2020-21 NBA Championship betting update, top odds & predictions
- By: Dave Consolazio
- June 7, 2021
- LikeUnlikeLike
- 924 Views
The field of teams vying for the NBA Championship has been cut from 16 down to eight as the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs wrapped up over the weekend. The biggest casualty of the first round was the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were dumped out by the Phoenix Suns. With the Lakers out of the way, the Brooklyn Nets have emerged as the clear favorites to win the NBA Championship in 2021, but will they get the job done? Here’s an update on their odds and those of the other seven teams still in the mix.
Brooklyn Nets (+140)
The Nets have the most talented team remaining in the field by a comfortable margin when Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden are all healthy. But Harden’s hamstring injury in Brooklyn’s 115-107 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 makes the Nets a lot more vulnerable. Durant and Irving are still good enough to win without Harden, but the former Houston star’s 23.2 points, 8.8 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game so far this postseason will be sorely missed when he is out of the lineup.
Brooklyn Nets outright win
Utah Jazz (+350)
The Jazz have the best record in the NBA at 56-21 straight up and 45-31-1 against the spread. They also have one of the league’s most potent home-court advantages with a 33-6 (25-13-1 ATS) record at home. Utah is the team to beat in the NBA West, but a tough second-round matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers will test the mettle of this group. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 28.5 points per game this postseason and might need to be even better for the Jazz to defeat the Clippers.
Utah Jazz outright win
Los Angeles Clippers (+500)
Kawhi Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA Championship in 2019 and is hoping to do the same for the Clippers this year. Leonard averaged 32.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in the first round to fend off the Dallas Mavericks over seven meetings. The winner of LA’s series against the Jazz will be the favorite to advance in the Western Conference finals.
Los Angeles Clippers outright win
Milwaukee Bucks (+650)
Milwaukee flew under the radar this season thanks to the strong play of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo won the NBA MVP award in both 2019 and 2020 and was dominant again with 28.1 points, 11 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game during the regular season. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks must take advantage of James Harden’s absence in Game 2 to put some pressure on the Nets in this series.
Milwaukee Bucks outright win
Phoenix Suns (+800)
The Suns overcame a 2-1 series deficit with three straight wins to knock off the Lakers in six games. Phoenix had some luck go their way with the injury to Anthony Davis in the first round, but this Suns team is no fluke; they earned the no.2 seed in the Western Conference with a 51-21 record (42-28-2 ATS). This group is a clear favorite in its second-round matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
Phoenix Suns outright win
Philadelphia 76ers (+1400)
The Philadelphia 76ers finished the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 49-23 (38-30-4 ATS). If Joel Embiid can play through his torn meniscus for the rest of the postseason, the 76ers might offer some nice value at this price. But that’s a big if; Embiid is at his best when he can use his physicality to impose his will, and that will be difficult playing at less than 100%.
Philadelphia 76ers outright win
Atlanta Hawks (+2000)
The Atlanta Hawks are 9-1 over their last 10 games and 7-1 against the spread over their last eight, including a 128-124 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1. Trae Young is averaging 30.2 points and 9.8 assists per game through Atlanta’s six postseason games so far. The future is clearly bright in Atlanta with the 22-year-old Young to build around, but the path to a championship in 2021 is a tumultuous one.
Atlanta Hawks outright win
Denver Nuggets (+2200)
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets to a first-round victory over the Portland Trail Blazers with 33 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Jokic will in all likelihood win the NBA MVP award, having averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game during the regular season, and he will make the Nuggets a tough out in the playoffs. But with Jamal Murray out for the postseason with a torn ACL, the Nuggets don’t have the depth behind Jokic to survive all of the heavy-hitters left in the field.
Denver Nuggets outright win
You may also like
Join the Betting Planet team!
Are you passionate about sports betting? Sports news writers required TODAY!
Experienced preferred but not essential. (All apps considered).
View Careers at Race MediaTop Online Casinos
Latest Betting News
- Miocic says fans don’t want Jones v Aspinall at UFC 309
- WTA Finals: Sabalenka makes semi-finals, Rybakina eliminated
- Tennis: Zverev ends Humbert’s run at Paris Masters
- New Zealand win Mumbai Test to seal series whitewash in India
- Buccaneers @ Chiefs betting picks & top props | NFL Monday
- India facing tricky chase against NZ on third day of Mumbai Test
- Zverev to face in-form Humbert in Paris Masters final
- Tonga stun New Zealand to reach Pacific Cup final
- WTA Finals 2024 betting tips, odds & predictions
- India v NZ: Honours shared on day one of third Test
Casino Guides
- Safest online casino jurisdictions
- How to guides
- How to win at pokies
- How to play online pokies
- PaysafeCard online casino deposits
- MasterCard Online Casinos
- Online Casinos Accepting POLi
- 32Red Casino Review
- All Slots Casino Review
- Boombet Casino review
- Horse racing games at casinos
- Credit card deposits at online casinos
- Films about blackjack
- Live dealer casinos
- How to play live dealer blackjack party
- Online Blackjack
- Top online casinos 2024
- Online casino deposits
- MasterCard Online Casinos
- Online Casinos Accepting POLi
- PaysafeCard online casino deposits
- Online slots
- Playing Pai Gow Poker on the Internet
- Online keno
- Online poker
- Online poker tournament structures
- Real money online roulette 2024
- Online multi-wheel roulette – what is it?
- How to play online scratch cards in 2024
- Sit & Go online poker tournaments
- Skrill e-wallet deposits at online casinos
- Visa online casino deposits
Sports Betting Guides
Casino Games
Deposits & Withdrawals
Football
Basketball
Top Country Betting sites
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Brazil
- Canada
- Dominican Republic
- Germany
- Ghana
- Grenada
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Kenya
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Turkey
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe