2018 NBA Playoff Betting Picture: Matchups and Predictions

The playoff pairings in the National Basketball Association are coming down to the final two days of the regular season, particularly in the Western Conference, where five teams entered play on Monday night within two games of one another — the 4-9 slots in the West. The Eastern Conference has a somewhat clearer picture, but the lower half of the bracket could still shift in the last two days. Let’s look at what could unfold over the next couple of days as you start thinking about your NBA Playoffs betting for the postseason.

2018 NBA Playoff Betting Picture: Matchups and Predictions

👀 The current Playoffs Picture! https://t.co/frYs2XqiQy The 2018 #NBAPlayoffs tip off Saturday April 14th! pic.twitter.com/ayuPf8nDCr

— NBA (@NBA) April 9, 2018

Monday night saw several crucial games with postseason implications, as Oklahoma City took on Miami, Minnesota faced Memphis, New Orleans played the Clippers, Denver squared off with Portland, and Sacramento tussled with San Antonio. The Thunder, Timberwolves, Spurs, Nuggets and Pelicans all won, leaving us with this picture in the West:

Western Conference

1. Houston*
2. Golden State* (6.5 games back)
3. Portland* (-16.5)
4. Utah* (-17)
5. New Orleans* (-17.5)
6. San Antonio* (-17.5)
7. Oklahoma City* (-17.5)
8. Minnesota (-18.5)
9. Denver (-18.5)

So we see that, in the West, seven of the eight playoff spots have been clinched. However, Denver and Minnesota still have the eighth spot in play. Oklahoma City did their job, beating Miami by 23 — however, they were down by five points entering the fourth period, before erupting for a 39-12 run. Russell Westbrook ended up with 23 points, 18 boards and 13 assists, and if he gets 16 boards in the season finale, he will average a triple-double for the second straight season. San Antonio clinched the playoffs for the 21st consecutive year thanks to a win over Sacramento in which they had five different players in double figures, led by the double-double from LaMarcus Aldridge (15 points and 14 boards). New Orleans routed the Clippers to punch their postseason ticket as well, so now it’s down to Minnesota and Denver to take the eighth spot. Interestingly, Denver’s win over Portland (behind Nikola Jokic’s 15 points, 20 boards and 11 assists) pulled Portland down to just a half-game lead over Utah in the third position. Denver and Minnesota square off on Tuesday night in a game that will determine the eighth spot. This game will take place in the Twin Cities, so that altitude advantage that Denver enjoys at home will not be part of the situation. Denver did beat Minnesota back on Thursday, but the Timberwolves had to play without Jimmy Butler, and he’ll be back for Tuesday’s matchup, so I’m picking Minnesota to win and take the eighth playoff spot — and end up with a first-round date with the Houston Rockets. Out of the first round in the West, if these matchups remain in place, I see Houston, Golden State, San Antonio and Utah advancing. The Jazz have only lost five games since January 22. Portland put together a nice streak to move up the standings, but their recent skid has me worried about how they would play against a Spurs team that has the best coach in the league.

Eastern Conference

1. Toronto
2. Boston (4.5 games back)
3. Philadelphia (-8.5)
4. Cleveland (-9)
5. Indiana (-11)
6. Milwaukee (-15)
7. Miami (-16)
8. Washington (-16.5)

Cleveland could climb past Philadelphia, depending on what happens down the stretch. Cleveland is 50-31 and hosts the Knicks to finish their season on Wednesday (a Knick team they beat by 14 on Monday night). Philadelphia is 50-30 and has an easy game in Atlanta on Tuesday but then finishes at home against the Bucks on Wednesday, a tough back-to-back to end the season. The Sixers are riding a 14-game winning streak, but if they finish tied with the Cavaliers, Cleveland would take the third seed because Cleveland won the division. Milwaukee needs to win out in order to ensure their sixth seed. However, I like the gumption the Sixers have shown, so I’m going to predict this set of standings holds. In that case, I like the top four seeds to advance. Yes, John Wall is back for the Wizards, so I see them pushing the Raptors to six or seven games, but the Raptors have the tools on offense and defense to roll to a series win. Cleveland has too many offensive weapons for Victor Oladipo and a decent Pacers squad to contend with, and Philadelphia is the scariest team in the conference right now. What do the Bucks have to offer besides the Greek Freak?