2022 NBA Conference Finals Betting Preview

All of the favorites to win the NBA Championship coming into the season per the NBA futures odds have been eliminated from the playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t even make the playoffs, and the Brooklyn Nets were home in the first round. Now, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks have been eliminated too, leaving the Golden State Warriors as the favorite to win the title at +135. Golden State limped across the finish line to end the regular season, but the Warriors have taken care of business in the first two rounds and relied on their veterans.

2022 NBA Conference Finals Betting Odds at BetOnline

Boston Celtics -175
Miami Heat +155

The most impressive team through the first two rounds of the playoffs has been Boston. The Celtics knocked out the two favorites in the Eastern Conference in Brooklyn and Milwaukee, and they were the best team through the last three months of the regular season.

Jayson Tatum has taken his game to the next level, averaging 28.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 6.1 APG this postseason. Jaylen Brown has been playing very well too as the second-best player on the Celtics, and they have been getting a lot of help from their supporting class.

Al Horford had some fantastic performances against the Bucks, and Marcus Smart has been solid despite dealing with an injured foot. Robert Williams III should be able to return after missing the last four games of the Miami series with a knee injury, and Grant Williams is coming off a historic performance in Game 7.

Before Game 7 between Boston and Milwaukee, the oddsmakers had the Heat and Celtics pegged as even money in the conference finals. The Celtics’ dominant win in Game 7 led to a ton of action on Boston though, leading to real value in Miami at +155 to win the East.

Miami was the best team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. The Heat had no real trouble with Atlanta in the first round and were dominant against Philadelphia in the second round. They have had time to get healthy and rest prior to Game 1, so that gives them an advantage early this series.

Jimmy Butler has been sensational this postseason with 28.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 5.4 APG while making 52.5% of his shots. Bam Adebayo is the versatile big man that teams covet in the modern NBA, but the Heat need to start hitting their threes in a big way. Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo are both hitting just 27.3% from beyond the arc in the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks +180
Golden State Warriors -210

Kudos to Dallas for pulling off an improbable upset over the Phoenix Suns in the last round. The Mavericks fell down 0-2, and it looked like they would be sent packing by the best team in the regular season and the overall favorites entering the playoffs. However, they roared back to win the series as Luka Doncic showed why he is going to be one of the NBA MVP favorites next season.

Doncic has been the star of the playoffs through two rounds. He is averaging 31.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 6.6 APG while proving why he is one of the few truly elite players in the game today. Dallas doesn’t have a lot of talent alongside him, but Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson know their roles and have performed well.

Golden State might be the overall favorite to win the NBA title, but the Warriors are not the dominant force they were a few years ago. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are no longer playing at the same level that they did when Golden State was a dynasty, and Steph Curry hasn’t been as deadly from downtown or the free throw line.

Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins have been playing well in supporting roles, but Poole will need to continue thriving in order for Golden State to win this series. This could be a big series for Jonathan Kuminga too as Dallas doesn’t have a lot of big men.

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