SI NBA Gambling analyst Corey Parson has been making his best bets both leading up to and through the NBA season. Today, he's focusing on each of the upcoming first round matchups, breaking down his top bets for each series.
The NBA playoffs start today. Considering the type of year it's been, that's something I thought I wouldn't be able to even write this year.
The seeding round was a great way to begin the NBA restart, but now it's time to crown a champion. Here are my thoughts and betting advice on the first round series from the Orlando bubble.
Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets
This should have been one of the more exciting first round series, with these two Northwest division rivals only separated by a game in a half and a half in the standings. Mike Conley will miss the beginning of the series for Utah as he left the bubble to attend the birth of his child. However, even if Conley was available for the whole first round, I don't see how Utah can score enough points to keep up with the Nuggets. The loss of their second leading scorer in Bojan Bogdanovic has been noticeable throughout their seeding round games.
The Play: Nuggets -278
Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors
The Raptors' championship defense begins with a series against a Brooklyn Nets team that played well over their heads during the seeding round. Brooklyn will come back to earth vs a clearly better team, I can see Toronto making quick work of the Nets. With the injuries to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, this was never going to be the year for the Nets. Brooklyn will be an interesting team next year once all the pieces are together.
The Play: Raptors -5000
Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics
Two of the great NBA franchises meet in the playoffs yet again. This time, it's much different considering the circumstances, but I'm sure this will still be a hard fought series. In my opinion, Brett Brown has to win this series to remain head coach of the 76ers. Unfortunately for him, I don't think it will happen as I like Boson to win in six games.
The Play: Celtics -400
Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Clippers
This should be a fun first round series. Luka Doncic and the Mavericks play an exciting brand of basketball that is awfully fun to watch. They get up and down the court and score lots of points. On the other side, the Clippers are deep team that can throw a lot of bodies at Dallas. Several expects expect the Mavs to make this a compelling series but I don't see it happening. There may be some exciting games but the Clippers should sweep Dallas if they're locked in and healthy.
The Play: Clippers -530
Orlando Magic vs Milwaukee Bucks
Orlando was a disappointment during the seeding round, most people had them picked to past the Nets and take over the seventh seed in the east, but a 5-game losing streak in the seeding round killed those hopes, so now they have to deal with the Bucks in the first round, Milwaukee should win every game by double digit points.
The Play: Bucks -10000
Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers
This should very well be the most exciting if not hard-nosed series of the first round of the NBA playoffs. These teams have a built in rivalry with T.J. Warren and Jimmy Butler continuing to spar from the regular season. Their battle will make this one fun and will remind NBA fans of those old school Eastern Conference battles. I like the Pacers to pull off the upset.
The Play: Pacers +250
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets
I have been waiting all season to bet on the Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs, Oklahoma City was left for dead last season when Russell Westbrook and Paul George left town, amazingly Billy Donovan and Chris Paul got them to this point. Now, they will knock off the Rockets in a seven game series. Russell Westbrook will miss a few a games to start the first round due to injury, and while I still expect Houston to be a tough out, the Thunder are a tougher team and they'll pull off the upset.
The Play: Thunder +120
Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Lakers
No one played better basketball than Damian Lillard in the seeding round. He brought this Blazers team from 3.5 games out of the playoffs, to a playoff spot in eight games. The Trail Blazers will be a trendy pick to knock off the Lakers don't fall for it. Los Angeles should win this series in five games.
The Play: Lakers -500
