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2024 NBA Playoff Odds: Will home teams continue to dominate?

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The first weekend of the 2024 NBA playoffs rewarded bettors who took the higher seeds as home teams went undefeated in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

In the Eastern Conference, it was the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers that came out on top. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers all got the job done.

So, should you keep backing the home teams in Game 2? Let’s take a look.

Make sure to check out our complete list of NBA game odds, NBA futures and NBA props and specials.

Rare company

This is just the third time this century that NBA home teams have swept Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs. Home teams also swept Game 1 of the opening round in 2013 and 2004. Going back even further, it’s just the fifth time since the playoffs expanded in 1988 that home teams went 8-0, with sweeps also happening in 1990 and 1988.

Not even close

Home teams didn’t just sweep the opening game of the first round, they dominated. The average margin of victory in Game 1 was 10.8 points and six of eight games were decided by double digits. The biggest blowout of the weekend was Minnesota’s 120-95 win over Phoenix on Saturday. Flipping to the East, Boston took advantage of a Miami squad playing without Jimmy Butler, beating the Heat 114-94 on Sunday.

The only home team that failed to cover on the weekend was OKC. The Thunder entered Game 1 as an 8.5-point favourite, but narrowly slipped past the New Orleans Pelicans 94-92 on Sunday night. Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named a finalist for league MVP, hit a last-second game-winning jumper.

Stick with home chalk?

NBA teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-seven series have historically gone on to advance 75.3 per cent of the time. If you’re looking for value in an upset, however, it’s worth noting that in 2013 three lower-seeded teams went on to advance after losing the first game of the series. Even though the math is saying, stick with the home teams to advance, there’s some hope for the underdogs.

The more interesting question might be who will be the first road team to win this postseason?