NBA Playoffs First Round Betting Preview
The NBA’s second season gets underway this weekend with the start of the NBA playoffs. The following is a brief look at all of the best-of-seven first rounds matchups along with the current odds each team’s chances to win the conference as provided by Sportsbook.com.
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Eastern Conference
No.1 Chicago Bulls (+110) vs. No.8 Indiana Pacers (+40000)
The Bulls appear to be the team to beat in the East with 20 wins in their last 22 games. They come into this series outscoring their opponents by an NBA-best 7.34 points. The Pacers are ranked 11th in the NBA in scoring with an average of 100.1 points a game, but shooting just 44.4 percent from the field.
Chicago had a 3-1 edge in the season-series both straight-up and against the spread and takes this series in five.
No.2 Miami Heat (+160) vs. No.7 Philadelphia 76ers (+10000)
The Heat are also red-hot with 12 victories in 13 games. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are leading the way with 26 points a game and Chris Bosh rounds out the Big Three with 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds. First year coach Doug Collins has the Sixers back in the postseason after they won just 27 games in 2010.
Miami was 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in the season series. It wraps this series up in five games as Philly steals one at home.
No.3 Boston Celtics (+250) vs. No.6 New York Knicks (+2000)
The Celtics lost seven of 12 games down the stretch, which could be of some concern, but its defensive is still giving up just 91 points a game. The Knicks are second in the league in scoring with 106.6 points a game, but has had trouble stopping anyone on defense.
Boston was 3-0 SU but 1-2 against New York this season. The Knicks will make this one interesting, but the Celtics win the series in seven games.
No.4 Orlando Magic (+800) vs. No. 5 Atlanta Hawks (+7500)
The Magic are holding teams to 94 points a game but will once again go only as far as Dwight Howard can carry them. The Hawks defense is solid as well but they are ranked 26th in the NBA in scoring with 95.1 points a game.
Atlanta was 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS against Orlando this season. This is another series that goes the distance with the Hawks pulling off the upset in seven games.
Western Conference
No.1 San Antonio Spurs (+200) vs. No.8 Memphis Grizzlies (+10000)
San Antonio finished with the best record in the West at 61-21 but lost six of its last 10 games. The Spurs also had the best home record in the conference at 36-5. Memphis was 46-36 overall, but went just 16-25 on the road this season.
The season series was split at 2-2 SU, but the Grizzlies were 4-0 ATS. Memphis makes this series a little interesting, but San Antonio wins in six.
No.2 Los Angeles Lakers (-118) vs. No.7 New Orleans Hornets (+10000)
Los Angeles snapped a five-game losing streak down the stretch by winning its last two to finish 57-25. Kobe Bryant once again led the way with 25.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a game. Since New Orleans lost its leading scorer David West with a torn ACL on March 24, it has lost five of its last nine games.
The Lakers swept the season series 4-0 SU and were 3-1 ATS. Without West in the lineup, the Hornets put up little resistance in another 4-0 sweep.
No.3 Dallas Mavericks (+700) vs. No. 6 Portland Trail Blazers (+3300)
Dallas has been on the ultimate roller coaster ride with a five-game winning streak followed by a four-game losing streak followed by another four game winning streak to finish the year. Portland was 48-34 overall this season but just 18-23 on the road including losses in six of its last eight games away from home.
The two teams split the season series, but the Trail Blazers were 3-1 ATS. The Mavericks finally prove they can get past the first round but it takes seven games to do it.
No.4 Oklahoma City Thunder (+800) vs. No.5 Denver Nuggets (+1800)
Oklahoma City won seven of its last 10 games to finish 55-27 on the year. Kevin Durant led the league in scoring with 27.7 points a game and along with Russell Westbrook, who is averaging 21.9 points, form one of the highest scoring combinations in the NBA. Denver also won seven of 10 to close out the year at 50-32. It is the highest scoring team in the league with 107.5 points a game.
The Thunder won three of four games against the Nuggets this season, including two in April and were 3-1 ATS. Oklahoma City continues the trend by winning this series in six games.
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