While teams in the NBA have played more than half of their games, this week’s All-Star Break is still considered to be the official midseason point. The trade deadline has passed, which means that all the teams in the league now have the rosters that they believe will serve them well in the second half of the season. Will the teams currently dominating the NBA betting odds to win it all be the ones that are there come to the end of the regular season or will there be a couple of teams that make a run in the second half, upsetting all the NBA lines and predictions in the process?
Let’s look ahead to see how things might play out in the second half of the NBA season.
The Rockets are on a 9-game win streak right now, and I believe they will continue rolling all the way to the end of the season, beating out the Rockets for the top spot. The reality here is that the rest of the seedings don’t really matter, as I think the Rockets and Warriors are on a collision course in the playoffs. Can the Rockets end the stranglehold that the Warriors have had on the West over the past few season? I’m not so sure that they can, as the Warriors always seem to find a second gear in the postseason.
I’m going with the Warriors to win the West, after which they go on and beat the Wizards in 6 in the NBA Finals.
As far as the league MVP race, my money is on James Harden. The only time the Rockets looked vulnerable this season was when Harden was out with an injury. He makes this team tick, and even if the Rockets don’t win the West, he still gets the MVP.
Midseason NBA Betting Predictions for the 2018 Championship
Updated NBA Power Rankings pic.twitter.com/GJSLjbKnn2
— America’s Top Sportsbook (@betmybookie) 13 de febrero de 2018
Playoff Picture
Eastern Conference
- 1-Toronto Raptors
- 2-Boston Celtics
- 3-Cleveland Cavaliers
- 4-Milwaukee Bucks
- 5-Washington Wizards
- 6-Indiana Pacers
- 7-Philadelphia 76ers
- 8-Miami Heat
How to Bet Warriors at Trail Blazers NBA Lines & Game Info
Western Conference
- 1-Golden State Warriors
- 2-Houston Rockets
- 3-San Antonio Spurs
- 4-Minnesota Timberwolves
- 5-Oklahoma City Thunder
- 6-Denver Nuggets
- 7-Portland Trail Blazers
- 8-New Orleans Pelicans
NBA Betting Prediction for the Eastern Conference
No team appears to have benefitted more from the trade deadline than the Cleveland Cavaliers. They are now on a 4-game winning streak after making a ton of moves, but they may have dug themselves too big a hole in the first half, which is going to make it tough for them to get the #1 seed that they have been so used to in recent years. The top spot appears as though it is going to come down to the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics. It is the Raptors who are on top right now, thanks in large part to a 6-game win streak that has come at the same time as the Celtics going through a bit of a slump. I like Toronto to finish on top, and I also think that the Cavs might make a serious run at second, ultimately falling short in the end. Also, I don’t see there being many changes below the top 3, although I think that Washington will end up in 4th, ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks. I also like the Detroit Pistons to take the final spot ahead of the Miami Heat. No matter how good the Cavaliers look right now, I still think they will fall short in the postseason, with Toronto going all the way to the NBA Finals.NBA Betting Prediction for the Western Conference
Much like the East, the Western Conference is down to a 2-horse race for the #1 seed. The Golden State Warriors are on top right now, but they do not look like a team in total sync. A break this weekend might help them get back in a groove, but the Houston Rockets look like a team on a mission, which makes them the team to beat in the second half.
The Rockets are on a 9-game win streak right now, and I believe they will continue rolling all the way to the end of the season, beating out the Rockets for the top spot. The reality here is that the rest of the seedings don’t really matter, as I think the Rockets and Warriors are on a collision course in the playoffs. Can the Rockets end the stranglehold that the Warriors have had on the West over the past few season? I’m not so sure that they can, as the Warriors always seem to find a second gear in the postseason.
I’m going with the Warriors to win the West, after which they go on and beat the Wizards in 6 in the NBA Finals.
As far as the league MVP race, my money is on James Harden. The only time the Rockets looked vulnerable this season was when Harden was out with an injury. He makes this team tick, and even if the Rockets don’t win the West, he still gets the MVP.
Last 10 NBA Champs
- 2017: Golden State Warriors
- 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2015: Golden State Warriors
- 2014: San Antonio Spurs
- 2013: Miami Heat
- 2012: Miami Heat
- 2011: Dallas Mavericks
- 2010: Los Angeles Lakers
- 2009: Los Angeles Lakers
- 2008: Boston Celtics
