The NBA has one of the more liberal postseason formats, which is why this time of year is so exciting for hoop fans. With the play-in tournament on the horizon, anything can happen.
The sportsbooks have spoken and the NBA playoff odds are out. Among teams on the fringes — top teams like the Nuggets, for example, aren’t on our oddsboard — the Suns are the most chalked at -2500 to make the playoffs. The Jazz (-700) and the Bulls (-700) are tied with the steepest odds of not making the playoffs.
For more NBA odds, take a look at our dedicated NBA page, which also includes prop betting opportunities and other betting suggestions. There’s also our How To Bet on the NBA page, which can get you acclimated to basketball wagering, and our ever-popular NBA championship odds page, a good place to start scoping out some NBA futures bets.
Odds To Make NBA Playoffs In 2022-23
Here’s a full look at the NBA playoff betting odds. For these lines, making the play-ins does not count as qualifying for the playoffs. A team must advance from the play-in stage for their bet to hit.
NBA Playoff Odds
Odds as of February 24
NBA Playoff Odds: Two Teams That Will Make It
As the second half begins, here are two teams we like in the NBA playoff betting odds.
Utah Jazz (+450)
I think the Jazz are undervalued here at +450.
Utah was counted out at the start of the season but the squad has hung in there as we race to the end of the campaign. A play-in scenario seems likely, although that doesn’t deter me from a futures bet at the current value. The Jazz’s roster has outperformed expectations this season — Lauri Markkanen is a dynamite player — and Utah can easily ride the hot hand into a pre-playoff tournament. On top of all that, the Jazz have the 11th-easiest remaining schedule in the NBA, according to Tankathon.
Toronto Raptors (+155)
The Raptors’ lack of direction at the trade deadline might actually allow them to squeak into the playoffs. Toronto had offers on the table for OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, but opted to keep the core intact and add a center, Jakob Poeltl, as the team chased a postseason berth.
Now the club is inching back to .500 and the play-in tournament seems likely. This Raptors roster has solid playoff experience — several players remain from the championship team of 2018-19 — and, like the Jazz, I think Toronto can win out in the play-ins. The plus money is nice, too.
NBA Playoff Odds: Two Teams That Won’t Make It
Here are two teams you should fade in the odds to make the NBA playoffs.
Atlanta Hawks (+120)
Atlanta is in turmoil at the moment. The Hawks recently fired head coach Nate McMillan, opting to replace him with assistant Joe Prunty for the time being. But McMillan’s firing was a long time in the making, as he reportedly quarreled with Trae Young. The Hawks’ star player allegedly had a verbal spat with McMillan at a shootaround earlier this year that resulted in the guard skipping a game. From there, bridges were burned.
The Hawks haven’t looked right all season, and with the NBA’s third-hardest remaining schedule, I don’t love their chances to make the playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves (-165)
Yikes, the books don’t have any faith in the T-Wolves, who are currently seventh in the Western Conference. Well, neither do I, though I wish the value was a bit better.
I didn’t love Minnesota’s strategy at the trade deadline. The club dealt D’Angelo Russell to the Lakers and brought in Mike Conley as his replacement. Conley, 35, is past his prime and shot 0-for-6 while going scoreless in a loss to Washington before the all-star break. Obviously, one bad game from Conley isn’t why the Timberwolves’ season is toast, but I see too much uncertainty down the stretch, particularly with how Karl-Anthony Towns is progressing from his injury. The latest timetable has the star big man returning in late March — that might be too late to salvage the season.
Understanding NBA Odds To Make The Playoffs
When you visit any basketball betting site, you’ll see a team’s playoff odds laid out like this:
Charlotte Hornets
Yes +385
No -625
In this case, the Hornets have a 20.6 percent chance of making the playoffs and an 86.2 percent chance of not making an appearance. Keep in mind that the sportsbook takes a cut of every bet. This is called the vig or the juice and you can’t avoid it, unfortunately. However, you could still get value on your bets if you win – more on that below.
Making a bet on No at -625, you’d need to bet $625 just to win $100 in profit. On the other hand, if you think they will go on a tear and qualify for the playoffs, that same $100 on Yes at +385 would give you a payout of $485 – your $100 comes back along with your winnings of $385.
To find out what you’d win based on the odds and amount you bet, check out our Odds Calculator.
What Is A Prop Bet On NBA Playoff Odds?
A prop is a bet on the occurrence or non-occurrence of specific team or player milestones that don’t always correlate to the result of a particular game. Here, the prop bet is on a team to make or not make the playoffs.
When oddsmakers create the lines, they are subject to change. As the season goes on, the odds will shift to reflect how a team is doing. We suggest taking odds you like as soon as you see them. As we mentioned above, in order to get great betting value should your bet win, you want to get a team at plus (+) money if you can before they move into minus (-) territory.