2014 NBA Playoffs Odds and Predictions: Eastern Conference First-Round Series Predictions: Another NBA regular season is in the books, and with the 2014 NBA playoffs set to begin this weekend, it is time to take a look at the first-round postseason matchups. In the Eastern Conference, seeding was in question right down to the final game as some teams went as far as to intentionally rest most of their starters in order to set themselves up with matchups they deemed most favorable. Throw in the fact that the Indiana and Miami weren’t exactly playing their best basketball down the stretch, and a conference that was supposed to be a battle between just two teams could end up being a little more interesting than previously expected. With that in mind, here is a breakdown of all four first-round series in the Eastern Conference.
No. 1 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks
It wasn’t all that long ago that Atlanta crushed Indiana 107-88, and these two teams actually split a pair of regular season meetings. Throw in the Pacers’ struggles in the second half of the year, and the groundwork for an upset would seem to be in place. However, we are still talking about the top seed in the conference versus a sub.-500 team. More importantly, we are talking about an Indiana team that had the best defense in the NBA in terms of field goal percentage. No matter how much of a mess the Pacers are on offense right now, they are only to ratchet up the intensity on the defense end. Throw in the experience Indiana’s current core gained from last year’s run to the conference finals, and the Pacers will be able to will their way to a series win even if they aren’t firing on all cylinders.
Prediction: Indiana Pacers Win in 5 Games
No. 2 Miami Heat vs. No. 7 Charlotte Bobcats
Although it was far from a smooth regular season for the two-time defending champs, the Heat draw a first-round matchup against a Charlotte team that they went 4-0 against this year. Granted, a couple of the games were close, and a big reason was the fact that Miami simply had no answer for Charlotte center Al Jefferson. Heck, he had 38 points and 19 boards in one of their meetings. The Heat still won’t be able to stop Jefferson, but the Bobcats aren’t going to be able to stop LeBron James and company either. After all, James exploded for 61 points against Charlotte earlier this year, and we have now reached the point when Miami is going to actually give maximum effort on a nightly basis. James and company have been half-resting for the postseason most of the year, and now that it’s go time, they aren’t going to have much trouble disposing of a team that they didn’t lose to during the regular season.
Prediction: Miami Heat Win in 5 Games
No. 3 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 6 Brooklyn Nets
Heading into the postseason, no team should feel more disrespected than Toronto. Brooklyn flat out tanked in the final week in order to play Toronto instead of Chicago in the first round, and while the strategy makes sense given the lack of playoff experience for the Raptors, it makes for a very motivated opponent. On the court, the series is going to come down to whether or not Toronto guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan can continue to have their way with Brooklyn’s older perimeter defenders, including point guard Deron Williams and his balky ankles. In fact, the young Raptors are definitely the more athletic team in this matchup overall. That being said, there is no denying that the game slows down and is played largely in the half court. With Williams running the show and battle-tested veterans like Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson and Kevin Garnett dotting Brooklyn’s roster, the Nets simply know how to win this time of year. Expect a motivated Toronto team to give the Nets all they can handle, but in the end, the Raptors lack of playoff experience will cause them to come up short.
Prediction: Brooklyn Nets Win in 7 Games
No. 4 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 5 Washington Wizards
Tempo is going to everything in this series. With a dynamic backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Wizards have to make this a fast-paced, higher-scoring series in order to put pressure on a Chicago offense that ranked dead last in the NBA in scoring. On the flip side, the Bulls want to make this an ugly, low-scoring series that they can control with their top-ranked scoring defense and big frontcourt. In the end, two things are going to hurt the Wizards. For one, Chicago is as good as any team at turning games into painfully slow-paced physical battles. More importantly, Washington big man Nene is just coming back from an injury and will likely be playing limited minutes. Without a healthy frontcourt, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Taj Gibson and the rest of Chicago’s big men are going to be able to control the glass and the paint, which should allow them to establish their pace. Throw in Chicago’s relentless energy and experience with postseason basketball, and the young Wizards are in for a learning experience.
Prediction: Chicago Bulls Wins in 6 Games
| 2 EASY STEPS to BET on 2014 NBA Odds Daily! STEP 1: CLICK HERE to OPEN GT Bets Account STEP 2: Deposit with Credit Card or Deposit by Check and get a 100% BONUS upto $500 FREE added to your Player Account Funds. |
Get the 2014 NBA vegas odds on NSAwins.com plus visit for 2014 NBA expert picks and updated 2014 NBA Finals Futures Odds.
