The NBA didn’t get their wish in seeing the Lakers and Warriors square off in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Should that have occurred, the NBA would undoubtedly enjoy a ratings bonanza in which the league’s biggest stars of the last decade square off in the high stakes of the NBA Playoffs.
But the league may get their wish in the Western Conference semifinals. This would require the Los Angeles Lakers moving past the red hot Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors beating the higher seeded Houston Rockets. If both things happen, we’ll get LeBron James vs. Steph Curry in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Let’s go!
For sports bettors, it’s interesting to examine the odds. Sportsbooks are definitely giving the uber famous duo of LeBron and Steph a premium on the odds. It’s not surprising as “big brands” often get bet more by sports bettors. So let’s take a look and what we see as we enter round one of the NBA Playoffs.
Let’s begin with the Lakers vs. Timberwolves. FanDuel has the Lakers favored to win the series (-186). DraftKings has the Lakers favored as well (-195). Yes, the Lakers are the higher seed, but it’s possible that Anthony Edwards is the best player in the series, and the T-Wolves have been playing lights out (16-4 in their last 20 games). Edwards has been on an absolute tear scoring 40+ twice in just the last week.
It’s hard to bet against LeBron and Luka, but bettors looking at a possible upset can get favorable plus odds if you take the T-Wolves to win the series.
Let’s look at Steph and the Warriors. Like the Lakers, the Warriors are entering the playoffs with a new marquee player on the roster: Jimmy Butler.
The Warriors have been good, but not dominant. And Steph’s squad has had a handful of inexplicable losses in recent weeks. The Houston Rockets have been quite good all year led by youth, athleticism and tenacious defense. We’ve got a perfect old & experienced team vs. the young and feisty team for a compelling round one matchup.
The Rockets have been consistent all year and have secured the 2-seed in the Western Conference, yet the Warriors are favored in the series (-166 on FanDuel, -190 on DraftKings). Why is the 7-seed favored over the 2-seed? Well, Steph, no? And the fact that the Rockets are young and haven’t been here before.
The Lakers and Warriors may indeed get the first round wins. It’s difficult to bet against NBA legends such as LeBron James and Steph Curry, but it indeed seems obvious that there’s not a lot of value in betting these guys. Sportsbooks know fans might be betting with their heart and not their heads here. Still, I’ll be rooting for them as a second round series with these two legends in the twilight of their careers would be incredibly fun.
