We are heading into the final few days of the NBA season, which means that the playoffs are right around the corner. In the past few years, simply playing the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the Finals has been the easy NBA Betting pick, but it may not be as clear cut this season. The Warriors are still a good bet, but the Western Conference is more wide-open than ever before. The Eastern Conference looks a little easier to predict, but you just never know what might happen in the playoffs. Here are some things to consider before you start placing bets in the NBA playoffs.
NBA Betting Tips Heading into the 2019 Postseason
💦 @StephenCurry30 (25 PTS, 5 3PM) & @KlayThompson (24 PTS, 6 3PM) help the @warriors improve to 52-24 on the season! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/E3PnmGqkPt
— NBA (@NBA) 1 de abril de 2019
Eastern Playoffs Picture
- 1-Milwaukee Bucks 57-20
- 2-Toronto Raptors 54-23
- 3-Philadelphia 76ers 49-27
- 4-Boston Celtics 45-35
- 5-Indiana Pacers 45-35
- 6-Detroit Pistons 39-37
- 7-Brooklyn Nets 39-38
- 8-Miami Heat 38-38
Western Playoffs Picture
- 1-Golden State Warriors 52-24
- 2-Denver Nuggets 51-25
- 3-Houston Rockets 49-28
- 4-Portland Trail Blazers 48-28
- 5-Utah Jazz 46-20
- 6-Los Angeles Clippers 47-31
- 7-San Antonio Spurs 44-33
- 8-Oklahoma City Thunder 44-33
Forget about the regular season
The record that a team posts in the regular season is no indication of how they will perform in the postseason. Teams that excelled over the 82-game grind very often collapse under the pressure of playoff basketball.Similarly, teams that coasted through much of the season often have enough gas left in the tank to step up a gear when it really matters. This was something that the Cavaliers did particularly well during the time that LeBron was in town.
Pay attention to rest days
This is particularly true in the opening couple of rounds, which is when the top seeds in each conference very often get the job done early.Look for teams that finish off a series quickly and then go up against a team that needed to go the distance to move on. For the latter team, there is very little time off between the end of a series and hitting the road to start a new one against a higher seed that is well rested. That can create an imbalance that you can use to your advantage.
Manage your bankroll wisely
Know how much money you have to wager before the playoffs begin and have a plan in place for how you are going to bet through to the finals.
There are going to be a lot of games played in the opening round, so don’t feel the need to bet on them all, as that is generally the quickest way to wipe out your bankroll. Only play the games where value exists and never wager a chunk of your total bankroll on a single game. Play smart and manage your money and you can easily end the NBA playoffs in profit.
Look out for bounce-back games
Be on the lookout for teams that lose the previous game before they head back to home court. This is especially true if said team starts that next home game as a double-digit underdog. Past history has shown that those teams tend to be a very solid ATS bet, so always be on the lookout for those opportunities.The same rules apply when talking about favorites. If they lose a game, jump all over them in the next game up, as favorites tend to bounce back after an upset loss with a big win. Both the SU and ATS options are very solid bets in this type of scenario.
