NBA Playoffs Picks, Predictions, Odds

June 18, 2021

by VI News
VegasInsider.com

The 2021 NBA Playoffs began on Saturday, May 22, 2021, and conclude no later than July 22 and VegasInsider.com will be your one-stop resource for all of your betting odds, picks, and predictions for the playoffs.

There will be 16 teams competing in this year's postseason, eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference.

The playoffs will be divided into four rounds:

• First Round (16 teams)
• Conference Semifinals (8 teams)
• Conference Finals (4 teams)
• NBA Finals (2 teams)

2021 NBA Playoff Pick Matchups

The VegasInsider.com stable of NBA experts have been covering the action all season long with their betting preview and prediction pieces. They'll be providing analysis for every game in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

Be sure to check back here daily as we'll provide Score Predictions, Best Bets and Analysis for all of the NBA postseason matchups.

Second Round Game Predictions - Friday, June 18, 2021

76ers at Hawks - Game 6 Predictions

2021 NBA Playoff Betting Results

Following all the straight-up, against the spread and over-under total results for the NBA Playoffs is a great tool for bettors looking to keep on top of the action.

2021 NBA Playoff Second Round Matchups

Eastern Conference

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

• Season Series: Philadelphia 2-1
• Series Odds: Philadelphia -170, Atlanta +150

• Game 1 - Atlanta 128 (+5, +175 ML) at Philadelphia 124 (Over 220)
• Game 2 - Atlanta 102 at Philadelphia 118 (-6.5) (Under 225.5)
• Game 3 - Philadelphia 127 (-2) at Atlanta 111 (Over 224.5)
• Game 4 - Philadelphia 100 at Atlanta 103 (+3, +125 ML) (Under 226)
• Game 5 - Atlanta 109 (+7, +250 ML) at Philadelphia 106 (Under 224.5)
• Game 6 - Philadelphia at Atlanta - Fri. June 18 - 7:35 PM ET | ESPN
• Game 7 - Atlanta at Philadelphia

(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (3) Milwaukee Bucks

• Season Series: Milwaukee 2-1
• Series Odds: Brooklyn -200, Milwaukee +170

• Game 1 - Milwaukee 107 at Brooklyn 115 (-3.5) (Under 239.5)
• Game 2 - Milwaukee 86 at Brooklyn 125 (+2, +110 ML) (Under 238)
• Game 3 - Brooklyn 83 (+3.5) at Milwaukee 86 (Under 234)
• Game 4 - Brooklyn 86 at Milwaukee 107 (+2, +115 ML) (Under 228)
• Game 5 - Milwaukee 108 at Brooklyn 114 (+1, +100 ML) (Push 222)
• Game 6 - Brooklyn 89 at Milwaukee 104 (-5) (Under 220.5)
• Game 7 - Milwaukee at Brooklyn - Sat. June 19 - 8:30 PM ET | TNT

Western Conference

(1) Utah Jazz vs. (4) Los Angeles Clippers

• Season Series: Utah 2-1
• Series Odds: Utah -155, L.A. +135

• Game 1 - Los Angeles 109 at Utah 112 (-3) (Under 221.5)
• Game 2 - Los Angeles 111 at Utah 117 (-2.5) (Over 222.5)
• Game 3 - Utah 106 at Los Angeles 132 (-5) (Over 222)
• Game 4 - Utah 104 at Los Angeles 118 (-5) (Under 223.5)
• Game 5 - Los Angeles 119 (+8, +320 ML) at Utah 111 (Over 220)
• Game 6 - Utah at Los Angeles - Fri. June 18 - 10:05 PM ET | ESPN
• Game 7 - Los Angeles at Utah

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (3) Denver Nuggets (Suns won series 4-0)

• Season Series: Denver 2-1
• Series Odds: Phoenix -200, Denver +175

• Game 1 - Denver 105 at Phoenix 122 (-5.5) (Over 222)
• Game 2 - Denver 98 at Phoenix 123 (-5.5) (Under 224.5)
• Game 3 - Phoenix 116 (+2, +110 ML) at Denver 102 (Under 223.5)
• Game 4 - Phoenix 125 (-3) at Denver 118 (Over 223)

2021 NBA Playoff First Round Matchups

Eastern Conference

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Washington Wizards (76ers won series 4-1)

• Season Series: Philadelphia 3-0
• Series Odds: Philadelphia -1000 Washington +650

• Game 1 - Washington 118 (+8.5) at Philadelphia 125 (Over 227.5)
• Game 2 - Washington 95 at Philadelphia 120 (-8) (Under 229)
• Game 3 - Philadelphia 132 (-5.5) at Washington 103 (Over 229.5)
• Game 4 - Philadelphia 114 at Washington 122 (+8.5, +310 ML) (Over 231.5)
• Game 5 - Washington 112 at Philadelphia 129 (-6) (Over 229.5)

(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (7) Boston Celtics (Nets won series 4-1)

• Season Series: Brooklyn 3-0
• Series Odds: Brooklyn -1400 Boston +700

• Game 1 - Boston 93 at Brooklyn 104 (-8.5) (Under 233)
• Game 2 - Boston 108 at Brooklyn 130 (-9.5) (Over 228)
• Game 3 - Brooklyn 119 at Boston 125 (+7.5, +280 ML) (Over 227)
• Game 4 - Brooklyn 141 (-9) at Boston 126 (Over 228.5)
• Game 5 - Boston 109 at Brooklyn 123 (-12.5) (Under 234.5)

(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs (6) Miami Heat (Bucks won series 4-0)

• Season Series: Milwaukee 2-1
• Series Odds: Milwaukee -275 Miami +225

• Game 1 - Miami 107 (+5.5) at Milwaukee 109 (Under 227)
• Game 2 - Miami 98 at Milwaukee 132 (-5) (Over 224)
• Game 3 - Milwaukee 113 (-1.5) at Miami 84 (Under 224.5)
• Game 4 - Milwaukee 120 (-4.5) at Miami 103 (Over 221.5)

(4) New York Knicks vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks (Hawks won series 4-1)

• Season Series: New York 3-0
• Series Odds: New York -125 Atlanta +105

• Game 1 - Atlanta 107 (+1.5, +100 ML) at New York 105 (Under 213.5)
• Game 2 - Atlanta 92 at New York 101 (-2) (Under 213)
• Game 3 - New York 94 at Atlanta 105 (-4.5) (Under 211.5)
• Game 4 - New York 96 at Atlanta 113 (-4.5) (Push 209)
• Game 5 - Atlanta 103 (+1.5, +100 ML) at New York 89 (Under 208.5)

Western Conference

(1) Utah Jazz vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies (Jazz won series 4-1)

• Season Series: Jazz 3-0
• Series Odds: Utah -1000, Memphis +650

• Game 1 - Memphis 112 (+8, +300 ML) at Utah 109 (Over 216.5)
• Game 2 - Memphis 129 at Utah 141 (-10) (Over 219.5)
• Game 3 - Utah 121 (-5.5) at Memphis 111 (Over 224.5)
• Game 4 - Utah 120 (-5.5) at Memphis 113 (Over 225)
• Game 5 - Memphis 110 at Utah 126 (-9.5) (Over 226.5)

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers (Suns won series 4-2)

• Season Series: Phoenix 2-1
• Series Odds: Phoenix +125 Los Angeles -150

• Game 1 - Los Angeles 90 at Phoenix 99 (-2.5) (Under 213.5)
• Game 2 - Los Angeles 109 (-2) at Phoenix 102 (Over 210.5)
• Game 3 - Phoenix 95 at Los Angeles 109 (-6.5) (Under 211.5)
• Game 4 - Phoenix 100 (+6.5, +250 ML) at Los Angeles 92 (Under 209.5)
• Game 5 - Los Angeles 85 at Phoenix 115 (-4.5) (Under 209)
• Game 6 - Phoenix 113 (+3, +130 ML) at Los Angeles 100 (Over 207.5)

(3) Denver Nuggets at (6) Portland Trail Blazers (Nuggets won series 4-2)

• Season Series: Denver 2-1
• Series Odds: Denver +100 Portland -120

• Game 1 - Portland 123 (+1, -105 ML) at Denver 109 (Over 226)
• Game 2 - Portland 109 at Denver 128 (-2) (Over 224.5)
• Game 3 - Denver 120 (+3.5, +150 ML) at Portland 115 (Over 227)
• Game 4 - Denver 95 at Portland 115 (-4.5) (Under 227.5)
• Game 5 - Portland 140 at Denver 147 (-2) (Over 226.5)
• Game 6 - Denver 126 (+5, +175 ML) at Portland 115 (Over 228)

(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs (5) Dallas Mavericks (Clippers won series 4-3)

• Season Series: Dallas 2-1
• Series Odds: Los Angeles -375 Dallas +300

• Game 1 - Dallas 113 (+6, +200 ML) at Los Angeles 103 (Under 217.5)
• Game 2 - Dallas 127 (+7, +235, ML) at Los Angeles 121 (Over 215.5)
• Game 3 - Los Angeles 118 (-3) at Dallas 108 (Over 219)
• Game 4 - Los Angeles 106 (-3.5) at Dallas 81 (Under 220)
• Game 5 - Dallas 105 (+7.5, +270 ML) at Los Angeles 100 (Under 217.5)
• Game 6 - Los Angeles 104 (-3) at Dallas 97 (Under 216)
• Game 7 - Dallas 111 at Los Angeles 126 (-6.5) (Over 211.5)

Who's the favorite to win the 2021 NBA Finals?

The NBA Playoffs are a great event to follow and placing future wagers can bring back great returns.

Listed below are the latest futures numbers per BetMGM, which are subject to change.

Updated Thursday, June 17, 2021

2021 NBA Playoff First Round Consensus Picks

We asked four of our top NBA Experts to provide their predictions on all eight series in the NBA first round.

• Micah Roberts
• Kevin Rogers
• Stephen Nover
• Joe Nelson

Looking below, you can see the quartet were in agreement on four winners in the 76ers, Nets, Jazz and Clippers.

However, there were some outlier selections on the Heat, Hawks and Trail Blazers.

The only 2-2 split came in the Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Lakers matchup, which isn't expected to be your normal 2 vs. 7 series.

2021 NBA Playoffs
Schedules & Start Dates

• Play-In Games: Tuesday May 18 - Friday May 21
• First Round: Saturday May 22
• Conference Semifinals: Saturday June 5
• Conference Finals: TBD
• NBA Finals: Thursday July 22 (Latest Possible Date)

2021 NBA Playoff Prop Markets

Winning Conference Odds

• Western Conference -115
• Eastern Conference -105

Exact Outcome Odds - Division

• Pacific beats Atlantic +240
• Atalntic beats Pacific +260
• Atlantic beats Northwest +800
• Northwest beats Atlantic +800
• Pacific beats Central +1000
• Central beats Pacific +1100
• Pacific beats Southeast +2500
• Southeast beats Pacific +2800
• Central beats Northwest +3000
• Northwest beats Central +3000
• Atlantic beats Southwest +4000
• Southwest beats Atlantic +4000
• Northwest beats Southeast +6600
• Southeast beats Northwest +8000
• Central beats Southwest +12500
• Southwest beats Central +12500
• Southeast beats Southwest +30000
• Southwest beats Southeast +30000

State of Winning Team Odds

• Any Unlisted State +145
• California +185
• New York +210
• Florida +3300
• Texas +4000

Winning Division - Conference Odds

• Pacific Division -225
• Northwest Division +200
• Southwest Division +1500

• Atlantic Division -275
• Central Division +350
• Southeast Division +750

Winning Division - Championship Odds

• Atlantic Division +150
• Pacific Division +155
• Northwest Division +500
• Central Division +900
• Southeast Division +2000
• Southwest Division +3000

2021 NBA Play-In Tournament Betting Information

Prior to the start of the postseason, the 2021 NBA Playoffs will have a "Play-In" Tournament.

This feature was introduced by the league in the 2020 NBA Bubble from Orlando, Florida where teams were given an extra chance to qualify for the postseason.

Per the NBA -- The 2021 Play-In Tournament, which will take place after the regular season and before the first round of the playoffs, will include the teams with the seventh-highest through the tenth-highest winning percentages in each conference.

Teams with the 7th-highest through the 10th-highest winning percentages in each conference will qualify to determine the 7th & 8th seeds.

The Play-In tournament will begon on Tuesday May 18, 2021 and conclude on Friday May 21, 2021. (NBA Images)

The above image from the NBA gives a quick look at how the process will work but it favors the higher seeds (7-8), who only need one victory to earn a playoff seed. Meanwhile, the No. 9 and 10 seeds will have to win two games to earn the eighth and final playoff spot.

The Play-In tournament will begin on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, and conclude on Friday, May 21, 2021.

2021 NBA Playoff Play-in Results

This year's NBA Play-In Tournament winners were:

• East: Celtics, Wizards
• West: Lakers, Grizzlies

• Charlotte Hornets 117 at Indiana Pacers 144 (-1.5) (Over 226)
• Washington Wizards 100 at Boston Celtics 118 (-2.5) (Under 233)
• San Antonio Spurs 96 (+4) at Memphis Grizzlies 100 (Under 223.5)
• Golden State Warriors 100 (+5.5) at Los Angeles Lakers 103 (Under 217)
• Indiana Pacers 115 at Washington Wizards (-3.5) 142 (Over 240)
• Memphis Grizzlies (+5) 117 at Golden State Warriors 112 (OT) (Over 220.5)

2021 NBA Play-in Tournament Betting Odds

To Reach Playoffs?

• Boston Celtics Yes -500 No +350
• Charlotte Hornets Yes +400 No -600
• Indiana Pacers Yes +350 No -500
• Washington Wizards Yes -450 No +325
• Los Angeles Lakers Yes -2000 No +900
• Golden State Warriors Yes -550 No +375
• Memphis Grizzlies Yes +375 No -550
• San Antonio Spurs Yes +600 No -1000

Eastern Conference Qualifiers

• Celtics/Wizards -250
• Celtics/Pacers +700
• Celtics/Hornets +800
• Wizards/Pacers +800
• Wizards/Hornets +900

Western Conference Qualifiers

• Lakers/Warriors -350
• Lakers/Grizzlies +600
• Lakers/Spurs +950
• Warriors/Grizzlies +1100
• Warriors/Spurs +1600

How do I read the Playoff Props Odds?

For example, the Milwaukee Bucks odds of making the 2021 NBA Playoffs are listed at Yes (-6000) and No (+1600).

If you bet $100 on the Bucks to be one of the eight teams to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, you would win $1.66 on "Yes" wagers. Or in order to win $100 on the Bucks-Yes combination, then you would have to risk $6,000.

Bettors believing that the Bucks could stumble this season or perhaps injuries could wreck their season, a "No" wager would bring back a return of 16/1 odds (Bet $100 to win $1,600).

NBA Playoff History

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in six games of the 2020 NBA Finals.

History Archive

NBA Playoff Scoreboard

The NBA Scoreboard not only provides the scores for the NBA Playoffs, but so much more.

The key feature is the Betting Odds and the NBA Scores provides a consensus line that is created by multiple sportsbooks in the United States. The Betting Odds display which team is the favorite in the matchup and that can be determined with a minus (-) sign followed by a number.

Also, the NBA Scores section features Betting Trends for each matchup and this shows you how much money is being wagered on each team. It’s a great tool if you want to ride or against the betting public. Another great resource is the Line Movements because knowing how a sportsbook adjusts to the action.

If you are in a state where sports betting is legal, please check out our online sportsbook directory to find the best and most secure places to make bets on today's NBA games.

NBA Playoff Format

"The First to Win 16"

After the field of 16 is determined, the first team to win four best-of-seven series will be deemed the NBA Champion.

In each of the best-of-seven series, the team with the higher seed will have home-court advantage and they will host the first two games.

The lower seed will then host the next two games and the remaining three games, if necessary, will be alternated with the higher seed hosting Game 5 and 7 while the lower seed hosts Game 6.

In simple terms, the NBA Playoffs Format for a best-of-seven can be viewed as 2-2-1-1-1.

NBA Playoff Series Betting

One of the most popular betting markets in the NBA Playoffs is the series prices, which focuses on the head-to-head matchup between two teams in the best-of-seven series.

Also, bettors can wager on the Exact Outcomes for those series and those payouts are great.

The 2020 Playoff Series Results and Odds can be viewed below for the four rounds.

• First Round
• Second Round
• Conference Finals & Finals

NBA Playoff Betting Types

• Money-line: This is an easy one. Simply pick which team will win outright. Say the Lakers are up against Clippers in a series matchup – pick one team over the other to bring home the win. New bettors especially bet on the money-line as it's the simplest way to bet on a game.

• Point-Spread: Like money-line, here you choose a team to win or lose outright. However, the difference lies in guessing how much they win/lose by. This number is a specific points total set by the sportsbooks. Our advice? Check out the team’s average points per game over the season.

• Totals: Also called over/under, this bet determines whether the final score will – combined – will be over or under what the sportsbook thinks.

• Props: This betting market continues to rise in popularity and betting on both specific player and team statistics will increase your viewing pleaure.

• Live Betting: Forgot to put your bet in? No problem, just pull up the latest Live Betting markets or what many also call In-Game Wagering. These wagers can allow you to press, chase or even get out of wagers that you don't want any part of. The options are limitless and the action is Live!

• Futures: Feeling the itch to bet already? Futures can be placed weeks or sometimes months ahead of the game. For example, maybe you think the Boston Celtics will bring it home this year in your NBA Playoffs Picks. Place a bet now ahead of the postseason to get in on the ground floor. Just pay attention as the odds can change, and your choice can even be knocked out!

• Parlays: Called accumulator bets in the UK, parlays are a series of bets. The NBA Playoffs is the perfect time for parlays, where you can lay down a small bet of say $10 across five games. Win all five and you could be looking at a hefty return with your NBA Playoff Picks.

NBA Playoff Picks Memberships

VegasInsider.com is offering great opportunities to see a variety of NBA Playoff predictions from all of our pro basketball experts.