2026 NBA playoffs betting: How to bet the conference finals - ESPN

The NBA conference finals are set, with the highly anticipated matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference, and a pair of red-hot teams — the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers — squaring off in the Eastern Conference.

What should you expect in each series? And what are the bets to make?

Here are Andre Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander with their favorite bets.

Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.

Spurs +1.5 games over Thunder (+100): The playoffs are all about matchups, and the Spurs match up very well with the Thunder. The Spurs famously won four of their five games with the Thunder this season, but that wasn't by accident. The Thunder win primarily with a set of perimeter players that are more talented and deeper than pretty much any team in the NBA, but the Spurs are the one team in the league with a perimeter unit that can match their athleticism and talent at both ends of the court. But the Spurs, in Victor Wembanyama, can also control the paint at both ends, and ultimately that should allow them to pull off the upset. — Snellings

Spurs 4-3 (+800): San Antonio has already shown it can make this matchup difficult for Oklahoma City, winning four of five regular-season meetings. Wembanyama gives the Spurs the ultimate matchup problem because he can control the paint defensively while stretching Oklahoma City's bigs away from the rim on offense. De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper give San Antonio enough perimeter defense and creation to make life difficult for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. — Moody

Spurs +6.5 (-110) in Game 1: The Spurs dominated the Thunder in the regular season to the tune of