- The Eastern Conference playoff qualifying odds favor the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they may not be favored in either of their potential games.
- The Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers are -250 to advance in the Western Conference, combining them with Eastern Conference teams provides even more value.
NEW YORK – The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to New York to face the Brooklyn Nets as the NBA Playoffs get underway and online sportsbooks are not only offering single-game bets but specials regarding who will advance out of the Play-In Tournament in each conference.
Betting On Eastern Conference Qualifiers Shows Value Based On Recent Play
Betting on which teams will advance through the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament can be complicated when looking at the standings.
Especially when seeing that the seven and eighth-seeded Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers both went 44-38 this season and the ninth and tenth seeded Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets only lost one more game each when they went 43-39.
The value can really be found though when combining recent performance and studying the betting odds.
Conference Qualifiers In The Eastern Conference
- Nets And Cavaliers -140
- Nets And Hawks +160
- Nets And Hornets +800
- Cavaliers And Hawks +1800
- Cavaliers And Hornets +6000
What stands out is how bad the Cavaliers have played as of late. That poor performance can be attributed to Jarrett Allen’s injury, which has caused him to miss their last 18 games.
Allen will also be out of the Cavaliers game against the Nets, and his status is unclear for any potential matchup against the winner of the Hornets and Hawks game.
With all that being said, the Nets are nearly ten-point favorites to beat the Cavaliers tonight. If the Nets win as expected, recent play shows that the Cavaliers should not be expected to beat either Hawks or the Hornets.
Eastern Conference Teams After The All-Star Break
| Team | Wins | Losses | Win Percentage | Net Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nets | 13 | 10 | 56.50% | +2.8 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 9 | 15 | 37.50% | -3.1 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 15 | 9 | 62.50% | +4.3 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 14 | 8 | 63.60% | +4.3 |
The Cavaliers have the advantage of only having to win one of their two potential Play-In games to advance when compared to the Hawks and Hornets, but with the Cavaliers already large underdogs in their first game, they should not be expected to advance as the odds suggest.
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That means that betting on the Nets and either of the Hawks or Hornets to make it out of the Eastern Conference Play-In tournament not only provides more betting value but may be the most likely scenario.
Western Conference Play-In Odds Show Have The Timberwolves And Clippers As Large Favorites To Advance
The Minnesota Timberwolves are three-point favorites in their Play-In game tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers, but online sportsbooks have indicated through conference qualifier odds that either team would be a favorite against the winner of the San Antonio Spurs versus New Orleans Pelicans matchup.
Western Conference Qualifier Odds
- Timberwolves And Clippers -250
- Timberwolves And Pelicans +450
- Clippers And Pelicans +700
- Timberwolves And Spurs +1500
- Clippers And Spurs +2000
The Timberwolves have the fourth-best net rating since the All-Star break at +5.7 points per 100 possessions, and the Clippers recently got Paul George back from injury so it seems that those odds make more sense than the Eastern Conference.
Online sportsbooks have also allowed NBA betting fans to predict which two teams will advance from each conference and make the playoffs. There are roughly 25 combinations, but some of the notable odds include:
- Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Los Angeles Clippers (all the favorites): +130
- Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Los Angeles Clippers (second shortest odds): +400
- Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Los Angeles Clippers (shortest odds without the Nets): +1600
- Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs (longest odds): +25000
Looking at the parlays of conference qualifiers clearly indicates which teams are most likely to not only win but also lose.
Betting on the Nets, Timberwolves, and Clippers to advance seems to be the safest combination of favorites, and combining those picks with either of the Hawks or Hornets to advance shows how much value is available when placing NBA Play-Specials on online sportsbooks.
