The NBA Playoffs are now well and truly underway and it is anyone’s championship to take home. LA’s two big hitters got off to a poor start, with the Lakers going down to Chris Paul and the Suns. The Clippers followed suit and fell to Luka Doncic’s Mavericks. Added to that the much-backed Brooklyn Nets eased past the Boston Celtics. Here are five bets worth chasing in the NBA Playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets to Win the NBA Championship

Any team that has Kevin Durant on it will always be a dangerous proposition for anyone. Add in Kyrie Irving and James Harden, now you have a very scary team. There were concerns that the three could work together when they first joined forces, but Harden quickly proved that he could adapt his style of play and took the Nets to pretender to serious contender.

Looking at the NBA odds today, the Nets are currently +225 to win the 2021 NBA Championship according to CBSSports. Harden, Durant and Irving have proven over and over that they’re capable of winning a game on their own but when the trio can successfully not only work together but blend Joe Harris, Nic Claxton, Blake Griffin, and Bruce Brown into the mix is when they look unstoppable on the offensive end.

Philadelphia 76ers to Win the NBA Championship

Given that they’re the No.1 seed in the East, the 76ers are another potential contender for the title. When Joel Embiid is healthy, focused and aggressive, the 76ers are a problem. This is especially true as we’ve finally figured that Embiid is the true superstar on the team with Ben Simmons providing primary support. Add capable and reliable perimeter scorers in Tobias Harris and Seth Curry as well as Shake Milton and Danny Green, and you’ve got a great supporting cast around Embiid on the post and Simmons going downhill. So if you are harboring any doubts about the Nets’ defense, then the 76ers could provide great value. The current NBA odds today have the No.1 seed at +700 to win it all. They are the best team in the East for a reason.

LA Lakers to Win the NBA Championship

Any team featuring Lebron James should be considered a threat. When healthy, the Lakers are a tough match-up for anyone and one of the best teams in the league. But Los Angeles’ reliance on their two stars in Lebron and Anthony Davis can be a detriment too. We witnesses this in their series-opening game against the Phoenix Suns. When the LeBron and AD don’t dominate, the Lakers struggle.

In that game, Lebron and AD combined for just 32 points whereas Sun’s guard Devin Booker scored 34 on his own. Despite their dependence on LBJ and the Brow, the defending champions should never be counted out. The NBA odds today have the Lakers second in NBA Championship betting behind the Nets at +350. So it’s still a good option to back the Lakers to win the chip again.

LA Clippers to Win the NBA Championship

The “other” team from LA has perhaps flown under the radar this season. With the Lakers having all their troubles and injuries, the Clippers have quietly gone about their business. Despite going down 0-2 to Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks, the Clippers have bounced back to tie the series.

The team has some serious talent on their roster and seem to be finally playing with less arrogance and more urgency. Some say that too much of the burden falls on the all-star two-way duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. It’s true that if both of these stars consistently get it going, the Clippers can easily go from a dark horse to real contender to win the title. The Clips are currently sitting third in championship betting at +60 and could be good value to place a wager on at this point of the postseason.

Dallas Mavericks to Move Past the 1st Round 

Already leading their series with the Clippers 2-0 behind the unstoppable Luka Doncic and great support in the form of 24.5 points from Tim Hardaway. The way that Doncic scored at will no matter who was guarding him and how Dallas played in their first two games shows that they are more than capable of sending the Clippers home in the first round. The Mavericks are currently at +320 according to sportsbettingdime.com to advance and given the Clippers struggles last season in the playoffs, some decent money could be made should history repeat itself.