2026 NBA playoffs first-round series odds: Knicks, Nuggets still favored after losing at home

Mikal Bridges missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer and now the Knicks go to Atlanta tied 1-1 in their first round series. Al Bello / Getty Images Share article7The NBA playoffs are getting good. Three road teams have picked up wins on the road, which could signify longer series, or even upsets. On Monday, it was Atlanta and Minnesota joining Orlando with road victories. In all three series, the better seed is still favored to advance, but not by much. In Tuesday’s games, Boston, San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers are trying for 2-0 series leads. This is a look at the odds for all eight first-round series in the NBA playoffs. It will be updated daily throughout the playoffs, as the odds to win each series will shift with results. Series odds: Pistons -190, Magic +160 If there were already questions about the Pistons as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they weren’t answered in Sunday’s series opener against Orlando. The Magic were the only road team to win in the eight Game 1s. Losing at home is one thing, but Detroit never led in Game 1, which is about as alarming as a playoff opener can be. Orlando had all five starters score at least 16 points. Detroit only had two players reach double figures in scoring. Cade Cunningham did his thing with 39 points, but didn’t get enough help. Detroit is still favored to advance, but it’s closer to a coin flip. Series odds: Celtics -1600, 76ers +900 Boston looked the part of Eastern Conference favorite in Sunday’s Game 1 victory against Philadelphia. The Celtics got 26 points from Jaylen Brown and 25 from Jayson Tatum. Tatum added 11 rebounds and 7 assists, and Boston won so big that Tatum didn’t have to stress his minute total as he works his way back to full strength after his Achilles injury. The Celtics won by 32, and Philly will be searching for answers. With Joel Embiid out, the 76ers will need Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe to shoot better than a combined 1-for-9 from 3-point range. Philadelphia was an ugly 4-for-23 from beyond the arc. This all adds up to why Boston is favored by a whopping 14.5 points in Game 2. Series odds: Knicks -185, Hawks +155 The hush that fell over Madison Square Garden as the Hawks pulled ahead in the final minute of Game 2 was chilling. CJ McCollum went off for 32 points and the Knicks didn’t punish him for missing two free throws in the final seconds of a one-point game. Atlanta had one lead in the first 45 minutes, and it was by a single point. New York led by as many as 14 points in the second half. It felt like a mostly comfortable, business-as-usual game for the Knicks until it wasn’t. Atlanta took the lead with an 11-0 run in the final five minutes and the Knicks scored just six points in the final five-plus minutes. After Atlanta’s 107-106 win, the series is tied and now the Knicks will have to win on the road to advance. New York is still favored to advance, but it’s close with the Knicks at -185 on DraftKings, implying a nearly 65 percent chance of winning the series. Series odds: Cavaliers -1600, Raptors +900 Entering the playoffs, it wasn’t entirely clear how the remade Cavs would jell in big games. Well, how does 83 combined points from Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley sound? That trio got whatever it wanted, combining to shoot 33-for-50 from the field in a 115-105 Game 2 win. Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in both games. The Raptors will have to find a way to stop, or at least limit, Cleveland’s best players after failing to so far. Having Brandon Ingram shoot better than 3-for-15, as he did in Game 2, would help, too. After Cleveland held serve twice at home, the series shifts to Canada. A Cavs sweep is the most likely series outcome on DraftKings at +165. Game 2: 9:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday Series odds: Thunder -20000, Suns +3000 It was business as usual for the Thunder in Game 1 on Sunday. Oklahoma City won 119-84 in a game that never appeared in doubt. The Thunder raced out to a 15-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Phoenix never got near single digits the rest of the way. OKC is already in virtual-lock territory to win this series. The -20000 odds imply a 99.5 percent chance that the Thunder advance. Series odds: Spurs -2500, Trail Blazers +1200 Game 1 felt like a celebration for Spurs fans. Frost Bank Center in San Antonio was decked out with the Spurs’ 1990s-era logo and colors, and the fans had bright shirts to match. As soon as Victor Wembanyama got drafted, it was assumed this day would come for the Spurs at some point. After winning 62 games in the regular season, we knew the Spurs would be a serious contender, but seeing it on a playoff stage still felt like the Spurs’ official return to championship contention. Wembanyama had 35 points in his playoff debut, including going 5-for-6 from 3-point range, which simply does not feel fair. The Spurs were already heavily favored to advance, and Sunday night’s 13-point win did nothing to change that. Series odds: Nuggets -240, Timberwolves +200 The Nuggets had a 17-0 run in the first quarter of Game 2 that built a 13-point lead before Nikola Jokić took a shot. Denver also had three 4-point plays in a span of four possession in the first quarter. And yet, Minnesota won the game and evened the series. Denver’s great start resulted in a 17-point lead, but before halftime Minnesota turned things around and led by as many as eight. The second half featured both teams coming up with big plays until Denver went cold down the stretch. It looks like we could be in for another doozy of a series between these two teams. Denver is still favored to advance, but Minnesota showed it should be a close, and very entertaining, series. Series odds: Rockets -225, Lakers +185 No Luka Dončić, no Austin Reaves, no problem for the Lakers in Game 1. Luke Kennard stepped up with 27 points in a 107-98 win, which buys the Lakers a little more time for Dončić and Reaves to return from injury. Granted, Houston was without Kevin Durant, so both teams are hoping to get back to full strength as soon as possible. Durant took warmups in Game 1 and is day-to-day, so he could return soon. Despite the Lakers picking up the win in the series opener, Houston is still favored to win the series. That could flip if the Lakers go up 2-0, but Houston is favored to win Game 2 on the road and even the series. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms