2018 NBA Playoffs Betting Preview: Eastern Conference Matchups

It took waiting through the last night of the NBA regular season, but sports betting enthusiasts have their matchups for the pro basketball postseason now. As far as the Eastern Conference goes, the big story right now is the Philadelphia 76ers, who ride a 16-game winning streak into the postseason (despite missing Joel Embiid for at least two or three more games), and who delivered a 35-point thrashing of the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday – a game in which the Sixers jumped out early to a 60-29 lead and never looked back. They hold the third seed thanks to their win (and a baffling Cleveland loss to lowly New York in the season finale). But in the playoffs, can anyone stop the Cavaliers in a seven-game series, when LeBron hits a new gear? Check out our look at the first-round NBA Playoffs betting matchups.

2018 NBA Playoffs Betting Preview: Eastern Conference Matchups

The 2018 #NBAPlayoffs First Round Schedule by series! pic.twitter.com/F37SRKQOLz

— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2018

Toronto Raptors (1) vs Washington Wizards (8)

This series gets underway on Saturday evening on ESPN and features a pair of teams that appear to be headed in opposite directions. The Wizards dropped 14 of 21 to end the season, although they did enjoy the return of five-time All-Star point guard John Wall from over two months on the shelf with a knee injury. These teams split their four meetings, despite the fact that Toronto ranks well ahead of Washington in both offensive and defensive rating. The big problems for Toronto in the postseason begin with that giant monkey on their back from underperforming when the pressure amps up. Can they get by the Wizards? I think so, but it won’t be easy. Washington in seven.

Boston Celtics (2) vs Milwaukee Bucks (7)

Boston hosts the series opener on Sunday afternoon on TNT, but they enter the postseason in some real trouble. All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is gone for the postseason, and guard Marcus Smart will be back for the second round at the earliest. On April 3, these teams tangled and the Bucks emerged with a 106-102 win. Without Irving, the Celtics don’t really have a go-to scorer, and they have to rely on a grinding defense to determine the rhythm of the game. The problem for the Bucks, though, is that beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo, they don’t have a real go-to scorer either. I see coach Brad Stevens finding enough ways to navigate the Celtics through this series, but it will be a gauntlet. Boston in seven.

Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs Miami Heat (6)

Catch Game 1 between Philadelphia and Miami on Saturday night on ESPN. The 76ers and the Heat split the four games they played this season, but the Heat victories seem like they happened a long time ago, thanks to that 16-game winning streak that Philadelphia rides into the playoffs. Eight of those wins have come after the loss of Joel Embiid with an orbital fracture, but Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz have kept things humming, with Fultz becoming the youngest player ever to post a triple-double. The Heat have Hassan Whiteside inside, so Philadelphia will need to emphasize a rebounding presence, but I’m not sure Miami has the speed to keep up with The Process. Philadelphia in five.

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs Indiana Pacers (5)

Cleveland welcomes Indiana for their series opener on Sunday afternoon on ABC. The Cavaliers have played much better since the return of Kevin Love to the lineup, but the decision basically to give up against New York in the finale (playing LeBron until he had double-figures in points and then letting him rest) was interesting, given that a Cavaliers win and a 76ers loss would have given Cleveland the 3-seed, and that both teams were playing at the same time. The Cleveland defense still has a lot of issues, and Indiana All-Star guard Victor Oladipo stands poised to exploit those issues. However, I don’t think the Pacers have enough offensive weapons to take this series. Cleveland in six.