Basketball Betting: NBA Playoffs get underway this weekend

After the grind of 82 regular season games, 16 clubs will get an opportunity to take the next step when the NBA Playoffs tip-off on Saturday. Heading into the final day of the regular season, only one postseason spot is up for grabs. The Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors are in a battle for the eighth-seed in the Eastern Conference with just one regular season contest to play. Eastern Conference The top four seeds in the East are set. For the second straight year, the Cleveland Cavaliers (+175 to win NBA title) have recorded the best record in the league. Cleveland will be a huge favorite over either Chicago or Toronto in the conference quarterfinals. The Cavs are likely to face the fourth-seeded Boston Celtics (+2500) in the conference semi-finals. Boston will likely meet up with Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat (+10000) to open the postseason. Defending conference champion Orlando (+800) is the number two seed. If the Magic can get past the seventh-seeded Charlotte Bobcats (+30000) to advance to the Eastern semi-finals, the emerging Atlanta Hawks (+3000) will be the likely opponent. The third-seeded Hawks have recorded its best regular season in 13 years. Western Conference The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers (+200) are the top seed in the West. LA is just 4-6 in its last ten games and is a little banged up heading into the playoffs. The Lakers will face the eighth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder (+5000) in the conference quarterfinals. NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant will make his playoff debut for one of the most improved squads in the league. The Dallas Mavericks (+1500) will be the second or third seed in the West. The only other club with a shot at the number two seed in the conference is the Utah Jazz (+2000). However, Utah could drop to a fifth-seed with a loss to visiting Phoenix in the final regular season contest of the year. A Utah defeat would enable the Denver Nuggets (+1200) to claim the fourth-seed. The Phoenix Suns (+5000) will have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs as a third or fourth seed. The injury-plagued Portland Trail Blazers (+7500) are likely to be the sixth-seed in the conference while the San Antonio Spurs (+2000) are likely to land the seventh-seed. If the Thunder can defeat Memphis at home on Wednesday, all eight Western Conference playoff squads will have 50 or more wins.