Gambling On NBA Hoops?
The NBA’s Eastern Conference race has been reduced to a two-horse race between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat. On the other side, the Western Conference race remains wide open, with no fewer than five teams having a legitimate shot at claiming the conference crown.[ad-4468020]
Here’s a look at those five teams and their chances of claiming the West’s top seed.
Oklahoma City Thunder (43-12) +130
The Oklahoma City Thunder have used an extended winning streak to get themselves in position to run away with the conference. Also, it sounds like they’re going to get Russell Westbrook back sooner rather than later. However, that may not be the best thing for them, as the team has been able to thrive because of the emerging killer instinct of Kevin Durant. The duo of Westbrook and Durant have seemed to have chemistry issues in the past and that could be an issue that re-emerges given how well Durant has played of late, and his latest character developments. The team has a tough schedule remaining, and plays six of its final eight games on the road to close out the regular season.
San Antonio Spurs (38-15) +475
The Spurs continue to chug along and would surely love home court throughout the postseason, but head coach Gregg Popovich has been content to rest his top players in hopes of keeping them healthy for the postseason rather than focusing on winning out now. San Antonio has shown an ability to win on the road in the playoffs, and they hold the association’s best road record at the moment. The team went into the All Star break on a 7-7 run, and barring some unforeseen philosophy changes, it’s hard to imagine them even making a push for the West’s top spot, so it’s probably best to lay your money elsewhere.
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Houston Rockets (36-17) +700
The Rockets seem to be the forgotten team in the Western Conference race this season. The team has hovered around the middle of the pack since the start of the year, but it’s important to remember they made a significant change in the offseason when they brought in Dwight Howard, and it’s taken some time to fully incorporate him into the offense. The team started the year at 5-4, but went into the All Star break on a 13-3 run. They’ll come back from the break with a five-game Western road swing in front of them, but if they can survive that, they’ll be in a great position to challenge for the West’s top spot down the stretch.
Los Angeles Clippers (37-18) +550
The Clippers should have been out of this race once Chris Paul went down, but Darren Collison filled in admirably, and now the Clippers are in position to make a run in the second half. In Paul’s two games back he didn’t miss a step, dishing out 20 assists, and the Clippers scored 122.5 points per game in back-to-back wins. Power forward Blake Griffin has stepped up his game in a big way, averaging 35.4 points per game over the final five games before the All Star break, scoring 36 or more in four of those contests. They’ll need to be better on the road than they have been if they hope to get there, but the West’s top spot is certainly within reach.
Portland Trail Blazers (36-17) +750
The Trail Blazers held the Conference’s top spot for a good portion of the season but have since fallen back. There’s no question the squad can score points, ranking first in the Association in that category at 107.9 points per game, but the team’s ability to play defense has been put to the test, and they just haven’t been able to answer the bell. The Trail Blazers rank 27th in the Association in that category, and it’s really hurt them in matchup against the conference’s elite teams. The Trail Blazers are 0-4 in their last four games against the other top five teams in the West. The team also went into the break on a 3-6 run.
The play: Los Angeles Clippers +550, Houston Rockets +700
