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We’re coming down to the wire in the National Basketball Association, with the regular season set to end on April 11. The postseason picture in the Eastern Conference is just about in place, but in the Western Conference, several spots remain in play. In fact, the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz is just two games ahead of the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves and the ninth-place Denver Nuggets, and just four games ahead of the tenth-place Los Angeles Clippers. So right now, the only teams that have clinched in the West are Houston, Golden State, and Portland. Take a look at some of our NBA Betting insights for you to consider going into the playoffs, no matter what the NBA Odds might end up saying.
The eight-seed would have the thankless task of facing Houston in the first round, but the seven-seed would draw Golden State, who just got ripped by head coach Steve Kerr for their lack of effort in their loss to Indiana. Could the Warriors’ hold on the West to remain as one of the NBA Betting favorites to win it all?
NBA Betting Tips Heading into the 2018 Postseason
After beating the Warriors in Indiana, Victor Oladipo compared where he was a year ago to where he is now. pic.twitter.com/3OqRMoI5RJ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) 6 de abril de 2018
Take Philadelphia 76ers to roll to the Eastern Conference Finals — and maybe even further
Yes, the 76ers have lost phenom center Joel Embiid for as long as the first round of the postseason thanks to his freak crash with Markelle Fultz. But they still have posted an incredible 12-game winning streak and have a 1 ½-game lead on Indiana in the standings. I see them holding their fourth spot and facing the Pacers in the first round. Victor Oladipo is having a terrific year for the Pacers, but Ben Simmons is doing even better for Philly, and Fultz has returned from injury shooting lights out. If they get by the Pacers, they would likely face the winner of Toronto and either Milwaukee or Washington, and they have the offense to get through all three of those defenses. The only question, to me, is if they can get by Cleveland.Will Cleveland Cavaliers survive the first round?
The Cavaliers would face the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs if the season ended today. The Heat are in sixth, a game ahead of Washington and Milwaukee. Here’s an interesting note — Cleveland took a 98-79 beating the last time they played on South Beach, and they haven’t won a game in Miami since 2010. While Cleveland has played well over the last couple of weeks, their defense still hasn’t shown much interest in getting key stops, and given the fragility that Cleveland has shown in tough situations this year, we could see a Finals without LeBron for the first time in years.Denver Nuggets will sneak in past Minnesota to make the playoffs
It’s been five seasons since the Denver Nuggets have cracked the postseason, and they are riding a four-game winning streak right now. They play Minnesota twice before the end of the regular season — and the Timberwolves have lost two in a row and have spent the last month sliding down the standings. If New Orleans keeps sliding as well, the Clippers and Nuggets could leapfrog the Pelicans and Timberwolves and finish seventh and eighth.
The eight-seed would have the thankless task of facing Houston in the first round, but the seven-seed would draw Golden State, who just got ripped by head coach Steve Kerr for their lack of effort in their loss to Indiana. Could the Warriors’ hold on the West to remain as one of the NBA Betting favorites to win it all?
