The NBA’s version of the Final Four is set, and three of those four teams still alive heading to the conference finals are not a surprise, for instance, two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors. Golden State tops the NBA odds to win the championship on its own quest to get a three-peat since it gets set to take on the Portland Trail Blazers at the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors are -165 favorites about the updated title odds on the NBA playoff lines.
The Blazers are the longest shot on the tournament lines of the four groups left at +1700 on these NBA playoff odds as they prepare to meet the Warriors beginning on Tuesday in Oakland. The Milwaukee Bucks will be the second choice to win the NBA championship at +230 and will face the Toronto Raptors (+750) in the Eastern Conference Finals beginning on Wednesday.
The biggest question mark with respect to handicapping the rest of the NBA playoffs is that the status of Golden State’s Kevin Durant, who had been enjoying another excellent postseason run prior to suffering a calf strain in Game 5 of the team’s second-round matchup with the Houston Rockets. The injury had been supposed to become much worse, and he may or may not be available in the Western Conference Finals; he has already been ruled out for Game 1.
The Warriors managed to progress with a massive road victory in Game 6 without Durant, and they could probably make it to the NBA Finals again if he does not play. Winning another title though may prove to be difficult with no whether the group plays Milwaukee or even Toronto.
Portland is very well-coached and contains a backcourt that may give Golden State trouble with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. The duo combined for 50 points in a 100-96 mad of Denver in Game 7, together with McCollum doing the majority of the damage with 37 points. Additionally they lacked 19 rebounds, nine assists and four steals between them, demonstrating they could do more than just score.
The Blazers are heavier compared to the Warriors too, with the benches potentially becoming a bigger factor the longer the string goes. Portland is becoming more confident in this matchup too, winning four of the past six meetings following an 11-game series losing streak and covering five of the last seven. Golden State is a -550 favored on the series costs on the NBA playoff betting board.
Bucks are Rested Moving into the Eastern Finals
At the East, the Bucks earned some time by knocking from the fourth-seeded Boston Celtics in five matches while the Raptors went the complete distance of seven versus the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers to get here.
Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard has been the best player in this year’s playoffs after removing Philadelphia with an incredible game-winning shot in Game 7 on Sunday and finishing with 41 points in a 92-90 win. However, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is the NBA MVP favorite for its regular season and also has a better team surrounding him going into the conference finals.
The Bucks have won four of their previous five meetings both SU and against the spread, with three of these games taking place on the street. Milwaukee’s ability to win away from home is enormous considering this group routed Golden State 134-111 as a 5.5-point street underdog back on November 8 and has won in its last two trips to Oakland as well. The Raptors had the next-best road mark during the regular season at 26-15 behind only the Bucks and Warriors at 27-14, therefore stealing a game or 2 may be the gap.
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