We are well past the midway point of the season at this point, but the NBA All-Star Break is the unofficial sign of midseason. Given that every team in the league has now played over 50 games, we have a pretty solid idea of those that are likely to make a deep run when the postseason rolls around. The question now is how it will all play out and where your NBA betting money should go when the postseason arrives. We will likely all have different opinions here, but let’s take a closer look at how I think things will go on the road to the 2019 NBA Finals.
Midseason NBA Betting Predictions for 2019 Championship
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Eastern Conference
It really does now look as though the top seed in the East will be contested between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors, with the Bucks currently in front by a single game. I think that it will be the Raptors who win it and get the #1 seed heading into the playoffs, with the Bucks in at #2. I like the Boston Celtics to make a run in the second half that moves them into #3, with the Indiana Pacers rounding out the top 4.
If there is a dark horse team in the Eastern Conference, I think it would need to be the Pacers. At this stage of the season, they have a 27-11 record versus conference foes, with only 2 other teams, the Raptors and Celtics able to match that number of wins in the East. If the Pacers do finish down in the #4 spot, they would likely face the 76ers, which would mean that home court advantage would be an absolute must given how good Philly is at home.
I think we are looking at a Toronto/Boston Eastern Conference Final, with the Celtics the team to move on.
Playoffs Race
- 1-Milwaukee Bucks 43-14
- 2-Toronto Raptors 43-16
- 3-Indiana Pacers 38-20
- 4-Boston Celtics 37-21
- 5-Philadelphia 76ers 37-21
- 6-Brooklyn Nets 30-29
- 7-Charlotte Hornets 27-30
- 8-Detroit Pistons 26-30
- 9-Miami Heat 26-30
- 10-Orlando Magic 27-32
Western Conference
In my opinion, the race for the Western crown looks to be a little clearer, as it now looks as though the Golden State Warriors have stepped up a gear. They have a two-game lead over the Denver Nuggets, who certainly looks good enough to hold on to the #2 seed, while the OKC Thunder look good in the #3 spot. The big question here is whether the Houston Rockets can make a second-half push, but even if they do, their apparent inability to play defense seems to be an issue.
I don’t see any team in this conference that can take out the Warriors in a 7-game series, which is why I think the defending champions are almost certainly heading back to the NBA Finals after taking out OKC in the Western Conference Final.
By my count, we have a Golden State/Boston final, which I see the Warriors winning in 6 games.
Playoffs Race
- 1-Golden State Warriors 41-16
- 2-Denver Nuggets 39-18
- 3-Oklahoma City Thunder 37-20
- 4-Portland Trail Blazers 34-23
- 5-Houston Rockets 33-24
- 6-Utah Jazz 32-25
- 7-San Antonio Spurs 3333-26
- 8-LA Clippers 32-27
- 9-Sacramento Kings 30-27
- 10-LA Lakers 28-29
