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The 2021 NBA Playoffs get underway on Tuesday, May 18 with the new play-in tournament. The 7-10 seeds in each conference face off to finalize the final two spots in each conference’s eight-team first round. As the playoffs get underway, we’ll be breaking down DraftKings Sportsbook odds for each team to open the tournament and as teams advance through each round.
The Warriors took their lumps at the beginning of the year as they tried to incorporate Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, and James Wiseman into their system. The Dubs got blown out quite a few times early but began to figure things out as the year went on thanks to Stephen Curry’s legendary shooting stroke. Golden State’s new pieces are starting to mesh a little better and Draymond Green has helped hold things together defensively and as a playmaker. Nobody wants to play the NBA’s leading scorer in the first round. If Curry gets hot, some of the Western Conference’s frontrunners could be in trouble.
Warriors odds to win an NBA championship, May 17: +10000
The Warriors have the eighth-best odds (+6000) to win their conference and are tied for the 12th-best odds (+10000) to win the championship. They’re a major longshot, but their pedigree and experience make them scary. The Dubs could steal a game or two against one of the favorites early, but they’re not built for the long haul because of their reliance on Curry.
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