status remains uncertain<\/a>.<\/p>\nThis is a look at the odds for all eight first-round series in the NBA playoffs. It will be updated daily throughout the playoffs, as the odds to win each series will shift with results.<\/p>\n
Eastern Conference playoffsNo. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic<\/p>\n
Series tied 1-1<\/p>\n
Game 3: 1 p.m. ET, Saturday<\/p>\n
Series odds:\u00a0Pistons -255, Magic +210<\/p>\n
The Pistons entered Wednesday\u2019s Game 2 having lost 11 straight home playoff games. That\u2019s the kind of streak that should be impossible.<\/p>\n
Richard Hamilton was in attendance on Wednesday. Hamilton, who is 48 years old and has been retired for 13 years, was playing for the Pistons the last time Detroit won a home playoff game in 2008.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why the Pistons\u2019 30-3 run to start the third quarter must have been so cathartic for Pistons fans. The game was tied at halftime, but suddenly the Pistons held a 27-point lead. Detroit won by 15.<\/p>\n
The series is tied as it heads to Orlando. The Pistons are small favorites on the road for Game 3.<\/p>\n
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers<\/p>\n
Series tied 1-1<\/p>\n
Game 3: 7 p.m. ET, Friday<\/p>\n
Series odds: Celtics -500, 76ers +380<\/p>\n
Philadelphia won on the road in Game 2 as a 13.5-point underdog. The playoffs have had a fair share of upsets so far, but this is the biggest on paper. Now the series is even and going to Philly.<\/p>\n
After having tough shooting nights in Game 1, VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined for 59 points in a 111-97 win. Edgecombe, a rookie, went from 13 points and 0-for-5 from 3-point range in Game 1 to 30 points and 6-for-10 from beyond the arc in Game 2.<\/p>\n
Jaylen Brown poured in 36 points, and Jayson Tatum was an assist shy of a triple-double (19 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists), but no other Celtic reached double figures in scoring.<\/p>\n
This is all with Joel Embiid still out. While Embiid continues to work his way back from appendicitis, the 76ers are hoping to hang in the series long enough for Embiid to come back.<\/p>\n
Boston is still favored to advance and in Game 3 on the road, but the 76ers will have hope of pulling off the upset of the Eastern Conference favorites.<\/p>\n
No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks<\/p>\n
Hawks lead series 2-1<\/p>\n
Game 4: 6 p.m. ET, Saturday<\/p>\n
Series odds:\u00a0Hawks -130, Knicks +100<\/p>\n
We could be witnessing the CJ McCollum series, which is not a thing many people expected to be considering. After go-ahead shots in the final minute of back-to-back games, McCollum is etching his name in Knicks history as a name to cause trauma to fans.<\/p>\n
McCollum drilled a fadeaway jumper over OG Anunoby to put the Hawks up by a point with 12.4 seconds left. The Knicks couldn\u2019t get a shot off on the ensuing possession, and Atlanta won 109-108.<\/p>\n
The Hawks now lead the series 2-1 and have become the favorites to win it. The odds imply it is still nearly a coin flip, but Atlanta is favored. The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.<\/p>\n
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n
Cavaliers lead series 2-1<\/p>\n
Game 4: 1 p.m. ET, Sunday<\/p>\n
Series odds: Cavaliers -900, Raptors +600<\/p>\n
Desperately in need of a win on Thursday, the Raptors used a 16-0 run late in the fourth quarter to put Game 3 away. Toronto won 126-104 to defend home court and ensure a return trip to Cleveland.<\/p>\n
Cleveland\u2019s high scorer was James Harden with only 18 points. Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley shot a combined 4-for-21 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Toronto got 33 points each from RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes.<\/p>\n
The Cavs are favored by 3.5 points for Game 4 and remain clear favorites to advance, but Toronto at least kept things interesting. It really becomes a series if Toronto evens things up on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Western Conference playoffsNo. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Phoenix Suns<\/p>\n
Thunder lead series 2-0<\/p>\n
Game 3: 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday<\/p>\n
Series odds:\u00a0Thunder -20000, Suns +6000<\/p>\n
The Thunder were favored by 17.5 points in a playoff game on Wednesday, which is a crazy thing to think about. The Suns won 45 games in the regular season. They aren\u2019t scrubs. Yet, the Thunder are a dominant force, especially at home.<\/p>\n
OKC didn\u2019t cover in Game 2, winning by 13 after Phoenix made a rally to get within 10 points with less than four minutes remaining. Still, the Thunder are a virtual lock to advance in the betting odds.<\/p>\n
The Thunder are favored by \u201conly\u201d 9.5 for Game 3 in Phoenix.<\/p>\n
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n
Series tied 1-1<\/p>\n
Game 3: 10:30 p.m. ET, Friday<\/p>\n
Series odds: Spurs -550, Trail Blazers +400<\/p>\n
This is the nightmare scenario for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama bounced his head on the floor twice in Tuesday\u2019s Game 2 and left with a concussion after playing just 12 minutes. It\u2019s unclear how long he will be out, but it\u2019s a massive shift in the series, especially after the Trail Blazers won to even the series.<\/p>\n
The Spurs were down by two in the second quarter when Wemby left and lost 106-103. De\u2019Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle all had off shooting nights, going a combined 19-for-52 from the field and 3-for-14 from 3-point range. Everything is harder on both ends without the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.<\/p>\n
Scoot Henderson went off for a season-high 31 points, pouring in 5-of-9 3-pointers, in Portland\u2019s victory.<\/p>\n
San Antonio is still a heavy favorite to advance. As noted above, Wemby will be traveling with the team, and it looks like he likely won\u2019t miss the entire series with a concussion, but Portland has a great opportunity to put the Spurs in a hole with two home games coming up.<\/p>\n
No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves<\/p>\n
Timberwolves lead series 2-1<\/p>\n
Game 4: 8:30 p.m. ET, Saturday<\/p>\n
Series odds:\u00a0Nuggets -110, Timberwolves -110<\/p>\n
Jade McDaniels talked a lot of smack<\/a> about the Nuggets after Minnesota won Game 2 on the road. Then McDaniels and his teammates backed it up again in Thursday\u2019s Game 3 in Minneapolis.<\/p>\nReally, though, it wasn\u2019t Denver\u2019s lack of defense that was the story. Anthony Edwards shot just 6-for-15 from the field and was held to 17 points. No Minnesota starter scored more than 20 points (McDaniels had 20). It was Ayo Dosunmu who led the Timberwolves with 25 points off the bench.<\/p>\n
The story was how Minnesota locked down the Nuggets and specifically Nikola Joki\u0107. Joki\u0107 racked up 27 points, but he shot just 7-for-26 from the field. Jamal Murray was 5-for-17 and 0-for-5 from 3-point range.<\/p>\n
Aaron Gordon didn\u2019t play due to a calf injury, which gives a semi-reasonable excuse for Denver\u2019s 113-96 loss. It also helps explain why the Nuggets still have the same odds as the Wolves to advance despite a 2-1 series deficit. Regardless, it puts a lot of pressure on Denver to deliver in Saturday\u2019s Game 4, in which the Nuggets are small favorites.<\/p>\n
No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets<\/p>\n
Lakers lead series 2-0<\/p>\n
Game 3: 8 p.m. ET, Friday<\/p>\n
Series odds:\u00a0Lakers -135, Rockets +115<\/p>\n
Kevin Durant returned for Houston in Game 2 while Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Austin Reaves still watched from the bench for the Lakers. The Lakers won anyway and are now favored to advance.<\/p>\n
The 2-0 series lead for L.A. gives the Lakers the luxury of being able to be patient with their missing scorers. Even if L.A. loses both in Houston, 2-2 with a home-court advantage is still a decent spot for the Lakers. The pressure is on Houston to come back.<\/p>\n
The Lakers led by 15 in the first half, Houston came back and then the Lakers rebuilt a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and held off the Rockets down the stretch. LeBron James continues to defy the aging process with a 28-point night. Plus, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard combined for 48 points. Durant scored 23 points, but had nine turnovers in the loss.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been ugly so far for Houston, but home court could flip things.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two more underdogs won on Thursday, pushing underdogs to a respectable 9-10 straight up so far in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208692,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1262,9127,1266,9134,1267,9136,9141,9130,21,9,11,1104,10,9132,1264,9126,4575,9133,9138,6115,1265],"class_list":{"0":"post-208691","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-atlanta-hawks","9":"tag-boston-celtics","10":"tag-cleveland-cavaliers","11":"tag-denver-nuggets","12":"tag-detroit-pistons","13":"tag-houston-rockets","14":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","15":"tag-minnesota-timberwolves","16":"tag-nba","17":"tag-new-york","18":"tag-new-york-headlines","19":"tag-new-york-knicks","20":"tag-new-york-news","21":"tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","22":"tag-orlando-magic","23":"tag-philadelphia-76ers","24":"tag-phoenix-suns","25":"tag-portland-trail-blazers","26":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","27":"tag-sports-betting","28":"tag-toronto-raptors"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}