The Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are the favorites to win the NBA championship based on the odds before the start of the 2025 NBA playoffs schedule.
The 2025 NBA playoffs are here and the chase for a championship begins in full with the start of Eastern and Western Conference first-round series, beginning on Saturday, April 19.
There’s an established pecking order after 82 games of regular-season action, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and defending champion Boston Celtics emerging as title favorites this year after earning the top seed in their respective conferences. But star-studded contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks all lurk as contenders capable of disrupting the status quo and shaking up some of the expected outcomes for this NBA postseason, according to the BetMGM odds. The No. 4 seed Los Angeles Clippers and No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors appear to be the best bets to out-perform their finish in the league standings.
With the first-round matchups mostly set, here’s a look at how all the NBA teams still alive for the playoffs stack up in power rankings based on odds to win this year’s NBA championship:
NBA playoffs power rankings by championship odds
BetMGM odds as of 12 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 17
The favorites
The top contenders
Dark horses
Never say never
How to watch NBA playoffs 2025: Dates, TV and live streaming update
The 2025 NBA playoffs will be broadcast nationally by ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. The play-in tournament games will be televised by TNT and ESPN. NBA playoff and play-in games on TNT can also be streamed with Max and Sling TV. Games that appear on ABC and ESPN can be streamed with Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
For the complete 2025 NBA playoff schedule, click here.
