The 2025 NBA playoffs bracket is (mostly) set, and there’s plenty of intrigue about the potential matchups to start the postseason.
The top-six seeds in the East and the West must wait for the play-in tournament to determine the No. 7 and No. 8 seed in each conference before beginning their first-round series, but there’s already a predicted pecking order based on the odds coming out of the regular season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are the clear favorites to win the NBA championship entering the playoffs, and rightfully so. They were the only teams in the league to win more than 60 games this season. But plenty of contenders capable of upsets lurk below them, especially since Oklahoma City and Cleveland haven’t been through the rigors of a conference finals or finals run with their current cores.
In the west, the upstart Houston Rockets grabbed the No. 2 seed and the Los Angeles Lakers are a threat by virtue of having LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors, since acquiring Jimmy Butler to team with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, have also been the hottest teams in the league after the NBA trade deadline. The Eastern Conference also features the New York Knicks’ first playoff run with Karl-Anthony Towns in the fold and Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks remain a dark horse alongside last year’s Eastern Conference finalist, the Indiana Pacers, and this year’s surprise team, the Detroit Pistons.
It could be a wild NBA playoffs with so many established stars trying to knock off the new generation of players beginning to rise. Here’s a look at the current NBA championship odds from BetMGM now that the league’s postseason is about to start:
NBA playoffs odds 2025: Who has the best chance to win championship?
BetMGM odds for NBA Finals winner as of Monday, April 14
Oklahoma City Thunder (+175)
Boston Celtics (+220)
Cleveland Cavaliers (+600)
Los Angeles Lakers (+1100)
Golden State Warriors (+1400)
Denver Nuggets (+2500)
New York Knicks (+3000)
Los Angeles Clippers (+4000)
Minnesota Timberwolves (+5000)
Houston Rockets (+8000)
Indiana Pacers (+10,000)
Milwaukee Bucks (+15,000)
Memphis Grizzlies (+25,000)
Detroit Pistons (+30,000)
Atlanta Hawks (+100,000)
Chicago Bulls (+100,000)
Miami Heat (+100,000)
Orlando Magic (+100,000)
Dallas Mavericks (+100,000)
Sacramento Kings (+100,000)
2025 NBA Play-In Tournament bracket
The tournament runs from Tuesday, April 15 through Friday, April 18. Round 1 games are scheduled on April 15 and 16 with Round 2 games in each conference set for April 18. The NBA playoffs begin a day later.
Eastern Conference
No. 7 Orlando Magic (41-41) vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks (40-42) on April 15
No. 9 Chicago Bulls (39-43) vs. No. 10 Miami Heat (37-45) on April 16
Western Conference
No. 7 Golden State Warriors (48-34) vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies (48-34) on April 15
No. 9 Sacramento Kings (40-42) vs. No. 10 Dallas Mavericks (39-43) on April 16
NBA Eastern Conference playoff bracket
No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 seed (winner of the Play-In Tournament)
No. 2 seed Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 seed (first runner-up of the Play-In Tournament)
No. 3 seed New York Knicks vs. No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons
No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks
NBA Western Conference playoff bracket
No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 seed (winner of the Play-In Tournament)
No. 2 seed Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 seed (first runner-up of the Play-In Tournament)
No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 seed Los Angeles Clippers