2024 NBA Playoffs: Which Superstar Finally Wins His First Ring? | Odds and Predictions

Only four teams are left in the 2024 NBA playoffs: the Dallas Mavericks, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics, and the Indiana Pacers. Every squad has a hungry young superstar—Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jayson Tatum—leading the way. Regardless of who brings home the Larry O’Brien championship trophy, one thing is for sure: one of the four superstars will win his first ring. But who will it be?

A new era of basketball

No LeBron James, no Steph Curry, no Kevin Durant, no Kawhi Leonard, no Joel Embiid, no Jimmy Butler, and no Nikola Jokic. The 2024 Conference Finals will not feature the superstars we were used to watching. Moreover, this will be the first time in history that the conference finals will not feature a current or former MVP.

LeBron, as well as the other mentioned stars, are already aging, and it’s time for the next generation to take over. Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards, both heavily touted as the next faces of the league, will go head-to-head for a chance to punch a ticket to the NBA Finals.

The 2024 Conference Finals: Odds, Picks, and Predictions

Let’s take a look at the odds for the 2024 Conference Finals, as well as the odds, picks, and predictions for the championship round. Which superstar will win his first ring? Will it be Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, Tyrese Haliburton, or Jayson Tatum?

Luka vs Ant-Man: Dallas Mavericks vs Minnesota Timberwolves

Thanks to Anthony Edwards and co, Minnesota is back in the conference finals after 20 years. However, before they can book a ticket to the NBA Finals, the Wolves must first face the Luka and Kyrie duo of the Dallas Mavericks.

But it’s still obvious that the Timberwolves are the more favored team to win the series. After all, they were able to knock down the MVP and the reigning champs. Even without Edwards, Minnesota is already a very talented team. Compared to Dallas, they’re bigger and have a deeper roster. An MVP candidate, a 6th Man of the Year awardee, and a 4-time Defensive Player of the Year say a lot about this team.

The Timberwolves have -185 odds to win the series, while the Mavericks are at +150. The odds suggest that this will be a close matchup between these two young teams. Except for Kyrie, all of these players are looking for a chance to finally hit the biggest stage in NBA competition. Based on the odds and the performances of both teams so far, this is more likely going to be a 7-game series, with the Timberwolves coming out on top.

Big Deuce vs Hali: Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers

The 6th-seed Indiana Pacers managed to crawl their way to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Bucks in the first round and then the Knicks in the semifinals. Meanwhile, it was an easier route for the Celtics. Regardless, Boston is still heavily expected to reach the Finals again and is the favorite to win it all this year.

Despite the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics are clearly the best team in the East. Their 64-win record would say so. They’ll be going up against the relatively inexperienced Indiana Pacers (playoff-wise), who only have Tyrese Haliburton as their main guy. However, this team has beaten all odds so far in this year’s playoffs. Will Haliburton and Indiana overcome Boston en route to their first Finals appearance in 24 years?

Unfortunately, this would still be an easier task for Tatum than what he had to deal with last year—a healthy Miami Heat. That being said, it’s likely going to end faster, but the Pacers are expected to give a great fight.

2024 championship odds

Various betting sites and sports platforms have revealed the odds of which team has the best chance of winning the 2024 NBA championship. We gathered odds from FanDuel, BetMGM, ESPN Bet, and Fox to compare which will win it all this year.

As expected, the Celtics are the heavy favorites, while the Indiana Pacers are longshots. But, with the current form of Anthony Edwards, our money is on the Minnesota Timberwolves finally winning a chip for the first time in franchise history.