This year American professional basketball has given us some great surprises, and these playoffs make a lot of noise, especially for the teams that are missing. And we are talking about the great excluded from the NBA Playoffs 2022, the Los Angeles Lakers of the superstar LeBron James, who, with a bland regular season made of 33 wins and 49 losses, have been excluded from the finals. The same fate happened to the Sacramento Kings, who are out of the finals for the 16th year in a row. But aside from these two teams and their need for a reset, let’s move on to who made it.
The NBA teams on which to bet
The online bookmakers that deal with basketball betting – always one of the most authoritative sources on the winners of professional sports leagues – give as favorites for the One True Ring the Phoenix Suns, authors of a genuinely exceptional regular season. Not even the injury suffered by their star, Chris Paul, has managed to put the Arizona battleship in difficulty. The odds that concern them start from 2,25 for the victory in the Eastern Conference and 3,5 for the conquest of the ring – even if in the second game, the Pelicans unexpectedly won against them.
However, the defending champions of Milwaukee do not give up and are seen as a significant hazard that could jeopardize the Suns’ ride. With Giannis Antetokounmpo in excellent form, the Bucks are treacherous, and their odds – 6,00 on average – show this potential, even if there is an unknown factor on defense, after the departure of P.J. Tucker.
Just below, we find the Brooklyn Nets. Not much is said about them, and they have been plagued by a series of incidents that have undermined their chances of competing for the final victory. Still, in reality, the team has consistently proven itself, with unexpected flashes of talent that manage to burn even the best – so much so that their average odds are 8.00.
The outsiders that can hurt
Boston can’t help but be mentioned in the role of the loose cannon. The Celtics are given at 9.00 – they have unexpectedly ended the regular season on a high, have the best defense in the tournament, and a roster of good players at every position. The problem, as always at this level and at this moment of the season, is the injuries, especially in the scorers, as games are not won if you don’t put the ball in the basket.
The Miami Heat, with the talent of Herro and Adebayo, are an important reality. They closed the year well; they are a team that works well but have the problem of a short bench that can hurt them, especially at this particular time when they need solidity and fluidity to win games.
And we can not fail to mention among the dangers of the playoff forest the Memphis Grizzlies. The bears are a new, energetic, muscular team, led by a great coach who has in the group its best quality – and this is what makes it so dangerous, especially now. The odds give them 13.00, but we see them as much better off.
