It’s going to be one hell of a stretch in the NBA, as the 2018 playoffs are upon us. With 16 teams making it to the postseason, which one will be left standing in June? The sportsbook likes the Cavaliers in the East and the Warriors in the West (big surprise) for a Golden State vs Cleveland finals, but those NBA Futures may very well change as the playoffs progress. Time to take a look at some of these teams’ odds to win the Larry O’Brien trophy below, along with key predictions of what’s to come.
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NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Including Favorites, Sleepers, and Long Shots to Win the 2018 NBA Championship
FAVORITES
Golden State Warriors (+120) : Regular Season Record 58-24
The Warriors (+120) failed to win 60 games since 2014. They have been struggling to win games late in the regular season. Even though Stephen Curry is on the shelf with a knee issue, the Warriors had no business losing back to back to the Indiana Pacers and the New Orleans Pelicans just like they did last week as they still had Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green in those contests. Despite all that, it would be hard to bet against the Warriors in the playoffs. Their recent slump is probably a product of boredom more than anything else, as they have locked up the second-seed in the West and closed out the regular season on a high note with a 111-107 win over the OKC Thunder. Curry is set to come back at some point in the playoffs and by then, the Warriors will be scarier and should easily make the conference finals AT THE VERY LEAST.
Cleveland Cavaliers (+600) : Regular Season Record 50-31
The Cavaliers are coming off of a final regular season game 110-98 loss to the NY Knicks. And while they are not going to the playoffs with either the top two seeds in the East, they have LeBron James. James has been a monster all season long, as he has been toying with the competition on an almost nightly basis, even if that’s not reflected in their regular season record. The Cavs (+600) don’t have a ton of depth, but having capable and cooperative scorers in Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood will help LeBron play his style. The Cavs will go as far as where LeBron takes them, even if he’s thinking about heading elsewhere next season. He’ll be looking to leave on a high note.
SLEEPER
Boston Celtics (+8000) : Regular Season Record 55-27
The Celtics (+8000) survived an entire season without Gordon Hayward, but can they continue to be a serious title contender without Hayward AND Kyrie Irving. Irving is now out for the rest of the season, including the playoffs, after undergoing a surgery to remove a wire from his knee. With Irving out, Brad Steven will have to come up with something short of a miracle to lead the Celtics to a title win. Getting to the second round could be difficult even for the Celtics with Irving out, but we shouldn’t also be discounting Stevens’ genius and the capabilities of Celtics youngsters Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who will both be forced into maturity by necessity.
LONG SHOT
Miami Heat (+20,000) : Regular Season Record 43-38
Any of the top-tier teams in the East who’ll draw the Heat (+20,000) in the first round is in for some headache. Miami is limping towards the end of the regular season, but on paper, this is a team that’s capable of causing bruises in the playoffs. They proved so in their final regular season game against the East leading Raptors, with a 116-109 O/T win at home. Although the Heat plays a relatively slow-paced game, they are showing signs they could keep up with high scoring teams when needed. The Heat are scoring just 103.4 points per game, good for only 24th in the NBA, but are also 10th in the league in three-pointers made per game (11.0)
Writer’s Prediction
Who are we kidding? Golden State (assuming Curry stays in the lineup) wins it all, successfully defending the title they won in 2017.
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