2010 NBA Playoffs Betting Odds
Sportsbook.com has 2010 NBA Playoffs betting odds for both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference.
The same four teams that held home court advantage in the 2009 Eastern Conference playoffs will do so once again in 2010. Cleveland, Orlando, Boston, and Atlanta have been head & shoulders above the rest of the conference when you consider the entire body of work.
The bottom half of the East is intriguing, only in the sense that Miami, Milwaukee, and Charlotte have played their best ball down the stretch and have shown signs of being streaky good, or at least good enough to win a series early.
The picture was muddied for the Bucks last week with the Andrew Bogut injury. Meanwhile, the Bobcats are making a first ever appearance in the postseason. The #8 spot in the East came down to Chicago, who used a late season push to clinch the seed on the season's final night. Here's a look at each Eastern Conference playoff club along with their odds and reasons as to why they can/can't reach the ultimate destination.
ATLANTA HAWKS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +2000
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Eastern Conference: +1000
Reasons they can win: Atlanta's franchise is in growth mode, with the young nucleus gaining more and more valuable experience each passing season. The Hawks won 50 games in a season for the first time in 12 years.
Reasons they can't: The Hawks' combined record vs. the Cavaliers, Magic, and Celtics over the last three seasons is 13-31. Those are obviously the three teams standing in the way of a trip to the finals. They also don't play nearly as well on the road as the "Big 3".
BOSTON CELTICS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +900
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Eastern Conference: +400
Reasons they can win: This is the most experienced team in the NBA when it comes to playoff success. Beyond the core title group of two years ago, the Celtics have now added Rasheed Wallace to the mix. Games with Cleveland of late have been both intense and competitive, leaving signs of a potential upset.
Reasons they can't: Boston at times this season has looked not so much experienced, but just plain old. Kevin Garnett in particular doesn't seem to have the bounce he did two years ago in the title run. Orlando has been a thorn in the Celtics' side.
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +10000
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Eastern Conference: +5000
Reasons they can win: The Bobcats give up the fewest points in the NBA and seem almost too naïve to understand they shouldn't be winning this many games at this point. They also won 30+ games at home.
Reasons they can't: The only spots in which Charlotte boasts playoff winning experience are at Head Coach, with Larry Brown, and ownership, with Michael Jordan. Opponents won't be overwhelmed by their youthful exuberance.
CHICAGO BULLS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +30000
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Eastern Conference: +10000
Reasons they can win: Last year's dramatic playoff series with Boston in the first round is still fresh in the minds of the Bulls' players still on the roster. The most important one, the player who took the team on his shoulders, is still in place: Derrick Rose.
Reasons they can't: Assuming Chicago makes the 8-team East field, this team doesn't have the scoring punch of the '09 team, ranking higher than only six other clubs in points per game.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +150
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Eastern Conference: -300
Reasons they can win: Is this finally the year that LeBron gets his ring? It better be according to those who could see James leaving this summer without a title. The pieces are in place, this is the league's best team, and the Cavs should be at full strength for the playoffs.
Reasons they can't: Cleveland's postseason memories with James in the fold have always ended in disappointment, most often making it at least a round shy of where expected. There really are no excuses this time for not making the Finals, but James' free throw & outside shooting could stand in the way. Also, the Cavs have had trouble with the Magic.
MIAMI HEAT
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +8000
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Eastern Conference: +4000
Reasons they can win: Dwyane Wade. Let's face it, the playoffs are built for the superstars. There are only a couple of players more capable than Wade of putting a team on their back and winning playoff series'. Plus, the entire cast has actually played its best down the stretch.
Reasons they can't: It's very difficult to upset three straight opponents en route to a conference title. That's the path the Heat have to take again in 2010.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +10000
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Eastern Conference: +4000
Reasons they can win: The Bucks have been undervalued by everyone from oddsmakers to the guy down the street with a passing interest in the NBA all season. As evidence, they covered pointspreads at a near-record pace. Even with the Bogut injury, Milwaukee had one of the top records in the NBA after the all-star break, getting after it on the defensive end.
Reasons they can't: The Bogut injury was both devastating and deflating. He was having the best year of his career. Without him, there is a big void in the middle. With him, there was playoff inexperience and a void in the 3-4 positions.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +600
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Eastern Conference: +250
Reasons they can win: I'll admit I was off in predicting a decline by the Magic after the trade for Vince Carter. He's had a big year and is the offensive playmaker this team has lacked down the stretch of games in recent postseasons. Oh yeah, they also boast the league's best big man and can shoot the 3-point shot as well as anyone.
Reasons they can't: Other East teams boast stronger benches than Orlando, and have been more effective on the road than Stan Van Gundy's club.
NBA: Western Conference Playoff Odds
Much like a year ago, the Lakers broke early from the gate and put it on cruise control for most of the latter part of the season, securing the top seed rather easily.
There were challengers along the way, as Denver had its best moments early, then came the Mavericks, who at one point ripped off a 13-game winning streak, then the Jazz got hot, and finally, the Blazers, Suns and Spurs seemed to save their best play for the stretch run. Throughout it all, the surprising Oklahoma City Thunder played consistent enough to qualify for the postseason for the first time in their new city.
All that was just uttered makes the 2010 Western Conference Playoffs very intriguing, as it would seem that any team that gets hot at this point could pose a threat to the defending champs.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +1200
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Western Conference: +700
Reasons they can win: Whether it was due to opponents being unfamiliar with the new roster or simply good play, the Mavericks ripped off 13-straight wins after mid-season trades. This type of hot streak in the playoffs would go a LONG way, especially with a veteran loaded lineup.
Reasons they can't: Dallas has been awful at home in covering pointspreads, and while some may argue that this means little in winning or losing games, the margin for error decreases in the playoffs and close wins in the regular season often turn to losses in the postseason.
DENVER NUGGETS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +800
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Western Conference: +500
Reasons they can win: There seems to be a rallying cry for George Karl going on with the Nuggets' players, and last year's run proved this group is capable of almost anything. With Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, Denver boasts two postseason playmakers.
Reasons they can't: At any given time, there seems to be a lot of internal issues going on with the Nuggets. Cohesion is key to any playoff run. Plus, at presstime, this team had the worst road record of any West playoff club.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +150
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Western Conference: -300
Reasons they can win: The Lakers can win because they did it a year ago and supposedly fortified their chances by adding Ron Artest to the mix. Any team with Kobe Bryant is capable of winning a title and the ability to clinch the West #1 seed early allowed L.A. to turn its focus to the playoffs early.
Reasons they can't: Something just seems amiss with the Lakers this year. Perhaps there is some internal dissension in the ranks. That wouldn't come as a shock for a team that has Ron Artest. Last year's effort, even in the regular season, seemed much more convincing.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +3000
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Western Conference: +1000
Reasons they can win: Kevin Durant. Any team with a scorer of Durant's capability has a chance to win on a given night. The Thunder has also proven nearly as effective on the road as at home.
Reasons they can't: No team boasts less playoff experience than OKC. In a playoff bracket as loaded as the West's for teams that have been there before, not knowing "how to win a series" could be the difference.
PHOENIX SUNS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +8000
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Western Conference: +4000
Reasons they can win: If any team is peaking at the right time, it's Phoenix. The most encouraging thing is that the Suns have been just as effective on the defensive end as the offensive end in their late season surge. Steve Nash is also a big reason this team has big hopes.
Reasons they can't: Might the Suns relapse to the play that saw them go 12-18 in December and January? Amare Stoudemire's uncertain status at that time played a role, but is it a sign of how fragile this team's psyche is?
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +8000
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Western Conference: +2500
Reasons they can win: Portland plays a style perhaps more suited for the Eastern Conference but that difference might just be enough to give it a shot at some prolonged success this spring. No team in the West allows fewer points, nor is as efficient on offense. In most playoff games, there are fewer possessions than in the regular season.
Reasons they can't: Can Portland keep up with the likes of Phoenix and Denver if that is a first round matchup? Can the Blazers overcome the fact that they haven't won a playoff series in 10 years?
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +3000
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Western Conference: +2000
Reasons they can win: No other West team...I repeat NO ONE is lining up in hopes of a matchup with the Spurs, simply because of this franchise's rich playoff history. One of their key players, Tony Parker, will have fresh legs too, having missed much of the late part of the season.
Reasons they can't: Road playoff wins have come too far and in between for the Spurs of late as they've won just one of their last 10. Considering their inability to win on the road with regularity this season, I don't see that changing in these playoffs.
UTAH JAZZ
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win NBA Title: +1500
Sportsbook.com Odds to Win Western Conference: +500
Reasons they can win: Utah boasts the West's best margin between field goal offense and defense, meaning they are the most efficient team in the conference. The Jazz have been on an extended run of success since January 9th too, going 32-11 as of press time.
Reasons they can't: Utah's inability to win consistently on the road, even during its second half surge, is a deep concern. Beyond that, the Jazz haven't even sniffed a win in Los Angeles in long time, losing seven straight games by double-digits. The road to the Finals runs through Tinseltown in the West.
