The final two playoff spots were determined Friday night during the NBA Play-in Tournament. The full field of NBA teams hit the hardwood this weekend with all matchups a 7-game series. Many interesting storylines to follow as the NBA playoffs 2025 series unfold, including betting odds and movement. Many NBA analysts, media members, handicappers and bettors believe the Western Conference provides more opportunities for upsets and a surprise team to come out of the West despite heavy favortism on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
NBA Series Odds
NBA playoffs 2025 game and series odds from FanDuel and leading online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting.
Western Conference
- No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (-) vs. No. 8 Dallas/Memphis winner
- No. 2 Houston Rockets (+146 ) vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors (-174)
- No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers (-186) vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (+156)
- No. 4 Denver Nuggets (+100) vs. No. 5 Los Angels Clippers (-118)
As you watch and wager on the NBA teams best-of-7 series starting Saturday, April 19, here are the Western Conference Game 1 matchups and odds, and some daily NBA matchup betting previews and player props.
Follow the Eastern Conference preview, matchups and odds as they also change and adjust following each game.
NBA Playoffs Trends
The Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) research team also added these against the spread (ATS) trends for the NBA Playoffs.
In last year’s 2024 playoffs, teams that won the game outright were 75-12-1 ATS. The five-year run on outright NBA winners in playoff games is now 376-45-6 ATS, a winning percentage of 89.3%. That makes moneyline bettors feeling good as they evaluate FanDuel’s extensive menu of prop bets and game-by-game player props while watching and wagering on the biggest games.
Over the last four seasons NBA playoffs, there has been little advantage in betting on home teams to cover the point spread. Home teams are 203-141 straight-up and 175-167-2 ATS (51.2%)
Six lower-seeded teams advanced in the opening round last year. A total of 19 lower-seeded teams have advanced past the first round in the last 12 years of the NBA playoffs, but 12 of those were No. 5 seeds beating No. 4 seads.
Using the records from the second half of the season has also revealed quality underdogs. When the worse-seeded team had an equal or better record in the second half of the season, they won 10 of last 20 series while going 64-56 outright in games. This is a very strong indicator of potential upsets. Last year both the Pacers and Mavericks advanced in this system profile. For the 2025 playoffs, The Timberwolves, Clippers and Warriors apply in their opening series, although the Clippers and Warriors are both favored as lower seeds.
Saturday, April 19
Game 1 – LA Clippers at Denver (-2.5), 224
Game 1 – Minnesota at LA Lakers (-4), 216.5
Sunday, April 20
Game 1 – Golden State at Houston (-1), 213.5
Game 1 – Dallas/Memphis at Oklahoma City
Last year, home teams in Game 1 (East and West) went 8-0 SU and 7-1 ATS in 2024. Game 1 home teams are now 63-25 SU and 48-40 ATS (54.5%) over the last 12 seasons.
Home teams that won in Game 1 of a first round series are 35-10 SU and 31-14 ATS (68.9%) in Game 1 since 2016.
Scoring at least 118 points in a first round game has been gold, including 15-1 SU and ATS in 2024. So handicapping and evaluating game and team totals, and incorporating how scoring may play out has seen teams go 113-28 SU and 112-29 ATS (79.4%) over the past six postseasons when scoring at least 118 points in opening round games.
LA Clippers-Denver
The VSiN NBA Playoffs betting guide has a series preview of the Clippers-Nuggets with a pick on the Clippers to win the series
Minnesota-LA Lakers
A Timberwolves-Lakers series betting preview is provided by VSiN, which notes that the Lakers opened -160 and heavy betting action as moved them above -185 to win the series. Still, the value and pick is on the Timberwolves.
Houston-Golden State
The No. 7 seed Warriors are a sizable favorite to win the series over No. 2 Rockets. But top online sportsbooks are reporting the Rockets are the most popular series bet to win in the Western Conference opening round followed by the Lakers and Clippers. Those three teams are drawing more one-sided series action on money wagered too (handle). The VSiN pick is on the Rockets to win the series and advance.
Additional stats may be added as matchups are finalized and any odds adjustments. Follow more daily NBA news and FanDuel betting previews, bets and props as the top teams push through the playoffs.
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