While the 2021 NBA Playoffs are only just beginning, it’s fun to jump ahead and think about the championship matchup. That’s what these teams are really playing for, right?
The NBA play-in tournament concluded on Friday night with the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies battling it out for the eighth seed. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors in overtime to advance to take on the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz.
While the tournament was met with opposing opinions, it proved to be successful and highly competitive with many games coming down to the wire, and a ninth-seeded team for the first time has found their way into the playoff picture.
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Let’s take a look at the teams most likely to make it all the way through the postseason and face each other for the 2021 trophy.
When are the 2021 NBA Finals?
The 2021 Playoffs will begin on May 22. The NBA Finals series is scheduled to start on July 8. If the series goes to a Game 7, they will conclude on July 22.
What is the most likely matchup in the 2021 NBA Finals?
Golden State Warriors
The Brooklyn Nets are involved in the three most likely NBA Finals matchups, with a showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers having the best odds at +450. The Lakers edged out the Clippers, who are +500 to meet the Nets in the Finals. A Nets-Jazz matchup is in third at +650.
The most likely Finals not featuring the Nets? That would be the Lakers against the Sixers at +1100.
There’s a four-way tie for the least likely Finals matchup, all involving the Grizzlies, with Memphis-Atlanta, Memphis-Boston, Memphis-New York and Memphis-Washington all at +50000.
Here are the current top 25 matchups most likely to be featured in this year’s championship, provided by PointsBet.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets | +450 |
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Brooklyn Nets | +500 |
Utah Jazz vs. Brooklyn Nets | +650 |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers | +1100 |
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Philadelphia 76ers | +1200 |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks | +1200 |
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Milwaukee Bucks | +1400 |
Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers | +1500 |
Utah Jazz vs. Milwaukee Bucks | +1600 |
Phoenix Suns vs. Brooklyn Nets | +1800 |
Denver Nuggets vs. Brooklyn Nets | +2200 |
Denver Nuggets vs. Philadelphia 76ers | +2500 |
Phoenix Suns vs. Philadelphia 76ers | +4000 |
Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks | +4500 |
Dallas Mavericks vs. Brooklyn Nets | +5000 |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat | +5000 |
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Brooklyn Nets | +5000 |
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Miami Heat | +5500 |
Utah Jazz vs. Miami Heat | +6600 |
Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks | +7500 |
Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers | +10000 |
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Atlanta Hawks | +10000 |
Los Angeles Clippers vs. New York Knicks | +10000 |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Atlanta Hawks | +10000 |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks | +10000 |
Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.