The NBA playoffs are here. OK, there are two more games of the play-in tournament, but overall, the playoffs start this Saturday, and we are here to present an analysis of the current situation and offer some betting advice.

For the moment, three teams stand above all the others regarding title odds – OKC Thunder, the Boston Celtics, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. But they have to conquer their respective conferences first, and only then go to the Finals.

So, it’s a pretty demanding task for any unit. Others are contenders as well, such as former champions the Nuggets, the Bucks, or the Lakers.

Stay tuned for more interesting information about the upcoming playoffs. We will divide the text into Eastern and Western conferences.

Here are the NBA odds too.

East

Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers are top dogs on the blocks here.

The Cs are the No.2 this year, but to be honest, they were waiting for the playoffs the entire time. Tatum, Brown, and the boys are going to show their quality now, with the game criteria significantly changing in terms of toughness, and that’s something the Cs adore. Also, they are the best three-point team in NBA history, scoring 17.8 per game. Btw, they are the 2nd defense in the league with 107.2 points allowed.

The Cavaliers have the best defense in the league, with 121.9 points per game. They grew into a very respectable unit, with fantastic players and Donovan Mitchell as the leader. Not only that, the Cavs have an extremely deep bench, with excellent guys who can jump in and create havoc on both ends of the court.

All the other teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs are similar in terms of power. The Bucks have the playoff knowledge and experience, plus Lillard will be back, but precisely because of that, we don’t believe in them. When Dame had to pause, Milwaukee began playing well.

The Knicks are good but not a championship team, while the Pacers aren’t consistent, even though they play nice and appealing basketball. The Pistons don’t have the experience, and the Magic clash with the Celtics right away, even though they have the quality for at least the second round.

West

OKC Thunder is the best team in the West for the second season in a row. However, this year, we saw them being protected a lot, particularly Shai Gilgeous Alexander, who will win the MVP. But the fans don’t love them because of the mentioned “protection.” They are extremely physical and have one of the best defenses in the league – 3rd with 107.6 points allowed per game. Shai is the top scorer and has almost 9 FTs per game.

Now, if the officiating criteria slightly change and the refs allow tough defense on him, we just might see the Thunder ousted early in the playoffs like last year. For us that wouldn’t be a surprise. Especially if they play the Grizzlies in the first round.

Rockets are the No.2 seed, but they aren’t a favorite against the Warriors in the first round. GSW isn’t elite for the moment, but their experience and the fact that Playoff Jimmy (Butler) forces us to always count them in any title talk. After all Steph had 37 and Butler 38 in the play-in game against the Grizzlies.

The Lakers are No.3 but meet the Timberwolves in the first round. Both teams are shady in terms of their current form and their ceiling. With Luka and LeBron we can see the Lakers beating anyone, but also lose as well. The same goes for the T-Wolves, who have a slightly better defense, which is why in our opinion they have a better chance to advance from this matchup, yet we don’t see them near the finals.

And here comes the most interesting pair – Clippers vs. Nuggets. Both teams are very good, yet the Clips are in fantastic shape. Kawhi was back in the best possible moment, and the team simply jumped to another level with him onboard. Also, landing Bogdanovic gave them an extra dimension, and that’s why Harden plays like possessed now. Bogi upgraded Zubac, who became arguably the top 5 center in the league after the trade window. They two play two-on-two all the time, and the big guy likes it. All this suits the Beard well as he has more space. Plus, the Clips’ defense is 4th in the league with 108 points allowed.

The Nuggets struggle, but they have one of the best players ever—Jokic. He can do wonders, and if Murray and Porter Jr. slightly increase their productivity in the playoffs, the Nuggets can go all the way. That’s a big IF.

So, to cut to the chase here, the West is stacked, unlike the East, where we have two dominant teams. Here, at least six teams can go to win the conference. Our picks here are either the Clippers or the Warriors.

 

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