The period that comes immediately after the close of the All Star Game is what is usually distinguished by journalists and NBA fans as the one that brings with it the stripes of the so-called “True Colors”.
Read more Tuesday’s foreign football betting slip: Champions is queen, Atletico and Newcastle ahead
After the first three quarters of the season, in fact, the American professional basketball championship begins its most flavorful part, where the true values on the court emerge in view of the final rush to win the playoffs, while the teams aspiring to a place in the sun for next spring’s draft will try to lose as many games as possible.
But in relation to what has been seen so far, which are the teams that aim most to take part in the playoffs and which, instead, can aspire to go even further?
Let’s try to understand it.
If you are a fan of NBA predictions, as well as any sport, you can follow our pages: Today’s Predictions and Today’s Betting Slips and the section dedicated to Enhanced Odds.
Eastern Conference: Pistons ahead of everyone
Not a few think that the dominance of the Oklahoma City Thunder last season could be repeated in the upcoming post-season and that few teams will be able to worry Shai Gilgeous Alexander and teammates, should OKC reach the NBA finals.
In the EAST, from where the final opponent of the team that wins the Western Conference will come, a sort of saloon brawl is underway, with only the Detroit Pistons appearing unreachable in relation to first place, when, after about 55 games played, they lead with an excellent record of 41 wins and 13 losses.
With this trend, end-of-regular-season projections give the Pistons a record that could be around 60 wins, perhaps a few less, but they should close in first place.
Cleveland and Harden
Behind them, the scramble appears full of doubts, but with three teams ready to play for second position, for which the best equipped appear to be the Knicks, who are beginning to reach that chemistry and big-team mentality that they have been demanding at the Madison for time immemorial.
A step below are the Celtics and Cavaliers, but for varying reasons.
Boston awaits with a certain tranquility the return of superstar Jayson Tatum, who is expected to return at the beginning of April with the team already certain to take part in the post-season.
For the Cavs, the enthusiasm that James Harden brought to the franchise after the noisy and discussed trade that allowed him to leave the Clippers as he himself requested, could be the winning move.
Below is the table of odds for the winning Eastern Conference teams on Betsson Scommesse, MarathonBet, and Bet365 Scommesse).
| Bet type |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers winning EAST | 4.25 | 4.20 | 4.25 |
| Detroit Pistons winning EAST | 4.50 | 4.50 | 4.50 |
| Boston Celtics winning EAST | 4.50 | 4.60 | 4.50 |
| NY Knicks winning EAST | 4.75 | 4.75 | 4.75 |
| Philadelphia winning EAST | 10.00 | 12.00 | 10.00 |
The fight between Play Offs and Play Ins
These should be the teams that will play for the coveted top four spots in the East, but the fight that will send the remaining six teams to play for the other 4 spots, two direct and two coming from the Play Ins, will be just as hard-fought.
We’ll go out on a limb by hypothesizing ninth and tenth place at the end of the regular season for Charlotte and Atlanta, with the Magic and Heat playing for the play-ins.
Toronto and Philadelphia a step ahead to close in fifth and sixth place, especially if Joel Embiid’s knee holds up for the Sixers.
Western Conference: who besides OKC?
As for the opposite coast of the United States, things shouldn’t change much in relation to the win record of the first-place team at the end of the regular season.
OKC could close with a total of wins higher, albeit slightly, than 60 successes, which would create a gap from the second-place team, also very similar to what could happen in the East, with San Antonio appearing favored over the rest of the pack.
What will change, instead, is the scramble that begins here, looking at the standings projections, soon, perhaps starting from third place, which Denver and Houston could reach very closely.
Below is the table of odds for the winning Western Conference teams on Betsson Scommesse, MarathonBet, and Bet365 Scommesse).
| Bet type | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OKC Thunder winning WEST | 1.80 | 1.83 | 1.80 |
| Denver Nuggets winning WEST | 4.50 | 4.25 | 4.50 |
| San Antonio Spurs winning WEST | 8.00 | 8.00 | 8.00 |
| Houston Rockets winning WEST | 15.00 | 13.00 | 15.00 |
| Minnesota TWolves winning WEST | 15.00 | 19.00 | 15.00 |
Minnesota and Lakers straight to the playoffs?
Exactly in this order, fifth and sixth place should be the prey of the Timberwolves and the Lakers, with Edwards’ team appearing slightly favored over Doncic and Lebron’s, albeit by a hair.
The difference with the Eastern Conference, therefore, lies entirely in the greater clarity in relation to which we can place our predictions.
The truth is that the first six just mentioned appear much superior to those destined to go through the Play Ins.
Clippers struggling, we choose Suns and Warriors
The trade we wrote about at the beginning, if it didn’t weaken the Clippers, certainly left a not-so-positive mark.
The backbone of the Los Angeles team remains standing mainly thanks to the super performances of Kawhi Leonard, on whom, however, one cannot rely without thinking that his body can hold up until May without breaking down.
Portland could be the eighth force, but the Suns and Warriors are a hair ahead of all these teams.
The NBA winner
If instead we want to talk about the team winning the ring, the odds favor a new success for Shai and teammates, which we agree with for a whole series of reasons.
The team that can most worry the Thunder is probably the one they will meet in the Conference finals, the Spurs, but it must also be weighed that Wemby and teammates have no playoff experience and OKC is fresh off a title, with heart-pounding games played no more than 8/9 months ago.
The Thunder’s victory is also quoted here in the same way by Betsson Scommesse and MarathonBet, at 2.25. On Bet365 Scommesse at 2.35.
| Bet type | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OKC Thunder winning ring | 2.25 | 2.35 | 2.25 |
| Denver Nuggets winning ring | 6.50 | 6.00 | 6.50 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers winning ring | 10.00 | 13.00 | 10.00 |
| San Antonio Spurs winning ring | 10.00 | 13.00 | 10.00 |
| Boston Celtics winning ring | 15.00 | 15.00 | 15.00 |
For our readers who do not have a gaming account with legal online bookmakers, we present a comparative table of betting operators that provide new customers with first deposit betting bonuses:
Read more When Phil Ivey paid the $3,000 “bubble” to a friend, to save poker from the clutches of a banker
