NBA Playoffs: Conference Semi-Finals preview, odds and predictions

The NBA Playoffs have reached the Conference Semi-Finals stage, with the remaining eight teams now just two series wins away from the NBA Finals. After a dramatic First Round, which saw several Game 7s, the focus now shifts to four high-quality matchups across both conferences.

Ladbrokes takes a look at the latest odds, key storylines and betting angles ahead of the Conference Semi-Finals. The defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder remain the odds-on favourites to retain their NBA title.

The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder made light work of the Phoenix Suns in the First Round, completing a 4-0 sweep to underline why they remain favourites to retain their NBA title. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was again at the heart of it, scoring 31 in the Game 4 closer, while OKC’s depth and defensive pressure from the likes of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein continue to separate them from most teams left in the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers were made to work harder in their First Round series against a solid Houston Rockets team, eventually progressing in six games after a 98-78 win in Game 6. LeBron James rolled back the years with 28 points and eight assists, but the Lakers now face a far more complete opponent in Oklahoma City, and are likely to still be without Luka Doncic for the majority of the series.

Without Doncic, it's difficult to see a way past the Thunder for LA. OKC beat the Lakers in all four matches this season, with an average margin of victory of nearly thirty points. The Lakers probably need to win one of the opening two games in Oklahoma to have a chance of keeping the series alive before their star man returns. Jalen Williams is out for OKC, but they have the depth to deal with it, and there is a possibility this series is a short one.

Thunder vs Lakers prediction: Thunder to win in five

Thunder vs Lakers schedule

• Game 1 - Thunder 108-90 Lakers

• Game 2 - Thunder 125-107 Lakers

• Game 3 - Thunder @ Lakers - Sunday, May 10, 1.30am BST

• Game 4 - Thunder @ Lakers - Tuesday, May 12, 3.30am BST

The San Antonio Spurs were one of the most impressive teams in the regular season, finishing with a 62-20 record to secure the West's second seed. Victor Wembanyama continues to astonish in the NBA, while De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle provide a more than adequate supporting cast. The Spurs overcame the Portland Trail Blazers with relative ease in five games.

They certainly cannot afford to underestimate the Minnesota Timberwolves, who stunned Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 4-2 to knock them out of the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. They did so without star man Anthony Edwards in Game 6, with Jaden McDaniels delivering a career-high 32 points and producing a defensive shutdown of Jamal Murray.

A predictable yet key storyline will be the square off between Wemby and his countryman Rudy Gobert. Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, is considered one of the best defensive players of all time and mentored the 22-year-old Wembanyama, whose potential in the league looks limitless. The French pair won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics together and now stand in each other's way of an NBA title.

Spurs vs Timberwolves prediction: Spurs to win in seven

Spurs vs Timberwolves schedule

• Game 1 - Spurs 102-104 Timberwolves

• Game 2 - Spurs 133-95 Timberwolves

• Game 3 - Spurs @ Timberwolves - Saturday, May 9, 2.30am BST

• Game 4 - Spurs @ Timberwolves - Monday, May 11, 12.30am BST

• Game 5 - Timberwolves @ Spurs - TBD

The Eastern Conference's number one seed Detroit Pistons survived an almighty scare in their playoff opener against the Orlando Magic, coming from 3-1 down to eventually beat the eighth seed 4-3. Down 24 points in Game 6 in Orlando, Detroit benefited from an historic shooting collapse by the Magic, who missed a playoff record 23 shots in a row. The Pistons' success has been built on a strong defense and MVP-level play from Cade Cunningham, who may have finally found an effective second scoring option in the form of Tobias Harris.

The Cleveland Cavaliers emerged from a topsy-turvy series against the Toronto Raptors with victory in seven games. The fourth-seed Cavs have star power in Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but there remains a sense that this Cleveland side is yet to realise its full potential. If things do click, they're a dangerous dark horse, a decade after their famous - and only - NBA triumph in 2016.

The Cavaliers' veterans struggled with Toronto's physicality in the First Round, and that doesn't bode too well against the Pistons, who have made physicality a hallmark of their identity. Detroit will look to wear the Cavs down as the series goes on, with Ausar Thompson a menace defensively and likely to guard Mitchell. Cleveland's defensive approach is simple - stop Cunningham - but that's easier said than done.

Pistons vs Cavaliers prediction: Pistons to win in six

Pistons vs Cavaliers schedule

• Game 1 - Pistons 111-101 Cavaliers

• Game 2 - Pistons 107-97 Cavaliers

• Game 3 - Pistons @ Cavaliers - Saturday, May 9, 8pm BST

• Game 4 - Pistons @ Cavaliers - Tuesday, May 12, 1am BST

After beating the Orlando Magic in the Play-In tournament, the seventh-seed Philadelphia 76ers were 3-1 down in their First Round series against the Boston Celtics and staring down the barrel of another playoff disappointment. They pulled off a stunning comeback to beat the 2nd-seed 4-3, capping it off with a 109-100 victory in Game 7 in Boston, with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey both starring.

Their reward for that is a semi-final clash with the New York Knicks, who finished as the East's third seed and defeated the Atlanta Hawks in six games in the First Round. Jalen Brunson remains one of the league's elite scorers, but an interesting switch during the Hawks series saw Karl-Anthony Towns become New York's main facilitator to great effect, while OG Anunoby is an extremely reliable presence at both ends.

The Knicks and 76ers last met in the postseason in 2024, with New York winning 4-2 in the First Round. The division rivals faced each other four times in 2025/26 and split them two apiece. Embiid's return to fitness swung the series for Philly against Boston, and his matchup against KAT could be crucial to deciding the series.

Knicks vs 76ers prediction: 76ers to win in seven

Knicks vs 76ers schedule

• Game 1 - Knicks 137-98 76ers

• Game 2 - Knicks 108-102 76ers

• Game 3 - Knicks @ 76ers - Saturday, May 9, 12.10am BST

• Game 4 - Knicks @ 76ers - Sunday, May 10, 8.30pm BST

View the latest basketball odds here.

All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.