The 2024 NBA Playoffs are in full gear, but even as the first round unfolds there are still far more questions than answers. Will the Denver Nuggets go back-to-back? Will we witness LeBron James' final playoff performance? Will the Milwaukee Bucks put up a fight with Giannis in street clothes?
We turned to our Covers NBA experts for their insights and they didn't hold back! Check out their NBA picks for the winners of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, the NBA Finals, and the NBA Finals MVP award below.
NBA Playoffs picks
| Writer | Western Conference Finals winner | Eastern Conference Finals Winner | NBA Finals Winner | NBA Finals MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rory Breasail |
Nuggets | Celtics | Nuggets | Nikola Jokic |
 Andrew Caley |
Thunder | Celtics | Thunder | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
 Douglas Farmer |
Nuggets | Celtics | Nuggets | Nikola Jokic |
 Jason Logan |
Nuggets | Celtics | Celtics | Jayson Tatum |
 Jon Metler |
Mavericks | Celtics | Celtics | Jayson Tatum |
 Ryan Murphy |
Nuggets | Celtics | Nuggets | Nikola Jokic |
 Rohit Ponnaiya |
Nuggets | Celtics | Celtics | Jayson Tatum |
 AJ Salah |
Nuggets | Celtics | Nuggets | Nikola Jokic |
NBA Playoffs exert analysis
Rory Breasail: Denver stays on top
Western Conference Finals winner: Denver Nuggets
Eastern Conference Finals winner: Boston Celtics
NBA Finals winner: Denver Nuggets
NBA Finals MVP winner: Nikola Jokic
To be the king, you have to beat the king. This pick is less about what the Denver Nuggets have proven this season and more about no other team making an overwhelming case to supplant them.
The Nuggets’ season-long point differential doesn’t scream repeat, but we’ve seen how dangerous this team is at its best. Nobody in the NBA has shown even a workable plan to prevent Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray from generating quality shots in clutch time, and with Peyton Watson in the playoff rotation their defensive ceiling is higher than last season's championship team.
Andrew Caley: Thunder boom
Western Conference winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
Eastern Conference winner: Boston Celtics
NBA Finals winner: Oklahoma City Thunder
NBA Finals MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Have you seen these other predictions? So boring. Let’s mix it up by picking… a No. 1 seed? Well, some feel the Oklahoma City Thunder won’t go far in the playoffs because of their inexperience. But the Thunder are legit.
Here are the teams that rank in the Top 5 in both offensive and defensive rating: the Celtics, and the Thunder. End of list. They have an MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And have proven they can beat top teams all season. OKC is a combined 13-5 against the other Top 5 teams in the West. And hell, they went 1-1 against the Celtics. The loss? SGA didn’t play. Roll Thunder!
Douglas Farmer: Nuggets knock off Celtics
Western Conference Finals winner: Denver Nuggets
Eastern Conference Finals winner: Boston Celtics
NBA Finals winner: Denver Nuggets
NBA Finals MVP winner: Nikola Jokic
When healthy, the Denver Nuggets are the most talented team in the NBA and one that can match nearly any playing style. The versatility of Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. matches up against both the Timberwolves’ size and the Celtics’ wings. Combine that with the two-man offensive brilliance of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murry, and Denver should defend its title. A brilliant individual performance could top the Nuggets, but their overall consistency should win out in any seven-game series.
The Celtics can match lineups with just about anybody, but they will have to sacrifice either size against the Nuggets’ front line or defensive versatility against that two-man game. Either way, Denver will set the scoring pace throughout the Finals.
Jason Logan: This season belongs to the Celtics
Western Conference Finals winner: Denver Nuggets
Eastern Conference Finals winner: Boston Celtics
NBA Finals winner: Boston Celtics
NBA Finals MVP winner: Jayson Tatum
The NBA futures are forecasting this matchup and why not? The biggest threats to Boston in the East are all banged up or playing without their stars. As for Denver, I just don’t see anyone in the West being able to hang with the defending champs for a seven-game series (be it in talent, experience, or durability). The Celtics retooled the roster in the offseason with postseason planning in mind and are a much better fit to fight the Nuggets in the finals. Boston has more tread on the tires and, as much as the Lakers fan in me hates to see another banner in the Garden, this is the Celtics’ season.
Jon Metler: Celtics hang banner No. 18
Western Conference Finals winner: Dallas Mavericks
Eastern Conference Finals winner: Boston Celtics
NBA Finals winner: Boston Celtics
NBA Finals MVP winner: Jayson Tatum
If we're picking regardless of the odds, I'm going with the Boston Celtics to win the NBA Finals. They have the easiest path to the Conference Finals, assuming the Philadelphia 76ers take care of business in the Play-In Tournament. The 76ers, New York Knicks, and Milwaukee Bucks would all be on the other side of the bracket. The Denver Nuggets' path through the Western Conference is a lot more challenging. I'd be stunned if the Celtics aren't the team representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics have the best starting five in the NBA, and they have been able to manage everyone's minutes throughout the regular season while capturing the No. 1 seed with ease, so they should be healthier than most teams when they reach the NBA Finals. If everyone remains healthy, especially Kristaps Porzingis, it's hard to imagine anyone defeating the Celtics in a best-of-seven series.
Ryan Murphy: Mile High mastery
Western Conference Finals winner: Denver Nuggets
Eastern Conference Finals winner: Boston Celtics
NBA Finals winner: Denver Nuggets
NBA Finals MVP winner: Nikola Jokic
The 2023-24 Nuggets are about to prove that sequels can be just as satisfying – if not better – than the original. Not only did the defending champs win four more games this season than a year before, but they also posted a better point differential and were far stingier on defense, limiting opponents to just 109.6 points per game. That’s especially impressive in an era where most teams have seemingly already scored 100 points before the opening tip.
The Nuggets also happen to possess the game’s most unstoppable weapon in Nikola Jokic, a soon-to-be three-time MVP who dictates the pace of the game better than any big man in NBA history. There’s no way that anyone as slow and lumbering as Jokic should be this effective, and yet the Serbian center continues to pick teams apart with his exceptional basketball IQ and peerless passing. The Celtics, and others, will put up a fight, but Jokic will wear them all down until the Nuggets are the last team standing once again.
Rohit Ponnaiya: Going Green
Western Conference Finals winner: Nuggets
Eastern Conference Finals winner: Celtics
NBA Finals winner: Celtics
NBA Finals MVP winner: Jayson Tatum
This is about as chalky as it gets, but the NBA is a league where the cream often rises to the top. The Celtics have been easily the best team in the league all season while the defending champion Nuggets have the league's top player in Nikola Jokic along with the perfect supporting cast to complement his skillset. The Celtics are deep, talented, and experienced, and have the highest-rated offense in the league along with the second-best defense.
The Nuggets will make it out of the Western Conference with the young Timberwolves and Thunder experiencing some growing pains. However, Denver won't be able to able to beat Boston and not having the home-court advantage in a hypothetical finals matchup could be the deciding factor.
AJ Salah: Denver gets it done
Western Conference Finals winner: Denver Nuggets
Eastern Conference Finals winner: Boston Celtics
NBA Finals winner: Denver Nuggets
NBA Finals MVP winner: Nikola Jokic
Chalky pick, sure, but I think only contrarian logic can land you at another Finals matchup when there are so many question marks with pretty much every other contender in both conferences.
Once we arrive here, the Celtics — despite their undeniable top-end talent — simply have no answer for Jokic, despite throwing the kitchen sink at him defensively for two meetings he utterly bludgeoned them in this season. Jamal Murray’s also proven himself as a big-moment player who levels up at the highest stakes.
Meanwhile, Boston’s led by a dude who’s oscillated between brilliance and disappearing in big playoff games, and coached by guy whose postseason acumen drew all kinds of scrutiny last season. The Celtics are the sexier pick, but the Nuggets — who’ve done the damn thing before — should be the more dependable one here.
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NBA Finals exact result
- Celtics to beat Nuggets: +400
- Nuggets to beat Celtics: +520
- Celtics to beat Thunder: +980
- Nuggets to beat Knicks: +1,420
- Celtics to beat Timberwolves: +1,500
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of April 25, 2024.
The Celtics and Nuggets have both been tested in their respective first round series. Denver trailed in both games against Los Angeles and needed a last second jumper from Jamal Murray to pull off a two-point victory in Game 2. Boston, meanwhile, lost a shocker to Miami in Game 2, as the Heat got hot from deep.
Given the Celtics struggles against the undermanned Heat - and the fact that Boston was eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago - I'm sticking with the Nuggets to beat the Celtics. Denver is, after all the reigning champ, and it possesses two unique advantages: 1) the mile high altitude of Denver and 2) the unmatched brilliance of Nikola Jokic.
Give me Denver in 7.
Ways to bet on the 2024 NBA Playoffs
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NBA picks
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Recent NBA Finals Matchups
Over the past decade, a handful of teams have dominated the NBA Finals. In fact, with the exception of the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs, all the teams below are in the 2024 NBA Playoffs or Play-In Tournament, speaking to the organizational smarts (and pursestrings) of these elite franchises.
| Year | East Team | West Team | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |  Miami Heat |
 Denver Nuggets |
Nuggets |
| 2022 |  Boston Celtics |
 Golden State Warriors |
Warriors |
| 2021 |  Milwaukee Bucks |
 Phoenix Suns |
Bucks |
| 2020 | Miami Heat |
 Los Angeles Lakers |
Lakers |
| 2019 |  Toronto Raptors |
Golden State Warriors |
Warriors |
| 2018 |  Cleveland Cavaliers |
Golden State Warriors |
Warriors |
| 2017 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
Golden State Warriors |
Warriors |
| 2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
Golden State Warriors |
Cavaliers |
| 2015 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
Golden State Warriors |
Warriors |
| 2014 | Miami Heat |
 San Antonio Spurs |
Spurs |
| 2013 | Miami Heat |
San Antonio Spurs |
Heat |
