, 76ers 102
- Game 4: 76ers 116, Celtics 115
- Game 5: 76ers 115, Celtics 103
- Game 6: Celtics 95, 76ers 86
- Game 7: Celtics 112, 76ers 88
Western Conference Semifinals
Denver Nuggets (1-seed) Vs. Phoenix Suns (4-seed) - Nuggets win 4-2
- Game 1: Nuggets 125, Suns 107
- Game 2: Nuggets 97, Suns 87
- Game 3: Suns 121, Nuugets 114
- Game 4: Suns 129, Nuggets 124
- Game 5: Nuggets 118, Suns 102
- Game 6: Nuggets 125, Suns 100
Golden State Warriors (6-seed) Vs. LA Lakers (7-seed) - Lakers win 4-2
- Game 1: Lakers 117, Warriors 112
- Game 2: Warriors 127, Lakers 100
- Game 3: Lakers 127, Warriors 97
- Game 4: Lakers 104, Warriors 101
- Game 5: Warriors 121, Lakers 106
- Game 6: Lakers 122, Warriors 101
Eastern Conference Finals
Boston Celtics (2-seed) Vs. Miami Heat (8-seed) - Heat win 4-3
- Game 1: Heat 123, Celtics 116
- Game 2: Heat 111, Celtics 105
- Game 3: Heat 128, Celtics 102
- Game 4: Celtics 116, Heat 99
- Game 5: Celtics 110, Heat 97
- Game 6: Celtics 104, Heat 103
- Game 7: Heat 103, Celtics 84
Western Conference Finals
Denver Nuggets (1-seed) Vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7-seed) - Nuggets win 4-0
- Game 1: Nuggets 132, Lakers 126
- Game 2: Nuggets 108, Lakers 103
- Game 3: Nuggets 119, Lakers 108
- Game 4: Nuggets 113, Lakers 111
NBA 2023 Finals: Schedule
The 2023 NBA Finals will begin on Thursday, June 1 and finish around Sunday, June 18, no later. There will be two full days of rest between each game, with the exception of Games 3-4. All times listed are in ET.
Denver Nuggets Vs. Miami Heat (Nuggets lead 2-1)
- June 1 (8:30 AM): Nuggets 104, Heat 93
- June 4 (8:00 AM): Heat 111, Nuggets 108
- June 7 (8:30 AM): Nuggets 109, Heat 94
- June 9 (8:30 AM): Game 4, Miami
- June 12 (8:30 AM): Game 5 , Denver(if necessary)
- June 15 (8:30 AM): Game 6, Miami (if necessary)
- June 18 (8:00 AM): Game 7, Denver (if necessary)
NBA Playoff Predictions: Best NBA Playoff Players
The NBA has produced some legendary players over the years, each bringing their unique style and skillsets to the court. Here are some of the best NBA players still competing today.
LeBron James
LeBron James, currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, has 19 years of experience and four NBA titles under his belt. His great heart of 6ft 9, weight, and basketball IQ have allowed him to excel in all aspects of the game, from scoring to passing and defense.
Jayson Tatum
In this year's NBA season, Tatum became the first Celtics player in history to get an average score of 30 per game, with his current average being 30.1 exactly. He looks to end the Boston Celtics' 15-year title drought in 2023, as they are currently 2nd-seeded in the Eastern Conference.
Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors are currently defending their title in the 2023 season. They are in good hands with Stephen Curry on their team. He averaged around 29.4 PPG (points per game). The Golden State Warriors are behind with a 2-1 score following Game 3 against the Sacramento Kings.
Kevin Durant
In the 2022-23 regular season, Durant has yet to lose a single game he has played since joining the Phoenix Suns. He has two championship titles to his name with a respectable 29.1 PPG. A previously sprained ankle has limited his performance in recent games, but we're sure he'll return to top form in no time.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
In the 2022-23 regular season, Antetokounmpo averaged a career-high of around 31.7 PPG. Milwaukee Bucks are currently top of the Eastern Conference. With Antetokounmpo's star quality, they are sure to continue their strong streak into the playoffs.
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FAQs about betting on NBA playoffs
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When do the NBA playoffs start?
The NBA playoffs began with the Play-In tournament, which ran from April 11-14. After that, the first round of the playoffs began April 15. Play will continue until June 1, which is the NBA Finals.
How many teams make the NBA playoffs?
Typically 16 teams, the eight teams with the better regular season record from both conferences, make it to the NBA playoffs.
Who won the last NBA season?
Last years winners in 2022 were the Golden State Warriors.
Who has the most titles in the NBA?
Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have the most, holding 17 titles each.
Where can I watch the NBA live?
The NBA Playoffs and Play-Ins will be broadcast live on NBA TV, ABC, ESPN, and TNT. Most traditional cable/satellite subscriptions should have packages including these channels.
Who is favored to win the NBA Playoffs?
There is no definitive answer, as odds can fluctuate throughout the postseason - the favored team may miss the NBA finals!
