The NBA’s version of the Final Four is set, and also three of the four teams still alive heading to the conference finals aren’t a surprise, including the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors. Golden State tops the NBA odds to win the championship on its quest for a three-peat since it gets set to take on the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors are -165 favorites on the updated name odds on the NBA playoff lines.
The Blazers are the longest shot on the championship lines of those four groups left +1700 on these NBA playoff chances as they prepare to meet the Warriors beginning on Tuesday at Oakland. The Milwaukee Bucks are the next choice to win the NBA championship at +230 and will face the Toronto Raptors (+750) at the Eastern Conference Finals starting on Wednesday.
The largest question mark with regards to handicapping the rest of the NBA playoffs is that the standing of Golden State’s Kevin Durant, who was enjoying another excellent postseason run before suffering a calf strain in Game 5 of the team’s second-round matchup with the Houston Rockets. The harm was supposed to be much worse, and he may or may not be available in the Western Conference Finals; he has 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 playwith. Winning another name though could prove to be difficult without him if the team plays Milwaukee or Toronto.
Portland is very well-coached and has a backcourt that may give Golden State trouble with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. The duo combined for 50 points in a 100-96 upset of Denver in Game 7, together with McCollum performing the majority of the damage with 37 points. Additionally they lacked 19 rebounds, nine assists and four steals involving them, demonstrating that they can do more than score.
The Blazers are deeper than the Warriors as well, with the chairs possibly becoming a larger factor the longer the string belongs. Portland is becoming more optimistic in this matchup too, winning four of the previous six meetings after an 11-game series losing streak and covering five of the last seven. Golden State is a -550 favored on the show costs on the NBA playoff gambling board.
Bucks are Rested Moving into the Eastern Finals
In the East, the Bucks earned some time off by knocking from the fourth-seeded Boston Celtics in five games while the Raptors went the full distance of seven vs the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers to get here.
Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard has been the best player in this year’s playoffs following eliminating Philadelphia with an incredible game-winning shot in Game 7 on Sunday and ending with 41 points in a 92-90 win. But Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is the NBA MVP favorite for the regular season and has a better group surrounding him heading to the conference finals.
The Bucks have won four of their previous five meetings both SU and against the spread, with three of these games happening on the road. Milwaukee’s capacity to win away from home is huge considering this group sent Golden State 134-111 as a 5.5-point road underdog back on November 8 and has won in its last two trips to Oakland too. The Raptors had the next-best road mark throughout the regular season at 26-15 supporting just the Bucks and Warriors in 27-14, therefore stealing a game or 2 may be the gap.
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