Numbers to Know When Betting the 2024 NBA Playoffs

It’s the final week of the NBA regular season and the 2024 playoffs will start next week after the play-in tournament. If you are looking to cap off a successful NBA betting season with a nice playoff run, dig into these numbers and reap the benefits.

15.7 & 199.6

That is the number of turnovers forced per game by the Oklahoma City Thunder. As of Thursday, April 11, the Thunder were 55-25 and tied with Denver and both teams are one game behind Western Conference leader Minnesota. The 15.7 turnovers generated is going to be a key for the Thunder this playoff season.

The turnovers will be a key since the Thunder doesn’t rebound all that well. OKC ranks 29th in defensive rebounding rate. Part of the problem is that 199.6. That would be the average weight of the Thunder’s entire team. Chet Holmgren is 7-1 but weighs just 208. The Thunder have a tendency to get banged around on the inside. That’s why they need the turnovers to steal a few possessions. If they continue to do so, the Thunder could have success this playoff season.

9.2, 35.5 & 23.7

Jalen Brunson is an absolute beast for the New York Knicks. After some time as Luka Doncic’s sidekick, Brunson has stepped into the spotlight in the Big Apple. He’s really stepped into the limelight since Jan. 27. That was the last time that Julius Randle played for the Knicks.

Since then, no one in the NBA has a higher time of possession than Brunson’s 9.2 minutes per game. No other player outranks Brunson in usage rate (35.5%) or in field goal attempts per game (23.7). Brunson is averaging 28.4 points a game for the season. Since that Jan. 27 game, Brunson is scoring 31.6 per game. 

Tie for No. 18

Depending upon the context, tied for 18th could be a good thing or it might be a bad thing. In the case of Milwaukee and Dallas, it’s not all that good. Currently, both the Bucks and Mavs are tied for No. 18 in the NBA in Defensive Rating. They are treading in dangerous waters.

Since 2000, only four NBA teams have made the NBA Finals while ranking 20th or worse on either end of the floor. Only the 2000-01 Lakers won an NBA Finals after ranking 22nd in Defensive Rating during the regular season.

Last year, the Heat ranked 25th in Offensive Rating and lost to Denver. The Cleveland Cavaliers made consecutive finals in 2016-17 and 2017-18. They lost both times after finishing 21st and 28th, respectively, in Defensive Rating.

Neither Dallas nor Milwaukee is 20th or worse, but both teams are just a half-point ahead of Brooklyn, which is currently ranked No. 20 in Defensive Rating.

36.6 Percent from 3

There is a reason why Boston seems almost unbeatable. They attempt and make more three-pointers than any other team in the NBA. They are tied for the best three-point field goal percentage and, as a result, the Celtics lead the NBA in scoring. They even have a two-point lead per game over the hyper-speed Indiana Pacers. 

Boston has seven players that attempt an average four threes per game and all seven shoot at least the NBA average of 36.6 percent from behind the arc. No other team in the NBA has more than four such players.

Double Digits

Heading into Thursday, April 11, Boston had a 13.5-game lead over second-place Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference. They are outsourcing opponents by an average of +11.3 points per game, the fifth-best point differential in NBA history. The four teams ahead of Boston? They all won the NBA title.

Since the ABA and NBA merged in 1976, there have been 11 teams that have won their conference by double digits. The ‘85-’86 Lakers and the ‘05-’06 Pistons lost in their respective conference finals. The other nine all won NBA championships. The most recent was the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors who went 67-15 and won the West by 11 games.