The NBA Playoffs are moving on after a very exciting opening round of action.
And now, explore the Picks and Predictions for teams on the Eastern and Western Conferences: Celtics vs Cavs, Pacers vs Knicks, Thunder vs Mavs and T-Wolves vs Nuggets in the race for the Championship.
My Analysis
There were no major upsets to be found in either of the conferences and while a pair of lower seeds did move on, I think it’s safe to say that they were results that a lot of us saw coming. For example, seeing the Milwaukee Bucks fall to a #6 seed was not totally unexpected given their injuries and the way they had been playing for a long stretch of time. All of that is behind us now, which means that it’s time to look ahead to the Round 2 matchups, with 8 teams looking to find their way into the Conference Championship Round. Who will make and who will see their playoff dreams end? Let’s take a closet look at all the matchups in Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs.
^Eastern Conference Betting Analysis and Odds to Win
Boston Celtics -290 vs Cleveland Cavaliers +2100
The Boston Celtics did get a bit of a scare in Round 1, losing a game on home court against the Miami Heat. That Game 2 loss seemed to shake them up, though, as they never looked back after that, winning the series 4-1. The Cavaliers only with things had gone so smoothly against the Orlando Magic, as they were forced to go to Game 7 on their opening round series. I don’t think there is any chance that they will see this series go all the way, especially since they lost all 3 meetings with the Celtics in the regular season. I think Boston moves on quite comfortably.
| Celtics in 5 |
Indiana Pacers +1200 vs New York Knicks +310
We talk a lot about the regular season series when looking at playoff matchups, but that doesn’t always tell the complete story. The Pacers took 2 of 3 from the Knicks in the regular season, but New York has looked a whole lot better coming down the stretch, as well as in the playoffs, where they beat the 76ers 4-2 in Round 1. You have to give credit to Indiana for taking out a wounded beast in the Milwaukee Bucks, but this is a much tougher ask. The Knicks should dominate in rebounding, which will give them an important edge.
| Knicks in 6 |
MyBookie | NBA Playoff Lines to Win
Western Conference Betting Analysis and Odds to Win
Oklahoma City Thunder +300 vs Dallas Mavericks +350
There is a certain level of pressure that comes when entering the playoffs as the #1 seed in the conference, but if the Thunder were feeling it, you can certainly say that it didn’t show. They easily took out the New Orleans Pelicans in a 4-game sweep. The Mavericks looked very good in their opening round series versus the Clippers, winning that one in 6 games. This is a much tougher ask for Dallas, but they will cause the Thunder some problems, although I think they ultimately come up short.
| Thunder in 6 |
Minnesota Timberwolves +214 vs Denver Nuggets +210
This series is already underway, with the Timberwolves drawing first blood with a game 1 road win over Denver. They loom to be on an absolute roll after taking out the Phoenix Suns in a 4-game sweep in the opening round. The Nuggets had to work a little harder to get out of Round 1, eventually taking out the Lakers in 6 games. While their Game 1 loss to the T-Wolves was a bit of a surprise, I think we were always looking at a split, as I like this series to go the full 7 games, with Denver edging it.
| Nuggets in 7 |
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2023 Eastern and Western Playoff Odds
On Saturday, the 2023 NBA Playoffs will be in full swing. The Play-In Tournament will be over, and we’ll have the eight best teams in each conference squaring off in a best-of-seven series to move on to the conference semifinals. The oddsmakers have released the NBA Playoff odds on chances of winning the title, so it’s time to make those early bets!
We will now briefly preview each series and give you the odds of each team to win the NBA championship.
2023 NBA Playoff Odds & Predictions
Eastern Conference
(1) Milwaukee Bucks (+240) vs. Chicago Bulls (+50000) or Miami Heat (+21000)
Giannis Antetokounmpo and company look to be the best team in the East, and the oddsmakers think they’re the best team in the league. Neither the Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat should give them much trouble in their first-round series.
(2) Boston Celtics (+370) vs. (7) Atlanta Hawks (+25000)
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are one of the best duos in the league. The Celtics have the second-best odds at winning the NBA title. They can score in bunches, and they defend well. The Hawks have been an average team all season long.
(3) Philadelphia 76ers (+900) vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets (+37000)
Joel Embiid may be the most unstoppable force in the game. James Harden has transformed his game, and now he is much more willing to defer to his teammates. He has also started to defend a little as well.
The Nets won a lot of games when Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and/or Harden were on the floor. They shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Sixers.
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers (+4200) vs. (5) New York Knicks (+13000)
This will be a very even series. The Knicks won the season series. We should see a great battle between Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs had the best defense in the league this season, so we’ll see if they can slow down Brunson and Julius Randle.
Western Conference
(1) Denver Nuggets (+1100) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (+25000) or OKC Thunder (+50000)
Denver quietly earned the top seed in the West. Nikola Jokic leads the Nuggets. This season they have a full roster in the playoffs, and that will be a huge help. Either the Wolves or the Thunder can play with the Nuggets, but Denver will prevail in five or six games.
(2) Memphis Grizzlies (+2400) vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers (+2200)
The Lakers are actually favored to win this series. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis both healthy and playing well, the oddsmakers like the Lakers to make a playoff push. Ja Morant and the Grizzlies will have something to say about that. This should be the most competitive 1st round series. We like the Lakers to win this one in seven.
(3) Sacramento Kings (+5000) vs. (6) Golden State Warriors (+750)
This is the Kings first playoff appearance in a long, long time. They have one of the best offenses in the league this season, but they struggle on the defensive end. They’ll match up with the Golden State Warriors, who have plenty of playoff experience. The Warriors are the favorites, and we like them to win in six.
(4) Phoenix Suns (+460) vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers (+4000)
The Suns are red-hot heading into the playoffs. With a healthy Kevin Durant, the Suns look like the team to beat in the West. The big question in this one will be whether or not Paul George is ready to play. If George is ready, this series will be competitive. If he isn’t, the Suns should win in five. Regardless, we have the Suns winning the series.
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NBA Odds and Lines
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