NBA Picks & Predictions

The NBA provides bettors with quite a few betting options, from traditional betting lines and props for every game to futures markets like the conference championships, awards (MVP, Defensive POY, etc.), and, of course, the NBA Championship.

Let's take a look at the big picture and review some picks and betting tips along with the odds to win the NBA Championship, Eastern Conference, and Western Conference.

NBA Expert Picks and Betting Tips

The 2024-2025 NBA regular season has officially come to an end, which means the NBA Playoffs are here. 

To get you ready for this season’s edition of the playoffs, we have broken down some of the true contenders for the Finals below. We will provide you with our predictions for the NBA Finals, the Eastern Conference Finals, the Western Conference Finals, and general NBA betting tips! Let's get into it.

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Expert NBA Pick: Who Will Win the 24/25 NBA Championship

When looking at the playoffs as a whole, two teams stand out as being true contenders to win the NBA Finals: OKC and Boston.

The first legitimate title contender this season is the Oklahoma City Thunder out of the Western Conference. The Thunder took the league by storm, posting a record of 68-14, the best record in the NBA and the Western Conference. 

The Thunder are in the top five offensively and top three defensively, making them a well-balanced team that could make a deep run in the playoffs. Oklahoma City also has the league’s top scorer in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the front-runner to win the 2025 NBA MVP award. 

Another legitimate title contender is the Boston Celtics out of the Eastern Conference. The Celtics finished the regular season with a record of 61-21, the second-best record in what ended up being a weak Eastern Conference. Boston finished with the eighth-best scoring offense and second-best scoring defense. Further, the Celtics are the defending champions, so they have played under the brightest lights and have the core group of players to be able to succeed in the playoffs when the pressure is on.

Our Prediction for the 2025 NBA Championship: Oklahoma City Thunder

2024 Title Contenders: Who are the favorites?

• Oklahoma City Thunder +175
• Boston Celtics +190
• Cleveland Cavaliers +480
• Los Angeles Clippers +2000
• Los Angeles Lakers +2000
• Golden State Warriors +2400
• New York Knicks +3400
• Minnesota Timberwolves +3500
• Indiana Pacers +6000
• Houston Rockets +6000
• Denver Nuggets +10000
• Milwaukee Bucks +24000
• Detroit Pistons +48000
• Orlando Magic +100000
• Memphis Grizzlies +100000
• Miami Heat +100000

Odds from FanDuel.com.

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Western Conference Picks: Who will be the Best of the West?

In what has been a loaded Western Conference all season, two teams stand out as top contenders to win the West: OKC and Denver

The clear favorite to win the West has to be the Oklahoma City Thunder. As mentioned previously, the Thunder have been the best team all season. They are the number one seed in the West, which gives them home-court advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs. To this point, the Thunder were the best home team in the league, posting a record of 35-6. 

Knowing this improves their chances of winning the West, as their opponents are going to have to beat them in Oklahoma City at some point, something that has rarely happened this season.

Perhaps more of a dark horse to win the Western Conference is the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets finished 50-32 in the regular season, meaning they will be the 4th seed in the playoffs. Admittedly, Denver has recently gone through some turmoil, firing their head coach after a poor stretch, but they still have a solid group of players to make another deep run.

Led by Nikola Jokic, who averaged a triple-double this season, the Nuggets can get hot on any given night, making them a team to consider when it comes to winning the West.

Our Western Conference Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder

Odds on the Western Conference Winners:

• Oklahoma City Thunder -165
• Los Angeles Clippers +750
• Los Angeles Lakers +800
• Golden State Warriors +850
• Minnesota Timberwolves +1300
• Houston Rockets +2100
• Denver Nuggets +3700
• Memphis Grizzlies +50000

Odds from FanDuel.com.

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Eastern Conference Picks: Who will be the Beast of the East?

Unlike the West, the East is more top-heavy, but two teams still stand out as the biggest threat to win the East:

While Boston did not finish with the best record in the East, they are still the favorite to win the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Having won the East Finals in two of the last three seasons, Boston simply has more experience than the other teams in the conference. Their closest competitor is likely the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom Boston split the season series 2-2. The Celtics were also the best road team in the NBA, an area you have to excel at to win not only the Conference Finals but the NBA Finals. With a “Big Three” of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis, plus plenty of role players, it’s hard to imagine a team from the East beating them in a Best-of-Seven series.

The biggest threat to the Celtics this year looks to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, who finished the regular season with a record of 64-18, the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland is the top-scoring team in the league, but just 12th defensively. While this is not guaranteed to doom them in the playoffs, it does mean that they are vulnerable to allowing big numbers, which could allow their opponents to take advantage if the Cavaliers have an off night offensively.

Our Eastern Conference Pick: Boston Celtics

Odds on the Eastern Conference Winners:

• Boston Celtics -145
• Cleveland Cavaliers +175
• New York Knicks +1300
• Indiana Pacers +2200
• Milwaukee Bucks +8500
• Detroit Pistons +14000
• Orlando Magic +70000
• Miami Heat +70000

Odds from FanDuel.com.

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NBA Cup Betting Guide

NBA Cup Betting Tips: What's at stake?

Bettors should pay close attention to the Rockets because they are a young and hungry team who is starting to make some noise in the Western Conference. The Warriors are also an enticing pick this year with Stephen Curry still putting up terrific numbers while being surrounded by a solid supporting cast. Don’t count out the defending champs. The Lakers are still in the thick of things and can shake up the power order of this tournament if they find a way to barge into the playoffs.

In the Eastern Conference, we agree that the Celtics are still a strong contender, especially now that they just have Kristapz Porzingis back in the fold. Don’t sleep on the Cavaliers, the holder of the best record in the regular season so far. With Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland leading the way, this team is deep and armed with immense scoring firepower, allowing them to outlast any opponent in both conferences.

Apart from the bragging rights, players of the playoff teams are entitled to the following incentives:

• Reaching the quarterfinals: $51,497 each
• Reaching the semifinals: $102,994 each
• Runners up will get $205,988 each
• Overall winners: $514,971 each.

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2024-25 NBA Regular-Season Player Awards

Many analysts think this will be the year Luka Doncic will finally capture his first regular-season MVP award. The Slovenian wunderkind has been an All-NBA First Team performer since his second season in the league and it’s just a matter of time for him to etch his name in history by winning the league’s top individual award.

Speaking of all-around performers, Nikola Jokic will continue to be a staple in NBA MVP conversation as long as he keeps stuffing the stat sheet. The Nuggets star is a triple-double machine who can effectively lead his team to victory without scoring 30+ points. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander make out the top five contenders for the 2024-25 NBA regular season MVP. Remember, their odds of being named MVP are usually determined by their team's performance this season. The more games their respective teams win, the better their chances of winning the Michael Jordan MVP award at the end of the season.

- MVP:

• Nikola Jokic
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Giannis Antekokounmpo

- DPOY:

• Draymond Green
• Evan Mobley
• Dyson Daniels
• Luguentz Dort
• Jaren Jackson Jr.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

- COY:

• Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers)
• J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
• JJ Redick (Lakers)
• Mark Daigneault (Thunder)
• Taylor Jenkins (Grizzlies)

Rookie of the Year Prediction: Who Will Be This Year’s Top Young Player?

Last year, Victor Wembanyama took the NBA by storm after showing off his freakish ability en route to winning the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year. Unlike last year when everybody expected Wemby to win the trophy even before the season began, this year’s Rookie of the Year race is a toss-up. Right now, Zach Eddey emerges as the betting favorite to win the ROY because he’s expected to start at center position this coming season. Many believe Eddey is bound for a productive season since he shares the same mold as Jonas Valanciunas, who averaged a double-double in three seasons with the Grizz.

Rockets gunner Reed Sheppard is another young player who will likely get significant minutes right away because of his outside shooting and two-way upside. Despite his poor performance in the Summer League, No.2 overall pick Alex Sarr is also seen as another ROY contender for the reason that he’s playing for a depleted Washington Wizard team.

Summer League standouts Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls and Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs rounded out the top five, with No.1 overall pick Zaccharrie Risacher ranking sixth for the time being, as many analysts believe he is still a project for the Atlanta Hawks.

- ROY: 

• Kel'el Ware
• Stephon Castle
• Zaccharie Risacher
• Alexandre Sarr
• Jaylen Wells

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Beginner Bettors - How do the NBA season and the 2024-2025 NBA playoffs work?

Located in the United States, the NBA is by far the largest and most spectacular basketball championship in the world. The league consists of 30 teams in a closed league format (no relegation), divided into two Conferences: East and West. There are 82 games played from late October to mid-April, followed by the playoffs involving the top 16 teams in the league (8 from each Conference). The goal is to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy after four rounds in the postseason (the best of seven games qualifies).

At the end of the regular season, several standings have an impact on the continuation of the competition:

• Teams finishing between 1st and 6th place qualify for the playoffs.
• Teams finishing between 7th and 10th place qualify for the play-in.
• Teams finishing beyond 10th place are on vacation.

Regarding the NBA playoffs, here is a summary of how they operate:

• First round of the playoffs (quarterfinals)
• Second round (semifinals)
• Conference Finals
• NBA Finals (between the winners of the conference finals)

This league, eagerly awaited by fans, features some of the most popular franchises such as the Lakers, Bucks, Celtics, Warriors, Nets, Bulls, and Clippers. This explains why American basketball and NBA betting are highly favored worldwide and in France among the best online sportsbooks by French bettors.

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How to bet on the NBA?

Thanks to the sheer amount of matches in a regular NBA season means that sports bettors can find value in just about every game.

Unlike soccer, which is growing in the US in its own right, the NBA always ensures a winner through regular or overtime. This keeps the betting experience interesting and the betting options easier to understand for newer bettors.

Sportsbooks commonly include phrases such as “will be extra time” rather than placing odds on a match ending in a tie for this reason. With games frequently passing the 200 total point mark, it’s no surprise that one of the most popular NBA bets is the number of baskets scored in a match.

Point spreads are equally as common, where sportsbooks will set a handicap to give an advantage or disadvantage to one of the teams based on their current form. For instance, if the Warriors have a handicap of -4.5 against the Magic, this impacts the odds and potential payouts for the match.

Besides these, sportsbooks will offer bets on the total points scored each quarter, which team will lead at various points in the match, top scorers, total number of free throws, three-pointers, rebounds, and lots more.

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NBA Betting Tips for Beginner Bettors

Due to the sheer length of the NBA season, which now features the immensely popular in-season tournament, there are loads of betting opportunities each year. Our NBA betting experts at SportyTrader go to extra lengths to make sure you’re armed with the best possible NBA predictions as well as a healthy supply of betting strategies to follow. Here are five key tips to consider when betting on the NBA:

• Checking the collective status of NBA teams
• Analyzing the latest NBA stats
• Taking stock of the current form of players
• Keeping track of injuries and suspensions
• Taking account of current stars

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Tip 1: Checking the collective status of NBA teams

Collective power is fundamental in the functioning of NBA teams since shoddy defensive work could harm everything achieved on offense. Taking this detail into account, it is necessary to verify how the performance of each franchise has been on both sides of the ball in a given season.

Paying attention to this imbalance can be key to choosing a winning bet. The composition of the squad, absent or injured athletes, the coach's strategy and shot accuracy are vital in this area. You need to study this point before all basketball picks you make.

Tip 2: Analyzing the latest NBA stats

Likewise, it is worth considering the individual level of the stars of each team. given that a good performance could be enough to achieve a victory.

For example, the relevance of Jayson Tatum in the Boston Celtics or Jimmy Butler in the Miami Heat, when it comes to scoring and managing the game, always weighs in the outcome of a confrontation, whether positively (high score) or negatively (minimum participation or errors).

Long absences due to injuries sometimes mean a problem. However, the supporting actors must also be taken into account, who help exploit the best qualities of their teammates: Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in the Phoenix Suns or Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić in the Nuggets are clear evidence.

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Tip 3: Know the list of absent players in the NBA

Precisely, it is always essential to analyze the roster of available players, since physical problems, due to the tight schedule, are common in the NBA. As an example, facing the Lkers with Luka Doncic as a leader on the field will not be the same as without his presence.

With up to four games a week, the talented athletes are usually left on the sidelines for several days and that unbalances the balance, as happened with the Golden State Warriors in the previous campaign. By not having Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson for a long period, the Warriors struggled at the bottom of the table during this time. 

Tip 4: Take stock of the mental state of NBA players

Another value that weighs during an NBA match is the mental state of the players. Bad streaks are difficult for any team to deal with and if things are not resolved, the pressure begins to generate errors among athletes.

Likewise, difficulties off of the court or lack of personal care also cause a decrease in general performance. For example, Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies) was out of action for a long time for appearing with a gun at a party; while Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets) was suspended due to messages with anti-Semitic comments and ended up changing sides (Mavericks).

Tip 5: Analyze the latest NBA statistics

Last, but not least, it is a requirement to study the previous stats of each NBA team before making a prediction. Under this context, the number of points scored in previous games points against, field goals, free throws, threes and rebounds, the effectiveness of the home team, the strength of the visitors, etc. must be analyzed.

For example, last season, the Warriors raised their level little by little and consolidated themselves at home, but they constantly failed on the road: just as they could beat the Dallas Mavericks, they could then lose to the Portland Trail Blazers. In addition, you should always check recent head-to-heads.

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What Not to Do for NBA Predictions

To be a successful sports bettor, especially with your NBA bets, it’s essential to develop and refine your betting strategy. A key part of refining your strategy involves evolving with trends. However, there are common pitfalls that bettors should avoid in order to maintain a successful trajectory. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when betting on the NBA:

• Forgetting to follow the notably dense NBA schedule, which often includes games on consecutive days
• Making predictions without being informed about the current form of the teams involved
• Failing to compare odds across multiple sportsbooks to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck
• Betting a bunch of money on a team without considering key factors such as form or absences
• Choosing rare or complex parlays solely for the lure of higher odds
• Overlooking the home-court advantage or away strengths of any given team
• Hastily placing bets on teams you’re not familiar enough with, in an attempt to break a losing streak

A losing streak in betting happens to everyone, by avoiding the mistakes listed above, you’ll be well on your way out of a rut. Be sure to continue to refine your betting strategy and not just stick to betting on your favorite teams. Get out there, inform yourself and start placing better bets! 

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Stats You Should Consider for NBA Predictions

Every NBA expert would agree: succeeding in sports betting on the NBA also requires a thorough knowledge of the main statistics from the world's premier basketball league. Here are some new figures to remember for your NBA predictions, recorded during the latest edition of the competition:

• Home wins: 54.3%
• Away wins: 45.7%
• Average points: 227.3 points per game
• 3-point shooting success over the season: 36.46% per franchise (38.49% for the best, 34.48% for the least efficient)
• Free throw success over the season: 78.42% per franchise (83% for the best, 74.59% for the least efficient)
• Number of rebounds per game: 43.43 average rebounds per franchise
• Number of offensive rebounds per game: 10.52 average offensive rebounds per team
• Number of defensive rebounds per game: 32.91 average defensive rebounds per team

For sports betting on NBA games, you'll find that certain types of bets are more advantageous to consider in your predictions, such as the home team winning or the "Under/Over". Indeed, the American basketball championship is one of the most spectacular in the world, and bets like "Over 224.5" are often validated. Of course, this isn't the case for all teams, and it will be necessary to evaluate on a case-by-case basis. With interesting odds, this could allow you to earn some euros for your account. Even though nothing is guaranteed in advance, of course!

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Conclusion: How to get Your NBA Predictions Right Today?

Success in sports betting comes down to a careful analysis of the multitude of aspects that can influence a match: absent players, injuries, bad form, home/away deficits, head-to-head matchups, shot percentages, etc. Similarly, it is crucial to know how the season is progressing, keeping tabs on current trends. 

Obviously, this process requires precious time so it is always advisable to carefully select the matches you’re going to bet on in advance. If you have difficulties analyzing each matchup, we’ve got you covered with free predictions for every matchup throughout the season. Our predictions, made by our vetted NBA experts, will help you multiply your bankroll from the first whistle-blow. 

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Our current NBA predictions

NBA: Best Odds

Odds are not yet available for this competition.