The second season in the National Basketball Association is here. It’s historic for a number of reasons: Golden State is looking to win a third straight title. For the first time since 2005, the playoffs will not feature LeBron James, and the NBA Finals will not have a team from the East with James on it. The Warriors “only” won 57 games this year, their lowest total in five years, so could their road be bumpy? Houston, Oklahoma City and Denver are the other top contenders in the West. There is also additional history on the East side of the bracket, as the Bucks will enter the playoffs with the league’s best record for the first time in 45 years. They are the only team that broke the 60-win barrier this season. Toronto and Philadelphia have plans to spoil Milwaukee’s waltz to the Finals, though. We have sports betting predictions for each series. We have all matchups NBA playoffs betting predictions that we can make about the coming postseason.
2019 NBA Playoffs Odds, Picks & Betting Predictions
The 2019 #NBAPlayoffs are set! Games begin on Saturday, April 13th. pic.twitter.com/4ERS0ZeywQ
— NBA (@NBA) 11 de abril de 2019
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs Detroit Pistons (8)
Detroit almost fell out of the playoffs altogether with their play late in the season, but they did win two straight over Memphis and New York to claim the eighth seed. Milwaukee leads the NBA in scoring with 118.1 points per contest and also is the best rebounding team, corraling 49.7 boards per game. Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely to be the league’s MVP, and he has Khris Middleton giving him support. Detroit will look to grind to a win behind Blake Griffin, but his left knee is already iffy. Milwaukee in 5.
Toronto Raptors (2) vs Orlando Magic (7)
Kawhi Leonard has made the difference for Toronto, scoring 26.6 points per game, best on the team, and grabbing 7.3 boards per game. Serge Ibaka is the top rebounder for the Raptors at 8.1 boards per game. They face an Orlando team that is fifth in the NBA in defense, permitting just 106.5 points per game. However, Toronto has to be so glad that LeBron is out of the East that they will roll in this first round. Toronto in 5.
Philadelphia (3) vs Brooklyn (6)
The biggest question in Philadelphia is the availability of center Joel Embiid, who may miss at least the opener with knee and back issues. Embiid scores 27.5 points and pulls down 13.6 rebounds per game. He is part of a talented crew, as Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons and JJ Redick all contribute, but Brooklyn has a terrific core in D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert. They run the pick and roll, and they spot up for threes. Even so, the Sixers should take the series. Philadelphia in 6.
Boston (4) vs Indiana (5)
The Celtics are likely tired of reading how they have underperformed in the wake of Gordon Hayward’s return, but they do have home court advantage, and they still have Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and Jayson Tatum taking the floor. Hayward has been inconsistent this year, but the Celtics have the offense to win here. Indiana continues to win games despite the loss of Victor Oladipo for the season, thanks to a league-best defense (104.3 points permitted per game). Bojan Bogdanovic is their top scorer with 18.0 points per contest. Boston should win, but it will be a fight. Boston in 7.
Western Conference
Golden State Warriors (1) vs Los Angeles Clippers (8)
We read a lot about the distractions the Warriors face, as Kevin Durant and Draymond Green have certainly have had their differences. However, when the team takes the floor in crunch time, they generally get their way — as we saw down the stretch as the Warriors held off Denver to win the top seed. Stephen Curry averages 27.3 points per game, Durant scores 26.1 and Klay Thompson adds 21.6, while providing shutdown defense. The Clippers worked hard to get that eighth seed, behind 20.0 points per game from Lou Williams and an offense that ranks fifth in the NBA, scoring 114.8 points per game. It’s not enough to stop the Warriors, though. Golden State in 4.
Denver Nuggets (2) vs San Antonio Spurs (7)
Denver almost lost the two-seed in the regular season’s last game, as they trailed Minnesota by 11 with less than four minutes remaining in regulation. However, the Nuggets finished the game on a 15-0 run to make it to the other side of the West bracket from Golden State. Denver is terrific at ball movement, averaging 27.4 assists per game, and Nikola Jokic leads the squad with 19.9 points, 10.8 boards and 7.3 assists per game. San Antonio is getting all they can out of DeMar DeRozan (21.3 points, 6.2 boards) and LaMarcus Aldridge (21.2 points, 9.1 boards). They will push the Nuggets hard thanks to the league’s best coach in Gregg Popovich. Denver in 7.
Portland Trail Blazers (3) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (6)
Portland moved into the third seed in the West thanks to a 38-18 fourth quarter comeback against Sacramento. They will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they will bring a 48.0 rebounding per game average into the game. They score 114.4 points per game, seventh in the league. Oklahoma City is an enigma, though, with Paul George and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the third consecutive seas, and George scores 28.0 points per game. At some point, the Thunder will revert to their early season form, and I think it comes in time to upset Portland. Oklahoma City in 6.
Houston Rockets (4) vs Utah Jazz (5)
Houston was on the verge of taking the second seed, but then they saw Denver and Portland both mount comebacks in their season finales, and the Rockets are now fourth, against a tricky Utah Jazz team. James Harden leads the Rockets with 36.8 points per game, best in the league. Houston gets in trouble because of their lack of defense at time, but the Jazz shouldn’t have enough to outscore the Rockets. Houston in 5.
