For those basketball bettors suffering withdrawal pains following the conclusion of March Madness, you need not worry, the NBA Playoffs are fast approaching and although a majority of the spots have been clinched, there are a total of two berths (one for each conference) up for grabs making for some entertaining pro hoops in the final stretch.
Here are some teams fighting for a playoff spot:
Atlanta Hawks
If the season ended today, the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference would be the Atlanta Hawks, who are listed at +4000 to take the Eastern Conference championship.
The Hawks have been winning where it counts most, on the scoreboard, going 7-3 straight up, but they haven’t been so profitable against the line.
In its last 10 Atlanta has gone 5-5 ATS and its next few contests will be crucial.
Tonight the Hawks are in the Big Apple to take on the Knicks and although the season series ATS is 1-1 (2-0 SU) it is the end of the season, New York is among the league’s worst and chances are, they’ll mail it in.
SPORTSBETTING.COM has the Hawks listed as 5.5-point road favorites and the Total set at 208 and although Atlanta recently rattled off six straight Overs, the team has gone Under in its last two.
The betting action is on Atlanta tonight, as they are receiving 77% of the volume.
Indiana Pacers
Trailing the Hawks by two games, the Pacers are listed as long shots to capture the Eastern Crown at +30,000.
While the Hawks are at MSG tonight, the Pacers will be squaring off against the Philadelphia 76ers and are listed as 5.5-point underdogs. Indiana has been doing pretty well ATS paying out four of its last six and going 5-1 SU.
The Over/Under is listed as 210; the fact that the Pacers have dipped below the Total in five straight is worth noting. The Pacers are getting 58% of the betting action.
Denver Nuggets
Just like the Atlanta Hawks, the Nuggets would be in the postseason if the season ended today, but that is not the case as Denver has three games left.
The Nuggets are listed at +3000 to be the Western Conference representative in the NBA Final and the team took one step closer to clinching a playoff berth by winning a crucial game last night 114-105 against Golden State, covering as a 4-point underdog.
Denver is on a mini two-game SU and ATS winning streak and could be warming up at the right time. The team has also gone Under in both of those games.
Golden State
Last night, the Warriors had the misfortune of losing to the Denver Nuggets, the team that they are chasing for the West’s final playoff spot, but despite that have more favorable odds to win the West than the Nuggets, as the Warriors are listed at +1500.
Unfortunately for bettors and fans of Golden State, the team has chosen the wrong time of the year to go cold.
In the last six games, the Warriors have gone 2-4 SU and an even worse 1-5 ATS.
On the Total, Golden State has gone Under four out of its last five.
It should be an enjoyable weekend with the Masters and a number of good NBA games.
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