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We’ll finish up our look at the NBA ‘playoff special’ prop bets at BetOnline.ag. If you’re looking for the best value on basketball or hockey props this is the best time of the year to find ‘em.
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NBA BASKETBALL PLAYOFF SPECIALS
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS TO MAKE PLAYOFFS
YES: -230
NO: +190
The Portland Trailblazers deserve more respect. This is a team that reached the Western Conference Finals last year, has one of the best backcourts in the NBA with C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard and has one of the nastiest home court advantages in sports at the Moda Center. Portland will make the playoffs and since they don’t get the fawning media coverage of major market teams we’re getting a great price.
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS TO MAKE PLAYOFFS—YES -230
SACRAMENTO KINGS TO MAKE PLAYOFFS
YES: +250
NO: -300
The Kings have a roster full of talented young prospects but they’re probably still a year away from returning to the postseason. They score points in buckets but they need to improve defensively. Only four teams allowed more opponent points per game last year than Sacramento. They’re doing a good job establishing a tough home court—at one point Sacto’s Arco Arena was among the toughest places for opposing teams to play and they’re trying to do the same thing at their spiffy new Golden 1 Center. They also need to play better on the road where they went 15-26 last year. They were 4-12 against Pacific Division foes a year ago and it’s only going to get rougher. Would love to pull the trigger on a ‘Yes’ but just can’t do it.
PASS
SAN ANTONIO SPURS TO MAKE PLAYOFFS
YES: -220
NO: +180
Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich is a god but at some point San Antonio has to have what approximates a ‘rebuilding year’. They were great on their home floor a year ago at 32-9 but hard to see them matching that in a tougher Western Conference. They were awful on the road at 16-25. Spurs tied with the LA Clippers for the final playoff spot in the West a year ago and while a number of teams in the conference improved dramatically the Spurs didn’t do much.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS TO MAKE PLAYOFFS—NO +180
TORONTO RAPTORS TO MAKE PLAYOFFS
YES: -400
NO: +320
This is going to be a strange year for the Raptors and were they in the West I’d probably bet that they don’t make the playoffs. Even with Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol their starting lineup just doesn’t look that imposing with Kawhi Leonard now in Los Angeles. Very tough at home (32-9) and all it took to make the playoffs in the East last year was a .500 record. They’re better than that but don’t want to lay this price.
PASS
UTAH JAZZ TO MAKE PLAYOFFS
YES: -800
NO: +600
No team in the NBA did better in the offseason in terms of filling in ‘holes’ in their lineup. Some teams signed big name superstars and will have to fit everything around them. The Jazz took one of the nastiest defensive teams in the league and made them nastier on defense with more balanced scoring. Mike Conley is the best pointguard to wear the Jazz uniform since John Stockton. Added size and muscle to the bench with underrated rebounder Ed Davis and veteran Jeff Green. The Jazz should have the best team defense in the league this year and could be this season’s Toronto Raptors. Just a deep, talented, well coached team. Can’t lay the big price but they’ll be in the playoffs.
PASS
WASHINGTON WIZARDS TO MAKE PLAYOFFS
YES: +500
NO: -650
Very little chance to make the postseason. Finished well off the pace last year and not sure what they did in the offseason makes the team better. Isaiah Thomas is their best player and he’ll miss up to two months after thumb surgery. Don’t want to lay this price but can’t see them playing meaningful games after February.
PASS
- This article is courtesy of BetOnline
