The NBA playoffs are less than two weeks away and there is still a great deal to be decided about the teams and match ups in the 2014 playoffs as the league winds up to one of its most exciting regular season finishes in recent history.
Seedings from the top to bottom of both conferences are still very much up in the air, and with teams contesting those seedings to meet before the end of the season, the playoff races may be headed to a photo finish. Let’s break down the various duels and see where each team stands.
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NBA Playoff Race Preview
Eastern Conference
Race for No. 1 Seed – Heat vs. Pacers
The race for the No. 1 seed in the east is particularly interesting given that the winner will most appreciate the advantage in the likelihood that the two play each other in the Eastern Conference Final.
The Miami Heat are still the overwhelming favorites to win the NBA Championship at +220, and those odds will have already factored in that they will likely have home court advantage in the East. The Heat are a full game ahead of the plummeting Pacers, who’ve seen their championship odds drop to +700 after losing five of their last six games.
The Heat have two more games to play than the Pacers, who have four games remaining. The two will still meet in the regular season on April 11th in Miami, which could still decide that No. 1 seed.
Race for the No. 3 Seed – Raptors vs. Bulls
Toronto and Chicago are locked in a battle for the No. 3 seed in the East, which is especially valuable since the winner avoids Miami in Round 2 and could catch the reeling Pacers instead.
The Raptors have +8,000 odds to win a first NBA championship, but their odds to win that No. 3 seed look much better, with their last five games all against teams below .500. And in case of a tie, they have the tiebreaker as division champions. That won’t deter the Bulls, who are +5,000 to win a seventh NBA title, and have defied the odds all season long.
Race for the No. 8 Seed – Hawks vs. Knicks
The Atlanta Hawks are looking good to take the final playoff seed in the East. They’re two full games clear with six games to play, four of which are at home. But even if they do get in, a first round meeting with the Heat doesn’t help their +20,000 odds to win the title.
Meanwhile, the Knicks’ +10,000 odds to end their four-decade long NBA title drought look longer by the day. New York have two games to make up with just four to play, all against playoff teams. And with Carmelo Anthony now nursing a bum shoulder, the Knicks’ chances look dim.
Western Conference
Race for No. 2 Seed – Thunder vs. Clippers
Don’t look now, but the Clippers are creeping up on the Thunder for that No. 2 seed. OKC is +400 to win the title this year, and still have a one-game lead over Lob City. However, the Thunder still have tough road games against the Clippers and Pacers to come in their last six games.
In the meantime, LA plays three of their last four games at home, where they have been dominant this season, and will host the Thunder on Wednesday. Then, it’s off to the playoffs for the Clippers, who are +1,000 to win the title.
Race for No. 7 & No. 8 Seed – Mavs vs. Suns vs. Grizzlies
The NBA is not known for its late-season races to sneak into the dance, but the battle for the last two Western Conference playoff spots is incredibly tight, with Dallas, Phoenix and Memphis separated by just 1.5 games. Making it even more interesting, the schedule makers at the NBA have created a very intriguing final week to ramp up the excitement even more.
The Mavs are in pole position thanks to their 1.5-game cushion, but there is a lot of basketball still to be played.
The Suns have the toughest road to the postseason, with four of their final five games coming on the road. Still, it would be a mistake to count out the spunky Suns – the team wasn’t supposed to be in playoff contention this year, and have stayed in the hunt all season.
Finally, the Grizzlies are currently the odd team out in the West. But despite their playoff chances looking the most precarious, they still have the best championship odds of the three at +5,500.
And as fate would have it, all three teams play the other two in a sort of three team, playoff play-in tournament at the end the season which could decide just who will get in.
