The NBA Playoffs are here, and DraftKings is dishing out some enticing offers as the action gets underway.
Current DraftKings users can partake in a familiar “Hammer The Over” promotion.
The Los Angeles Clippers will take on the Dallas Mavericks later this week, and for every 1,500 bettors who take the over, the line will move down a point.
As of Tuesday morning, the total was 127. Clippers vs. Mavericks should easily clear that mark, but the number will likely approach zero by game time.
The maximum bet is $25, and the over will be boosted to even odds. So users should win $25.
The NBA promotion is available between now and Game 1 tipoff. That’s either going to be on Thursday or Friday, but the first-round schedule is not yet available.
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New DraftKings users can bet $5 to win $200 in bonus bets
If you’re a new DraftKings Sportsbook user, you can participate in the Clippers vs. Mavericks promotion, but you can also take advantage of a sign-up offer.
Once you deposit at least $5 into your sportsbook account, you can bet $5 on the moneyline of any playoff game. If the bet cashes, they will win $200 in bonus bets.
The winnings would be paid out in eight $25 bets that will expire within seven days.
What’s nice about the promotion is that you can bet on any game you choose on the moneyline, regardless of the spread. Right now, the Clippers are 6.5-point favorites over the Mavericks in Game 1 and have -275 moneyline odds.
So, if LA just wins the game, new bettors would have eight free $25 bets.
Unfortunately, if you are brand new to Illinois sports betting, you can no longer simply download an app and register for a sports betting account from anywhere in the state. You must visit a casino or horse racetrack in order to do so.
To sign up for DraftKings, you must visit DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis. That’s the result of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s decision to bring back in-person registration in early April.
2021 NBA Championship odds
We’re still a few months away from the NBA Finals, as there are several rounds to be played before the last series.
With that said, here are the NBA title odds at Illinois sportsbooks (story continues below):
This year is unique because it truly feels like several teams have a chance to win it all. In previous seasons, that wasn’t the case.
The Brooklyn Nets have the shortest odds of any squad, and it’s easy to see why considering they have Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. But that trio has played very few games together due to injuries, so it will be interesting to see how they mesh in the playoffs.
The reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, have the second-shortest odds at most books. And yet, they’re a 7-seed in the Western Conference.
That’s because LeBron James and Anthony Davis missed significant time due to injuries, but they’re back now. As a result, the poor Phoenix Suns had one of their best seasons in franchise history only to earn a date with the Lakers in the first round.
Notably absent from these odds are the hometown Chicago Bulls, who were eliminated from playoff contention last week.
The Bulls made a big splash at the trade deadline, acquiring All-Star center Nikola Vucevic. But they fizzled after that, and the upcoming offseason is a big one for Arturas Karnisovas and company.
PointsBet offering ‘no juice’ for NBA Playoffs
PointsBet, meanwhile, is doing its familiar “no juice” for the play-in and first round of the NBA Playoffs.
That means all spread bets have +100 juice, as opposed to the custom -110 or so that you’ll see at most books.
So, if you’re looking to bet on the NBA games at IL sportsbooks, PointsBet will give you a great chance to maximize your profit.
