Here, we'll take a look at the odds to make and miss the playoffs in the 2024/25 NBA season.
With as much talent as there is in the NBA these days, even making the playoffs can be a struggle despite the fact that 16 out of 30 teams - more than half the league - qualify for the postseason.
Good teams with big names missed out on the playoffs last season, with notable examples being Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors and De'Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings.
Entering the 2024/25 NBA regular season, let's look at each team's odds to make and miss the playoffs.
Team | Yes | No |
ATL Hawks | +180 | -230 |
BKN Nets | +2800 | -40000 |
BOS Celtics | -20000 | +2000 |
CHA Hornets | +500 | -800 |
CHI Bulls | +750 | -1400 |
CLE Cavaliers | -1000 | +6000 |
DAL Mavericks | -500 | +350 |
DEN Nuggets | -1000 | +600 |
DET Pistons | +1200 | -3000 |
GS Warriors | -110 | -110 |
HOU Rockets | +100 | -130 |
IND Pacers | -650 | +425 |
LA Clippers | +350 | -500 |
LA Lakers | -105 | -115 |
MEM Grizzlies | -230 | +180 |
MIA Heat | -450 | +320 |
MIL Bucks | -2000 | +950 |
MIN Timberwolves | -1000 | +6000 |
NO Pelicans | -180 | +145 |
NY Knicks | -6600 | +1600 |
OKC Thunder | -3000 | +1200 |
ORL Magic | -750 | +475 |
PHI 76ers | -4000 | +1400 |
PHX Suns | -210 | +165 |
POR Trail Blazers | +2800 | -40000 |
SA Spurs | +400 | -600 |
SAC Kings | -160 | +130 |
TOR Raptors | +550 | -900 |
UTA Jazz | +1700 | -10000 |
WAS Wizards | +2000 | -20000 |
Entering the 2024/25 NBA season, the team with the shortest odds to make the playoffs, unsurprisingly, is the reigning champion Boston Celtics at -20000.
They're followed by two other Eastern Conference teams, the -6600 New York Knicks and the -4000 Philadelphia 76ers, and those prices indicate the conference is relatively weak outside of these three leading teams. Both Philly and New York added stars as the Knicks got Karl-Anthony Towns and the Sixers signed Paul George this offseason.
The Western Conference team with the shortest playoff odds is the Oklahoma City Thunder at -3000. They added an elite perimeter defender in Alex Caruso and a top-tier offensive rebounder in Isaiah Hartenstein this offseason to help cover the team's few weaknesses.
The Milwaukee Bucks have the fifth-shortest playoff odds at -2000, and other teams priced at similarly short odds are the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, each at -1000 to make the playoffs.
Plenty of Western Conference teams are close to even money to make and miss the playoffs, showing how loaded the conference is. Those teams include the Golden State Warriors (-110 to make the playoffs), Houston Rockets (+100), Los Angeles Lakers (-105), New Orleans Pelicans (-180), Phoenix Suns (-210), and Sacramento Kings (-160).
Plus, the fact the Memphis Grizzlies now have their star players healthy throws another wrench into the West's playoff picture. Teams like the Kings and Warriors missed out last year while the Grizzlies languished in 13th place, so the Grizzlies' -230 odds to make the playoffs this year project that they'll battle with other talented teams for the last few spots.
The odds also indicate how unlikely it is that the teams at the lower end of the projected standings will make an impact. While Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs have just about escaped that group with their +400 odds to make the playoffs, some other teams are really off the pace.
The Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers have the longest odds to make the playoffs at +2800, and teams with similarly long odds are the +1200 Detroit Pistons, the +1700 Utah Jazz and the +2000 Washington Wizards.
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Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.