The 2026 NBA Conference Finals tip off on Monday, and we’ve got two terrific matchups to look forward to.
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder will square off with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. The Eastern Conference Finals will see Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks take on Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
To prepare for the third round of the playoffs, here are some of my NBA Conference Finals best bets.
All NBA odds used for these Conference Finals predictions are current as of Monday, May 18, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
NBA Conference Finals Predictions
Knicks -1.5 Games vs Cavaliers (-120)
New York is a solid favorite in this series and for good reason.
For one, this Cavaliers team hasn’t been here before. The Knicks have. New York lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games at this stage of the playoffs last season. It has more depth, talent, and cohesion than this Cleveland squad that acquired James Harden at the trade deadline.
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The Knicks also should be the fresher team in this series. New York swept the Philadelphia 76ers in Round 2, earning more than a week off, which has given star forward OG Anunoby (hamstring) time to get healthy after missing Games 3 and 4 in Philly.
Meanwhile, the Cavs have already played seven games against the Raptors and Pistons, which isn’t particularly ideal heading into a series against a Knicks team playing its best basketball of the season.
I’m backing New York to advance to the NBA Finals in six games or fewer as one of my best NBA bets today.
Thunder vs Spurs: Over 5.5 Games (-160)
Neutrals got the Western Conference Finals matchup they were hoping for, and I’m expecting it to live up to the hype by going at least six games.
Oklahoma City (64) and San Antonio (62) posted the most wins in the NBA during the regular season and have made easy work of their competition thus far in the playoffs. The Thunder swept aside the Suns and Lakers, while the Spurs lost just three combined games to the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves.
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San Antonio was the only team to have sustained success against Oklahoma City during the regular season, winning four of five matchups, including a two-point victory in the semifinals of the NBA Cup.
Despite that, the Thunder remain the favorites to return to the NBA Finals, but I expect they’ll have to survive a rock fight from the Spurs if they want the chance to defend their title.
