This season’s NBA Playoffs are already shaping up to an unmissable event featuring the very best names from the various contending NBA franchises as fans prepare to place their bets in play for why they believe will be the biggest names to battle it out for the Larry O’Brien championship trophy.
Dependent on how many games are required for a team to win four, the NBA Finals are scheduled to commence on the 2nd of the June and likely to conclude on the 19th should the Finals series reach a game 7.
With the NBA postseason featuring some of the best talent available at the highest level of professional basketball, fans are anticipating which names could potentially be raring to square off throughout the post season bracket ahead of the Conference Finals.
The two teams that win the Conference Finals will then represent their region in the NBA Finals in a potential seven game series with the winner being named as NBA World Champions.
The NBA Playoffs have only now just commenced and with there being a wide range of franchises being named as the perennial favorites to win the world title this year and which superstar names could help propel their team to a place in the Finals.
This a wider betting guide focused solely on betting towards the NBA Playoffs and the likely Finals encounters for the 2021/22 season.
- Which teams are the likely Finals contenders:
Teams that have a positive record throughout the regular season will often earn a passage to the postseason, but any teams that enjoy a season finishing well above the .500 mark will often see their odds increase ahead of the Playoffs.
When betting on the NBA Finals, teams such as the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors or Milwaukee Bucks will often showcase the highest odds mainly due to their prior championship success (especially in the case of the Warriors/Bucks) or their immense record throughout the regular season.
However, fans should not count other teams that could potentially fall into the category of ‘sleeper contender’, which mainly focuses on NBA franchises that may have a strong chance of contending for the championship but are often not truly discussed enough in the media or reflected in the betting odds.
The Brooklyn Nets are a prime example given that their odds have drastically reduced since the Harden – Simmons trade, yet the Nets still bolster an incredible roster of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Goran Dragic among other former All-Stars.
Another two teams that could cause a few major shocks include the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Chicago Bulls given their in-depth talent and depth that both franchises have since established in recent years including star names such as DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony-Towns.
- Players to keep a watchful eye on:
It will certainly be a strange postseason given the fact that the likes of LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Anthony Davies will not be competing for a championship this year after the LA Lakers and Clippers failed to make the Playoffs.
However, even without the superstar caliber names that have been listed above, there are also a number of other names who are looking to stake their claim in the NBA postseason from various franchises that fans should look to keep a close eye on.
Some of the most promising names include the aforementioned Anthony Edwards and Zach LaVine as well as Jordan Poole and Tyler Herro who could become breakout talents this season in the playoffs when the lights are shining the brightest.
There are also a number of NBA star names who are under immense pressure to perform which includes the likes of James Harden, Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons (if he is able to play).
Alongside the names listed above, there are also the various superstar talents who are expected to take their respected franchise back to championship contention with the biggest names being Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Jayson Tatum.
It can be a challenge to predict which teams and players will headline the NBA Finals this year given how unpredictable the NBA can often sway to be during the latter stages of the season.
There could be some major shocking upsets within the first and second rounds of the Playoffs and some superstar names could struggle to match the hype that was originally brought upon them at the star of the Playoffs.
The NBA postseason and the resulting Finals are among the most watched and widely covered televised events in all of mainstream sports and as such make for the best sporting games to place bets on for all eager sporting fanatics and punters given the star power that is so often on display and the anticipated stakes that are up for grabs.
