The start of the NBA season is rapidly approaching.
Most major offseason moves have already been made, although potential trades involving James Harden and Damian Lillard still loom large.
As we start to turn our attention toward who could be the next NBA champion, let’s examine the latest NBA playoff odds and make some wagers on teams to qualify for the postseason.
Odds To Make NBA Playoffs
NBA odds used for these best bets are current as of Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Atlanta Hawks (-230)
- Boston Celtics (-6000)
- Brooklyn Nets (+145)
- Charlotte Hornets (+475)
- Chicago Bulls (+150)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (-1200)
- Dallas Mavericks (-220)
- Denver Nuggets (-4000)
- Detroit Pistons (+950)
- Golden State Warriors (-500)
- Houston Rockets (+600)
- Indiana Pacers (+135)
- Los Angeles Clippers (-250)
- Los Angeles Lakers (-380)
- Memphis Grizzlies (-250)
- Miami Heat (-800)
- Milwaukee Bucks (-5000)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (-150)
- New Orleans Pelicans (-150)
- New York Knicks (-380)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (-135)
- Orlando Magic (+165)
- Philadelphia 76ers (-800)
- Phoenix Suns (-900)
- Portland Trail Blazers (N/A)
- Sacramento Kings (-185)
- San Antonio Spurs (+1100)
- Toronto Raptors (+175)
- Utah Jazz (+360)
- Washington Wizards (+1100)
Best Bets to Make NBA Playoffs
Oklahoma City Thunder (-135)
The Thunder took a significant step forward last season, finishing 40-42 to make the NBA Play-In Tournament as the ninth seed. They knocked off the Pelicans in the first game, then lost by 25 points to the Timberwolves to miss out on the playoffs.
The Thunder took a step forward because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took his game to another level. He averaged 31.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 51% from the field and 90.5% from the free-throw line. He also played in 68 games, the most that he has appeared in since the 2019-20 season.
Heading into this season, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams should continue to improve, providing excellent supporting options for Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder will also get back Chet Holmgren, who missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury. They had a massive hole at center last season, which Holmgren should fill extremely well.
With so much young talent on this team, look for this to be the season that OKC returns to the playoffs.
Sacramento Kings (-185)
While these aren’t the most appealing of odds, the Kings had the third-best record in the Western Conference last season. They didn’t lose any significant players this offseason and even added reigning EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov. And still, they have the eighth-best odds of making the playoffs in the West.
One of the reasons why the Kings were so successful last season is that their stars stayed healthy. De’Aaron Fox played in 73 games, while Domantas Sabonis logged 79 games. Key supporting players Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes also played 75 and 82 games, respectively.
- Check out our Top 10 Games on the 2023-24 NBA Schedule.
Worse luck in the health department could hurt the Kings, but they should also see improvement from Keegan Murray, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 Draft. He showed his three-point shooting prowess, averaging 2.6 triples and shooting 41.1% from behind the arc during his rookie season.
The Kings have more than enough depth to make the playoffs again.
Sleeper Picks to Make NBA Playoffs
Chicago Bulls (+150)
The Bulls made the play-in tournament last season, finishing with a 40-42 record. They are a maddening team, given how inconsistent they have played since Lonzo Ball (knee) went down two seasons ago. While he is a key part of their starting five, a team that boasts the trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic should not be middling around .500.
The Bulls have already said that Ball will likely be out for all of this season, but they took better steps to replace him at point guard. They re-signed Coby White, who showed significant improvement last season. They also brought in Jevon Carter, who provides much-needed three-point shooting and defensive versatility.
The key to the Bulls will be if Carter and White can help offset the loss of Ball and if Patrick Williams can take his game to another level. The Bulls need three-point shooting, and Williams was one of their better weapons in that department after shooting 41.5% from behind the arc last season.
Factor in another depth addition in Torrey Craig, who can also shoot threes well, and the Bulls’ star trio might have a good enough supporting cast to get them back into the playoffs.
Orlando Magic (+165)
The Magic showed significant signs of promise last season. They were only 14-27 on the road but 20-21 at home.
Paolo Banchero was named NBA Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 three-pointers over 72 games. The only real downside to his performance was that he wasn’t very efficient, shooting 42.7% from the field and 73.8% from the free-throw line.
Banchero might be the main reason to be excited about the Magic, but he certainly isn’t the only one. Franz Wagner also had a special season, providing 18.6 points per game and shooting 48.5% from the field.
- See where the Magic sit in our NBA Southeast Division betting odds.
Markelle Fultz didn’t play in his first game until the end of November because of injuries, but he showed plenty of improvement when he did get healthy. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 14.0 points and 5.7 assists per game, shooting 51.4% from the field. All three of those marks were the best of his career.
The Magic had two first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, which they used on Anthony Black and Jett Howard. For a team as young as they are, they also added what could prove to be a valuable veteran in Joe Ingles.
The bottom of the Eastern Conference is wide open, so taking a chance on the Magic to make the playoffs at these odds could prove worthwhile.