Will Hill
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
The NBA playoffs are in full swing.
There have been huge upsets and stunning comebacks, highlighting what has been a scintillating start to the postseason.
Usually, the NBA playoffs — though competitive — are somewhat predictable. This is ironic because this year, the men’s NCAA Tournament, which is typically known for wild finishes and unpredictable results, was pretty straightforward with favorites dominating.
It’s as if the NCAA Tournament and NBA playoffs have switched bodies this year.
This weekend’s NBA slate, in particular, will provide a ton of drama. The two presumed Eastern Conference finalists face 0-2 deficits. And both hit the road for the next two games (and for three of the next four, if it reaches that point).
After an epic collapse in Game 2, the Cavaliers travel for Game 3 and hope to get back some of their injured, key players who missed the previous game. Meanwhile, the Celtics blew 20-point leads at home in Games 1 and 2. When you type that out, it’s actually more shocking than having watched it. Now they’ll try to rally, as the series shifts to Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks are two wins away from their first conference finals appearance since 1999. They will try to pull off the huge upset over Boston, the squad that was once the heavy favorite.
Out West, the Thunder squandered a big lead late in Game 1 but showed in Game 2 why they were a 68-win juggernaut all season. They blew the Nuggets off the floor 149-106 in the second game and evened the series.
The other series in the West is also tied 1-1, but Timberwolves-Warriors seems more destined to go a certain way than the others, and that’s because Warriors superstar Steph Curry is recovering from a hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated next week.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, there’s a difference between being re-evaluated and being cleared to play.
Without Curry, it’s hard to see the Warriors advancing.
With all this being said, what’s currently the best bet from a futures standpoint? Let’s take a look.
Thunder to defeat Knicks in NBA Finals (+700, DraftKings)
I think the Thunder, after their unfathomable self-inflicted collapse in Game 1 against the Nuggets, have restored order in that series.
They are a cut above the rest of their Western Conference foes and clearly the most complete team in the NBA, even though they’re not the most experienced. Getting them at plus-money to win the title is probably a bet worth making on its own.
But if you really want to go for the home run and hit a bigger payout, betting them to defeat the Knicks in the NBA Finals at 7-1 is a fun wager that might look really smart in a few days. If the Knicks can finish off the Celtics, and the Pacers can close out the Cavs, the Knicks would have home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference finals and likely be slight favorites to advance.
If it does end up being the Thunder and Knicks in the Finals, as great as the Knicks’ story would be at that point, it would likely be a decisive Thunder victory in that series.
With all the upsets and wild comebacks this postseason, trying to predict what might happen next is perhaps a fool’s errand. But at 7-1 odds (a $10 bet pays $80 total), the Thunder beating the Knicks in the NBA Finals provides good value.
PICK: OKC (+700) to defeat Knicks in NBA Finals
Will Hill, a contributor on the Bears Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.
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