2017 NBA Playoffs: History Says Only Six Teams Have a Chance
April-19-2017
The field has been set and the 2017 NBA playoffs will take place this Saturday, April 15th. There are now 16 teams going head-to-head in hopes of winning the championship title, however, the past has shown us that the actual field is not that large at all.
Historically, only six teams have a real shot at winning the NBA championship each year. It is rare for a team seeded lower than No. 4 to even make the playoffs, with more than 80% of the teams that have played for the title being 1st or 2nd in their particular conference during the regular season. The only champion with a seed number lower than 3 since the 1984 expansion of the playoffs were the Houston Rockets in 1995.
This should not come as a huge surprise though, considering what a low variance sport basketball is. This might sound crazy to say at first, but anyone that has ever bet on the NBA at one of the best USA sportsbooks knows that players score pretty consistently from game to game.
That being said, we will take a look at the top seeded teams from each conference and how feasible their odds to win the title are.
Golden State Warriors 2017 NBA Finals Odds -160 at Bovada
The Warriors are the No. 1 seed in the West and are the consensus betting favorite. They went 67-15 during the regular season and averaged 115.9 points per game. The team is easily the best in the league, even with Kevin Durant rehabbing his left knee for the majority of the season. This is not the first time that the team has had the top record in the NBA, with the most games without consecutive losses and 92 wins away from home in the last 3 seasons.
The Splash Brothers also became the first players to make more than 200 three-pointers in a span of five consecutive seasons. When you think about the combined talent on the team that includes Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson, betting on the Golden State Warriors -160 odds to win the 2017 NBA Championship only makes sense. Bet Now!
Cleveland Cavaliers 2017 NBA Finals Odds +333 at Bovada
Cleveland’s defense has struggled without star center Tristan Thompson, and throughout the season the team was unable to find anyone to replace his defensive efforts. Thompson will be back for Game 1 however, and the team still has talents like Kyrie Irving, Kevin, Love, and of course Lebron James. Even though they stumbled in the beginning, we are still expecting to see the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Bookmakers are favoring the Cavaliers in the East as they take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the postseason. Currently listed as the second overall favorite at Bovada, the Cleveland Cavaliers odds to win the 2017 NBA Championship are spot on. Bet Now!
San Antonio Spurs 2017 NBA Finals Odds +600 at Bovada
The Spurs are one of the most consistent teams in the league and honestly would be the top betting favorite if not for the Warriors. As the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the team has had the longest streak of reaching the playoffs at 20 seasons in a row and they have five championships with Coach Pop and Tim Duncan. All-Star Kawhi Leonard stepped up after Duncan’s retirement and led the team to yet another 60-win season. LaMarcus Aldridge was the team’s second top scorer during the regular season, and based upon the 26.8 points he averaged in the Western Conference finals last season Aldridge is expected to step it up come Saturday. The Spurs have +600 odds to win the 2017 NBA Championship and we know they will put up a fight. Bet Now!
Boston Celtics 2017 NBA Finals Odds +1600 at Bovada
The Boston Celtics won 53 games which is on the lower end for a top seed, but the squad still had a phenomenal season. Isaiah Thomas averaged 29.1 points scored per game and is now ranked the 2nd highest scorer in the league. Al Horford proved to be valuable in the 103-99 win over the Cavaliers, and rookie Jaylen Brown helped the team raise their offensive rating to 111.88. The team does still have an uphill battle with their consistently close games and reliance on Thomas. The odds for the Boston Celtics to win the 2017 NBA Championship are +1600, which is pretty representative with all sides considered. Bet Now!
Houston Rockets 2017 NBA Finals Odds +1600 at Bovada
Most believe it’s smarter to go with the chalk when it comes to the Western Conference, but the Houston Rockets are still title contenders. Everyone knows that the MVP odds for James Harden are there, but what we don’t know is what to expect during the post season. Harden has the unique ability to consistently draw contact on his 3-point attempts, and we wonder how the officiating in the postseason will effect the player with the single-most shooting fouls on 3’s in the NBA. Betting on the Houston Rockets +1600 odds to win the NBA Finals wouldn’t be the worst pick, but with the Warriors as favorites and the Spurs trailing close behind, it would give us pause. Bet Now!
Toronto Raptors 2017 NBA Finals Odds +3300 at Bovada
The Toronto Raptors are the underdogs of the top six teams, with the longest odds to win the NBA Championship. The team has never made an NBA Finals appearance but we shouldn’t count them out just yet. The team is eighth in defensive efficiency and sixth in offensive efficiency, which makes them more than capable of holding down both ends of the court. Point guard Kyle Lowry has returned, though Cory Joseph put on a good performance during his absence. Even with one of the better benches in the league, sportsbooks just don’t believe that the Raptors will be able to get the W. Bet Now!
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