Basketball fans have it all to look forward to over the next few weeks as the NBA Play-offs reach their climax in the US. Only four teams remain, and it's certain that those last remaining matches will be a treat.
Here’s what you need to know before the action gets underway on Tuesday morning.
Betting Tip: Oklahoma City Thunder - New York Knicks
The Thunder have been the best team in the competition throughout, just as strong in defence as they are offensively and being able to call on one of the deepest and best-balanced rosters ever seen in the league.
As good as the Spurs are themselves, the Thunder should be a little too good for them, and the smart money is on them playing the Knicks in the final, who look a cut above the Cavaliers.
The Knicks will have had a pretty good season just in making the Finals, but should find Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and co too hot to handle, so the 2.25 that the Thunder beat the Knicks in the final looks the way to go.
- Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder to beat the New York Knicks in the final
- Odds: 2.25 (at the time of writing)
The Final Four Teams
After another gruelling regular season and the first few rounds of the playoffs, we’re down to the last four teams.
In the Western Conference Finals, we have the current champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, up against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Thunder made light work of the LA Lakers, beating them 4-0 in the semi-finals, a result that will have disappointed fans who had tickets to the later games because they weren’t needed, such was the Thunder’s dominance.
It was also a result that made the great LeBron James announce that he was considering his future, which may mean he’s either contemplating retirement or a move to another NBA side after that devastating loss. We’ll have to wait and see whether we’ll see James, the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer, on an NBA court again.
It was all pretty straightforward for San Antonio, too. They beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-2, racking up 139 points in the game that got them over the line.
Over in the Eastern Conference, it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers up against the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers only just got past the Detroit Pistons, who recovered from being 3-2 down to force a decider in the best-of-seven Series, which the Cavaliers ended up winning 125-94.
As for the Knicks, they matched the Thunder in winning 4-0, with the Philadelphia 76ers being the team on the receiving end of such a beating.
Betting on NBA Playoffs
The Thunder are the 1.65 favourites to defend their title, with their Western Conference rivals, the Spurs, next best at 4.4.
Then it’s the Knicks at 7.2 with the Cavaliers the big outsiders at 25.0.
In other words, the odds-compilers expect the winners of the Thunder v Spurs encounter to go on and win the NBA.
The Thunder are 1.4 to get the better of the Spurs in the Series, the latter available at 2.9.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the odds are actually quite similar, with a 1.45 favourite (the Knicks) and a 2.8 outsider, the Cavaliers.
On Tuesday morning (00.40 UK time), we have the first match of the Spurs v Thunder Series in Oklahoma, with the hosts 1.4 to win it and 1.9 to beat the -6.5 points spread.
Then on Wednesday morning (00.10) it’s exactly the same odds as the 1.4 Knicks host the Cavaliers. The points spread in that one sees the Knicks at 1.9 to beat a -7.5 point handicap.
Players to Watch
One of the reasons why the Spurs v Thunder Series is so eagerly anticipated is because it’s seen as a showdown between the Thunder’s star player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Spurs’ main man, Victor Wembanyama.
Which of those two has the better Series could have a huge bearing on which of the two teams goes through.
Gilgeou-Alexander was already the regular-season MVP and is just 1.57 to become the NBA Finals MVP too, while Wembanyama is 4.2 to pick up the award, with Jalen Brunson 7.0 and Donovan Mitchell a much bigger 26.0.
