NBA Western Conference Finals: Betting odds, best bets and schedule

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We’re down to the final four teams in the NBA this season as the conference finals tip-off Tuesday night in Denver.

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The West final features the Nuggets as slim betting favourites to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, but they need to go through a star-studded L.A. Lakers team to get there.

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Here’s everything you need to know about betting on the 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals.

Western Conference Finals

Game 1, May 16: Los Angeles at Denver, 8:30 p.m. ET

Game 2, May 18: Los Angeles at Denver, 8:30 p.m. ET

Game 3, May 20: Denver at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m. ET

Game 4, May 22: Denver at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m. ET

Game 5, May 24: Los Angeles at Denver, 8:30 p.m. ET *if necessary

Game 6, May 26: Denver at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m. ET *if necessary

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Game 7, May 28: Los Angeles at Denver, 8:30 p.m. ET *if necessary

Season series: Tied 2-2 (home team won all four games)

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets steamrolled past Phoenix in six games to set up a date with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals for the second time since the 2020 NBA playoff bubble.

Home-court advantage has been huge for Denver. The Nuggets are an NBA-best 40-7 at home this season, including a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs.

Two-time league MVP Nikola Jokic continues to drive things for Denver. Jokic dominated the first two rounds of the playoffs, becoming the first player in NBA history to average at least 30.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists in the postseason. He averaged a triple-double last series against Phoenix, putting up 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game.

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If Jokic can continue to hover around the triple-double mark, it bodes well for the Nuggets. His 29 triple-doubles during the regular season were almost twice as many as the next closest player, with Denver going 27-2 in those games.

A key matchup in the West final will be Jokic versus L.A.’s Anthony Davis. With Davis guarding him, Jokic shot 64 per cent from the field in three regular-season matchups this year, which is right on par with his 63.2 overall field goal percentage during the season.

Look for Jokic to use his strength advantage to control the post against Davis, opening up lanes for easy layups. Jokic is also an elite shooter, hitting 61 per cent of his mid-range shots and 38 per cent of his three-point shots during the regular season.

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Going beyond the Jokic-Davis battle, Denver’s X-factor could be Michael Porter Jr. Porter has never been known as a great defender, but he looked much better against Phoenix.

Porter’s main value is the secondary offence he provides. If the Lakers are forced to use double coverage on Jokic, that opens up a lot of room for Porter and should give him some open looks from beyond the arc.

Porter shot 41 per cent from three-point range during the regular season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him consistently drain five or six threes per game in this series.

Denver Nuggets best bet: Series goes seven games (+160)

Los Angeles Lakers

L.A. knocked off the defending champions, Golden State, in six games to set up a matchup against Denver in the West final. The Lakers bounced the Nuggets in five games in 2020, en route to winning the franchise’s last NBA title.

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History is on L.A.’s side in this series. The Lakers and Nuggets have met seven times in the postseason, with the L.A. winning every series.

LeBron James continues to be the biggest piece of this Lakers team. He averaged a team-high 28.9 points per game during the regular season and has continued to roll in the postseason, averaging 23.4 points, 10 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 blocks.

Outside of James, the most important piece for L.A. is Anthony Davis and how he handles the matchup against Jokic.

Davis’ offence hasn’t been as consistent as L.A. likely wants, but he has been one of the best defenders in the playoffs this year, which is what the Lakers need from him to continue to win. He’s not as big as Jokic, but he’s faster and he can use his speed rather than his size to drive past Jokic.

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Davis shot 62.5 per cent from the field with Jokic guarding him in three regular-season games this year. Some of that success has come from his ability to beat Jokic down the floor in transition.

Davis also had a lot of success in the regular season by driving at Jokic and either finishing over him or using a soft floater to get it by.

L.A.’s X-factor could also be D’Angelo Russell, who shot 40 per cent from deep during the regular season. He had success against Denver this year, hitting 58 per cent of his shots against the Nuggets.

If Russell can lay down some solid offensive performances, it could swing the momentum in the Lakers’ direction.

Best bet: L.A. Lakers win series (+124)

You can visit Sports Interaction for complete NBA game odds, props and futures bets.

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