NBA Playoffs betting in 2025

Betting on the playoffs is really no different to wagering on games in the regular season. Here’s a simple guide to how odds work, with a brief explainer below.

Let’s look at a match between the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards. The odds, expressed as decimals, may read:

For every C$10 you stake on the Raptors, the favourites (highlighted by the fact that their odds are lower), you win C$5. If you put C$4 on Washington, the underdogs (having higher odds), you win C$5.

The maths for this is surprisingly simple. Firstly, work out what the total payout would be by multiplying the odds for the team you're betting on by 10 (1.5 x 10 = 15). Now you know the total payout is C$15, you simply need to subtract your wager (C$10) from the total payout (C$15), leaving you with C$5 profit.

Odds may be presented in other formats, such as fractional and moneyline (also known as American) odds. Most sportsbooks switch between systems to let you choose how you see prices. Check out our odds calculator below to see how they compare.

There are many ways you can bet on the NBA playoffs. We'll take you through some of the most popular bet types and how they work.

One of the most popular bets out there, this is simply a straight choice – who is going to win the game? In this example, the Houston Rockets are the clear favourites to win, as their odds are lower than Utah Jazz's.

Also known as handicap betting, this bet has been designed to bridge the gap between the favourite and the underdog. The sportsbook sets a number (or 'spread') showing by how many points one side will win, then gives you a 50-50 choice. You decide whether you think one side will win – or lose – by more than that margin.

How many points will both teams score in a game combined? If you think it'll be a higher-scoring match than the sportsbook does based on the number it has set (in this case, 220.5), then the overs bet is for you.

Very simple - which side will score more points in the first quarter?

Prop, or proposition bets, are not on the overall outcome of a game, but events within a game. NBA Finals player prop bets are by far the most common and include things like betting the total number of points a player will score. There's also team prop bets, an example of which would be betting on which team will be the first to score 10 points.

Futures betting is a market that allows you to wager on sporting events happening far in advance. When it comes to the playoffs, you could bet on the odds of making the playoffs; NBA playoff first round odds; your team winning its division or conference, or even winning the finals. The earlier you do this, the bigger your return should be!

It's now possible to stake on the action after the game has started. Sportsbooks will present odds that fluctuate according to the changing fortunes of the sides. You can bet on markets such as the winner of the next quarter, or even still bet on the overall outcome of the game.