2026 NBA playoffs first-round series odds: Knicks favored to close out Hawks on the road

At the start of the playoffs, there was no clear favorite in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics had the best odds to make the NBA Finals, but were not anything near a sure thing. The first round of the playoffs has reflected this balance in the East.All four series in the Eastern Conference stand at 3-2 as Game 6s begin on Thursday. Boston and New York will try to close our their series on the road (and both are favored to) while Denver is favored to stay alive on the road against shorthanded Minnesota.Advertisement