NBA Playoffs at the Moment

The 2023 NBA Playoffs are underway, and second-round pairings are starting to take shape. While some fans think the NBA regular season runs too long, everyone is paying close attention come the postseason.

This is an interesting year in the NBA. There doesn’t appear to be a huge betting favorite over the rest of the field. Here is a look at some of the biggest news stories through the early portion of the playoffs.

Movin’ On

Through the games of Tuesday, Apr. 25th, there are three teams who have already advanced. They will be joined by others, obviously. Those that have advanced were all big favorites to win, so not much drama.

The Philadelphia 76ers were the only team able to complete a four-game sweep in the opening round, minimal trouble against the Brooklyn Nets. Philadelphia was even able to win a game without Joel Embiid, now sitting around awaiting their next opponent. Embiid’s sprained right knee bears monitoring, however.

If you think the Sixers can continue their roll, consider the +850 price to win the title, according to NBA championship odds.

Also, two teams have advanced in the Western Conference, and will now meet in the second round. The Denver Nuggets whipped the pesky Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, while the Phoenix Suns dispatched the Los Angeles Clippers (also a five-game series).

Denver, the top seed in the conference, has the home-court advantage in this series, with the winner advancing to the finals in the West.

Props to Play-Ins

The league created a play-in tournament a few years ago as a way to give more teams a shot to qualify. While those No. 7 and 8 seeds haven’t had a ton of success in past playoffs, that’s not the case this season.

In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers are now sizable favorites over the Memphis Grizzlies in their series. LA has taken a 3-1 series lead over Memphis, as the seventh-seed Lakers are trying to reconfigure the conference.

In the Eastern Conference, it’s a No. 8 seed wreaking havoc. The Miami Heat (and Jimmy Butler) have a 3-1 series lead over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, needing just one more win to dispose of the deer.

While the Lakers and Heat still have to get that final win, each will have three chances to get that done. LA and Miami are on the road in their respective Wednesday night fifth games. 

Classic in NorCal

The Golden State Warriors travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings in Wednesday night’s fifth game in the only series even through four games. It’s been a home-team series to date, including a one-point Warrior win in Game 4.

Golden State is now the betting favorite at -225 to win the series over the Kings, as Sacramento now has odds set at +185, as per NBA series odds. The Warriors are slim two-point favorites in the fifth game, despite struggling on the road all season long.

Winner of this series could potentially catch a big break if the Memphis Grizzlies aren’t able to get past the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Lakers prevail, then another pairing of California teams in the second round.

At the Infirmary 

One of the biggest storylines so far in the 2023 NBA Playoffs revolves around infirmed stars. The injury to Joel Embiid (see above) didn’t have an impact on the Sixers in their sweep of the Nets. That hasn’t been the case with other teams.

The Los Angeles Clippers were without both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard (the latter playing just the first two games), which didn’t really give them a fighting chance against the Phoenix Suns. Sacramento is now heading into Game 5 with an injured (fractured finger) De’Aaron Fox, and that could impact both the game and remainder of the series.

Memphis Grizzlies’ superstar Ja Morant missed a game as well in the postseason (sore hand), which isn’t the sole reason his team is on the brink of elimination, but…  

- Tony Caliente, Gambling911.com