GAMING NEWS

NBA Playoff Positioning

Heading into the final week of the NBA Season, there is still much to be decided as far as NBA Playoff seedings are concerned. In the East, the top four spots are already secure, but the Western Conference is a complete mess. Let’s go over the Eastern Conference first.

Boston, Detroit and Orlando are already set in the 1, 2 and 3 seeds. Washington, Philadelphia and Toronto are all separated by two games, with the loser having to face Detroit in the first round. Washington only trails Cleveland by two games for home court advantage in the first round. Indiana trails Atlanta by two games for the eighth and final spot.

In the West, there is only one team that has already clinched their division. That would be Utah, who is currently three games behind New Orleans for the top spot. While the Hornets have a two-game edge over the rest of the West, there are four other teams besides Utah within striking distance of the top spot.

The Spurs, Lakers and Rockets all have identical 53-25 records and are two games behind the Hornets. Phoenix has one more loss than the teams mentioned above, and sits 2.5-games back. Dallas, Denver and Golden State are all fighting for the final two seeds, with Dallas holding a two-game edge over both. The Warriors host the Nuggets Thursday night and are listed as a 4.5-point favorite.

What does all of this mean for the NBA Basketball bettor? Typically, teams with playoff seedings on the line tend to play better when matched against a squad that has either already secured their spot or are eliminated from the postseason. However, the linemaker takes this info into account as well, so the pointsreads in these games are usually very high numbers.

For example, the Clippers host the Lakers Thursday night. Kobe and company are battling for playoff position, while the Clippers have been out of contention for quite some time. The Lakers are big 15-point chalk, up significantly from the 11-points there were favored by against the Clippers back on February 23.

When betting on NBA Basketball favorites in the final week, make sure that the inflated pointspreads are worth the risk. Also, it’s not too difficult to find good line value this time of year, so review the updated standing each day to figure out both teams’ motivation!

The LazerWager Sportsbook is your home for NBA Basketball betting. Check out our NBA Lines daily, and don’t miss our NBA Props and Futures as well!